F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop System issue detected - assistance required

System issue detected - assistance required

System issue detected - assistance required

M
Mikeahl
Member
196
10-21-2022, 08:00 PM
#1
Hello everyone.
Here’s the situation I’m facing:

My setup includes an AMD Ryzen 7 7700X, an ASUS ROG Strix B650-A gaming rig, an XFX Radeon RX 6800XT, two 16GB ADATA XPG LANCER RGB DDR5 6000 MHz memory sticks, a Corsair SF750, a Lian Li Galahad 240SL V2, and two Crucial P5 Plus M.2 drives (500GB and 2TB). I’m running Windows 10 with vanilla BIOS settings.

When I first put everything together, I encountered serious issues—mainly random reboots without bluescreens. After some research and testing, I decided to:
1. Rebuild the system from scratch using software tools.
2. Disable the automatic ASUS software download and reinstall Windows.

After a fresh installation, I updated the BIOS and drivers myself, avoiding the ASUS software suite. Initially it seemed stable, but I still face regular problems. These issues occur randomly but often:
- The system unexpectedly restarts, and the Windows reliability monitor or event viewer shows a constant problem: the system watchdog was activated. There were no bluescreens, just a restart.
- I experience soft lockups—my mouse moves but clicking doesn’t work. Sometimes Spotify loops or YouTube videos freeze, yet the audio continues. Only a manual reset helps.
- After restarting, when I reopen my browser and restore the last session, multiple new tabs appear because I clicked “new tab” repeatedly to confirm a crash. This suggests the clicks might be registered, even though I don’t like forced restarts. Windows doesn’t report any errors during this process.

These problems happen randomly, and I can’t force them, making troubleshooting difficult. Interestingly, they only occur when the PC is idle or I’m using YouTube or similar sites. During gameplay, the system has never crashed in about four months since the reinstall. All tests I ran—OCCT stress test, Memtest, Windows RAM check—passed. Monitoring tools like HWinfo didn’t help much either, as they couldn’t capture the event.

I’m at a loss. Most searches point to software issues, but I’ve had the system with fresh BIOS and drivers from the start. My conclusion is this is likely a hardware problem. I’ve ruled out the graphics card since both GPUs worked before, and the issue persisted even with two different cards.

Now I’m unsure whether it’s RAM, PSU, CPU, or the mainboard. It doesn’t seem like a power issue, but it’s just speculation. RAM passed all tests, so I’m not ruling that out either. The mainboard or CPU remains uncertain. Do you have any tips on how to narrow it down further? I’m open to buying a replacement if needed, but understanding the cause would be helpful.

Thanks for your help.
M
Mikeahl
10-21-2022, 08:00 PM #1

Hello everyone.
Here’s the situation I’m facing:

My setup includes an AMD Ryzen 7 7700X, an ASUS ROG Strix B650-A gaming rig, an XFX Radeon RX 6800XT, two 16GB ADATA XPG LANCER RGB DDR5 6000 MHz memory sticks, a Corsair SF750, a Lian Li Galahad 240SL V2, and two Crucial P5 Plus M.2 drives (500GB and 2TB). I’m running Windows 10 with vanilla BIOS settings.

When I first put everything together, I encountered serious issues—mainly random reboots without bluescreens. After some research and testing, I decided to:
1. Rebuild the system from scratch using software tools.
2. Disable the automatic ASUS software download and reinstall Windows.

After a fresh installation, I updated the BIOS and drivers myself, avoiding the ASUS software suite. Initially it seemed stable, but I still face regular problems. These issues occur randomly but often:
- The system unexpectedly restarts, and the Windows reliability monitor or event viewer shows a constant problem: the system watchdog was activated. There were no bluescreens, just a restart.
- I experience soft lockups—my mouse moves but clicking doesn’t work. Sometimes Spotify loops or YouTube videos freeze, yet the audio continues. Only a manual reset helps.
- After restarting, when I reopen my browser and restore the last session, multiple new tabs appear because I clicked “new tab” repeatedly to confirm a crash. This suggests the clicks might be registered, even though I don’t like forced restarts. Windows doesn’t report any errors during this process.

These problems happen randomly, and I can’t force them, making troubleshooting difficult. Interestingly, they only occur when the PC is idle or I’m using YouTube or similar sites. During gameplay, the system has never crashed in about four months since the reinstall. All tests I ran—OCCT stress test, Memtest, Windows RAM check—passed. Monitoring tools like HWinfo didn’t help much either, as they couldn’t capture the event.

I’m at a loss. Most searches point to software issues, but I’ve had the system with fresh BIOS and drivers from the start. My conclusion is this is likely a hardware problem. I’ve ruled out the graphics card since both GPUs worked before, and the issue persisted even with two different cards.

Now I’m unsure whether it’s RAM, PSU, CPU, or the mainboard. It doesn’t seem like a power issue, but it’s just speculation. RAM passed all tests, so I’m not ruling that out either. The mainboard or CPU remains uncertain. Do you have any tips on how to narrow it down further? I’m open to buying a replacement if needed, but understanding the cause would be helpful.

Thanks for your help.

M
MisterN3A3TKG
Member
54
10-21-2022, 08:41 PM
#2
There could be various causes and it's quite unusual not to restart during gaming. You might want to check the Event Viewer for any error codes. It's possible overheating issues with the CPU and cooler, or if any components are faulty you could request a warranty. Random restarts could indicate problems with RAM, motherboard, PSU, or drivers. Try running CMD and executing “sfc /scannow”.
M
MisterN3A3TKG
10-21-2022, 08:41 PM #2

There could be various causes and it's quite unusual not to restart during gaming. You might want to check the Event Viewer for any error codes. It's possible overheating issues with the CPU and cooler, or if any components are faulty you could request a warranty. Random restarts could indicate problems with RAM, motherboard, PSU, or drivers. Try running CMD and executing “sfc /scannow”.

X
XODAAA
Member
59
10-22-2022, 03:24 AM
#3
In the event of a reboot issue, the EventViewer records "the system watchdog timer was triggered." Source: HAL ID:13
X
XODAAA
10-22-2022, 03:24 AM #3

In the event of a reboot issue, the EventViewer records "the system watchdog timer was triggered." Source: HAL ID:13

H
HeroMinion
Junior Member
26
10-22-2022, 10:41 AM
#4
Have you attempted running the command prompt and executing “sfc /scannow” to check for issues, and have you considered updating your BIOS?
H
HeroMinion
10-22-2022, 10:41 AM #4

Have you attempted running the command prompt and executing “sfc /scannow” to check for issues, and have you considered updating your BIOS?

K
kondrathe
Junior Member
31
10-22-2022, 07:10 PM
#5
Yes, I ran the entire sfc /scannow process and the following commands, but it didn't assist. The BIOS seems up to date. I also think the CPU might be the issue. I want to verify this before ordering a replacement, though I'm aware it may not be feasible.
K
kondrathe
10-22-2022, 07:10 PM #5

Yes, I ran the entire sfc /scannow process and the following commands, but it didn't assist. The BIOS seems up to date. I also think the CPU might be the issue. I want to verify this before ordering a replacement, though I'm aware it may not be feasible.

X
xXCoolIceBoyXx
Member
215
10-22-2022, 08:58 PM
#6
Have you conducted any CPU benchmarks? Their results could provide valuable insights.
X
xXCoolIceBoyXx
10-22-2022, 08:58 PM #6

Have you conducted any CPU benchmarks? Their results could provide valuable insights.