The computer stops working and I'm trying to understand what's happening.
The computer stops working and I'm trying to understand what's happening.
I've been using a more affordable or older PC for some time now, but it's acting strangely. It's freezing regularly during browsing or switching windows, but not when playing games. The freezing starts with smooth mouse movement and highlighting, then new tabs or windows fail to load. Eventually, the mouse locks up and I can't use the keyboard for about 30 seconds before everything freezes.
I've reset the PC completely, wiped the hard drive, and reinstalled Windows 10, but the issue persists. I also adjusted the BIOS settings to the default recommendations and ran HCI Memtest for several hours without encountering any errors.
Screenshots:
Specs:
Case
Corsair Graphite 230T
Case Fans
Default Case Fan
Processor
AMD FX ™-6300 Six-Core Processor
Processor Cooling
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO V2
Memory
16 GB [4 GB x4] Crucial Ballistix Sport 4GB / 1600MHz
Video Card
Palit GeForce GTX 1070 Dual 8GB
Motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-970A-DS3P (rev. 1.0)
Power Supply
NZXT C650 Gold V2
Primary Hard Drive
WD Blue 3D NAND SSD 2.5" SATA III 1TB
Secondary Hard Drive
Western Digital Blue HDD 3,5" SATA III 1TB
Sound Card
Realtek High Definition Audio
(I think)
Network Card
Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controller
Operating System
Windows 10 Home (64-bit)
Note: It's important to note that the GPU, cooler, SSD, and power supply were all recently installed. I have some basic knowledge of building computers, but I'm not very experienced. From what I've learned, these kinds of freezes might stem from insufficient power or faulty components. I've attempted various checks and troubleshooting steps, restoring everything to its original settings, yet the problem remains. I'm unsure whether it's hardware or software-related. Any guidance or advice would be greatly appreciated.
The situation isn't favorable for your budget.
Reason: Considering your symptoms and the fact that your system uses an older CPU (launched in 2012), along with the same outdated motherboard (also from 2012/2013) and DDR3 RAM, it seems your processor is nearing its end of life. Although a potential issue with the motherboard or VRMs could exist, I believe the problem lies with the CPU itself. Your power supply is reliable and top-notch, so power delivery shouldn't be the cause. If the issue were related to power (either PSU or motherboard VRMs), you'd likely experience frequent reboots or shutdowns. The GPU remains solid, which explains why gaming runs smoothly.
You might try temporarily pausing the CPU. You can run tests with CinebenchR, Prime95, or AIDA64.
For GPU performance, Unigine Superposition works well.
Regarding RAM, memtest86 is recommended—at least two full passes (13 tests per pass), while four full passes are acceptable. A single pass for 16GB should take around 2.5 hours; four passes would take roughly 10 hours. Approximately $330 can buy a modern CPU-MoBo-RAM (DDR5) package. Here’s a suggested list:
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU:
Intel Core i3-13100 3.4 GHz Quad-Core Processor
($136.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard:
ASRock B760M PG Lightning Micro ATX LGA1700 Board
($116.98 @ Newegg)
Memory:
Kingston FURY Beast 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR5-5200 CL36 RAM
($75.12 @ Amazon)
Storage:
Western Digital Blue 1 TB 2.5" SSD
(Purchased for free)
Storage:
Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" HDD
(Purchased for free)
Video Card:
Palit Dual GeForce GTX 1070 8 GB Graphics Card
(Purchased for free)
Case:
Corsair Graphite Series 230T Mid Tower Case
($0)
Power Supply:
NZXT C650 (2022) 650 W, Gold Certified, Modular ATX
($0)
Overall Cost:
$329.09
All prices include shipping, taxes, and any applicable discounts.
Generated by
PCPartPicker
2023-08-29 06:04 EDT-0400
Please remember I incorporated the rest of your current components into this build as well; feel free to reuse them. I set their prices to zero. The CPU comes with its own cooler, so you won’t need a separate one. You also don’t have to buy an aftermarket CPU cooler, and your CM Hyper cooler isn’t suitable because it lacks the LGA1700 socket. The CPU includes an integrated GPU for backup, just in case your GTX 1070 fails. This setup lets you connect a monitor via the motherboard while keeping gaming capabilities, except during gaming sessions since the iGPU isn’t very powerful.
If you switch to DDR4 RAM, you could find it under $300. Here’s the updated list:
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU:
Intel Core i3-13100 3.4 GHz Quad-Core Processor
($136.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard:
MSI PRO B760M-P DDR4 Micro ATX LGA1700 Board
($99.99 @ B&H)
Memory:
Kingston FURY Beast 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 RAM
($38.98 @ B&H)
Storage:
Western Digital Blue 1 TB 2.5" SSD
(Purchased for free)
Storage:
Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" HDD
(Purchased for free)
Video Card:
Palit Dual GeForce GTX 1070 8 GB Graphics Card
($0)
Case:
Corsair Graphite Series 230T Mid Tower Case
($0)
Power Supply:
NZXT C650 (2022) 650 W, Gold Certified, Fully Modular ATX
($0)
Total:
$275.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and any available discounts.
Generated by
PCPartPicker
2023-08-29 06:07 EDT-0400
Thank you for the detailed details. I was worried about needing to spend a lot of money, but fortunately it seems less severe than I thought.
I plan to conduct some performance tests before deciding, and I may adjust based on the outcomes.
You can purchase the mounting bracket for the hyper 212 for five dollars.
LGA1700 Mounting Bracket Kit is available at store.coolermaster.com.
I might have to pay a bit more for a 6 core processor.
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/pQNxFT/...071512400f
Yeah... Adding a few extra dollars will bring you an i5-12600K with four more cores (10c/16t). Instead of the i5-12600K, you can opt for an i5-13500 with ten more cores (14c/20t). Then moving up again, you'll see i7-13700K with sixteen cores (16c/24t) and so on. Soon you might be eyeing a Core i9 priced around 500 dollars.
The goal was to keep PC repairs affordable.
🙄
If the person upgrading wants to do it later, they can upgrade the CPU then.
Also, the i5-12400F has an F-suffix, which means it lacks an integrated GPU for extra safety.
Can you display CPU-Z memory and speed sections?
I would test with two RAM modules installed in dual-channel slots (instead of four).
Turn off RAM overclocking (AXMP/DOCP) in BIOS.
Check the health of your drives.
Use the SSD manufacturer's specific tool for SSDs.
Run HDtune for HDDs.
Share screenshots.
I've already run CineBench and achieved around 2150 in multicore score, so that's the result.
😀
For now, I probably just need a budget upgrade, yeah. My PC gets a lot of use for work and gaming. A good motherboard would be nice though—it would help future-proof the system since I have limited space for upgrades on my current one.
I'm still a bit puzzled about your RAM question. Would cutting down the modules help?
And I'll make sure to check if overclocking is active in the BIOS after the next restart.
EDIT: XMP/Overclocking was, and remains, disabled.
In the meantime, here are the screenshots:
Note: The only variation between slots is the Serial Number, nothing else.
When viewed this way, the FX lacks built-in graphics. It's cheaper than yours and comes with a 6-core processor.
I understand the AMD FX-6300 lacks an integrated GPU, but that doesn't mean OP needs to replace the CPU with one without an integrated graphics unit and suffer worse performance. It's better to choose a CPU with an integrated GPU for backup.
The newest Intel 700-series MoBos will also work with upcoming 14th generation CPUs. This was confirmed by MSI's leak, as reported in the article:
https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/24/23844...e-msi-leak