Official GIGABYTE Forum
Questions about GIGABYTE products => Motherboards with Intel processors => Topic started by: zachanscom on July 02, 2010, 03:57:27 am
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my pc has been getting lock ups randomly(sometimes playing games, sometimes browsing the internet...could happen anywhere from 1 hour to a few days without problems)
i've changed the memory and psu already. my other assumptions is that it's graphics card related, possible acpi issues or irq sharing issues(my nic and videocard are both pci-e)
if anyone has this board and cpu, please tell me your standard voltage(without overclocking), because i've tried fiddling around with it, and leaving it on auto. this has been going on for months and nothing has worked so far, and i'm getting impatient.
specs:
-ga ex58 udr3 rev 1.6, bios: fi
-i7 930
-3gb tripple channel patriot pc1333elk i've left this on auto, which is 1066mhz and 1.5v dram(i've increased this to 1.54v), i've aslo tried the xmp with no luck)
-nvidia 9800gtx+ 512mb ram, latest driver
-windows 7 32 bit
-antec earthwatts 650
-dlink dwa 556 pci-e nic, updated
also, i'm using easytune 6 because it has adjustments for the fan. i've noticed the tuner setting is on default(which is i7 920 settings), is this fine?
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All your gear is fine.
You don't mean Win 7 64bit do you? Surely that "32" is a typo (given you are running tri chan RAM it would not make sense at all).
I would try getting rid of easytune and using EVGA Precision to control FAN speed.
I have owned 9800 series cards, and they work flawlessly (apart from GA 9800GTX+ which needed flashing to work with newer drivers)
Your board/RAM should be fine on default auto settings, there should be zero need to fiddle with anything if you are not overclocking.
Can you check Windows Event Viewer and see if there is something to indicate critical errors which might have left tell tale signs in logs, perhaps that will give us better insight into what your issue might be.
I can tell you OCZ RAM usually is fine with GA boards (I am using it here).
Can you report idle/load temps of your card also? (run OCCT PSU test + measure temps with GPU-Z will work)
I doubt there will be IRQ issues with only two PCI devices, Windows can be stupid at times, but not like the old days, there should not be any conflicts if you have settings to auto detech in BIOS.
Awaiting further info my friend (+others will be along to reply in due course no doubt, darkmantis for sure, he is everwhere at once :)
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"Never fear, I is here!"
Hi VenGanZa
Actually not much to add to what you have already said ;) apart from the reference to OCZ. The OP said he is using Patriot memory. I have just checked and there is no mention of it in the QVL, I know that doesn't neccessarilly mean it won't work but it is an indicator. I would advise checking the memory modules with Memtest86 for faults. To be honest I couldn't find the memory mentioned anywhere.
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Any 32bit OS will address up to 4GB of ram, it's just that you'll get diminishing use of all 4GB's depending on how elaborate your video card, HD, USB devices, etc, array configurations, The Patriot ram should be fine( low latency, albeit expensive). You should run Memtest86+ v4.1 on your memory http://www.onlinedown.com/detail/13262.htm. What are your temperatures?
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Oops I was thinking OCZ at the time (re another post) sorry :)
For sure install 64bit Win 7 asap OP, you will end up with under 4gb RAM available if not.
And please post up a reply to the questions asked mate, so the boys can put their thinking caps on.
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Hi,
Sorry but I read this: 3gb tripple channel patriot pc1333
as only 3 gig of RAM (3 sticks x 1Gb) being used. No need for Windows 7 64 bit if only using 3 gig of RAM.
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hi, my temperatures are normal. cpu temperatures 30+ idle, 40 under load. system never goes above 30. and yes, i'm using 32bit with only 3gbs of ram. i've actually installed 64bit, but did a full reformat because the pc also locked up under that too.
i will try your evga suggestion. and i've looked at the event viewers and all it tells me, every time i had to force restart, that there's an abnormal shutdown. nothing else.
also, sometimes while playing games, there might be a nvdklm.sys tdr error. i've only gotten it once and returned back to desktop. but usually, it's a hard lock, and my keyboards become unresponsive. this sometimes also happens while i'm on youtube or simply typing on the internet. i've used memtest awhile ago with no problems. i've also changed memory just to be sure, i've also done the same with psu.
i've looked at the gpu temperatures and they're in the normal range, as far as i remember. i'll check again with gpu z.
ok, the temperature for the gpu is reporting back as 40 at idle, 35% fan usage. after about 20 minutes in a game, it's at 50 degrees, the shader clock and gpu usage rose. i didn't see much change for anything else.
ok. playing the most graphics intensive game i have, temperatures rise to nearly 60, fan rises to 40 percent or so. this is for about 20 minutes.
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All your temperatures sound perfectly normal for this time of year. I cannot think of anything that you could do that hasn't already been covered(short of a motherboard RMA). Are you using any sort of power conditioning device eg UPS system. It's always possible that your mains is "dirty". Spikes and brownouts can cause all sorts of havock with your system.
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i'm using just a regular surge protector.
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That's a help but only protects your equiptment from spikes and surges. It wont do anything to help condition the mains power. It might be worth getting it checked out or purchase a small UPS system. It doesn't need to be anything too elaborate and it does give you the added benefit of time to save your work etc if there is a power outage.
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Oh sorry about the 3gb, I saw TRI CHAN, and was blind to the figure :)
Damn your temps are fine, in fact that is cold as ice for a 9800.
Have you checked if BIOS (gpu+cpu) might need updating? Have you check if your mobo drivers are current too?
I would tend to suspect Nvidia drivers (although you have tested with various), and to be honest the 9800 is rock solid usually on any driver.
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is there a bios for the cpu and gpu? i have the latest bios(fi) for my board. all my components are updated though. and i've downloaded the latest drivers from the gigabyte site as well.
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Hi,
There might be a BIOS or Firmware update for your GPU and it is worth checking on the Manufacturers website for your Graphics Card just to eliminate this as a possible cause.
I wouldn't think there would be such an update for the CPU though.
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has anyone experienced this kind of thing before? what is the cause usually?
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It is difficult to say what the cause is usually because we cannot determine the actual problem. Just having a heap of symptoms doesn't give us a diagnosys just points us in the right direction hopefully, that is why it is important to answer every question as fully as possible.
You said that you have run memtest86 in the past but have you run it on the current memory in this board one stick at a time?
Have you cleared the CMOS and loaded the BIOS defaults?
Is there any other appliances on that circuit that start up or are on when the problem occurs?
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yes, memtest overnight for both. cleared cmos and loaded defaults many times. and there's no other device on the circuit.
i think it's time i completely disassemble everything and put it back together. i just don't want to find out that after everything, it turned out to be some software error or driver conflict.
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Just make sure that when you install it all you remember to make all the power connections and don't get any shorts to the chassis especially from the back of the motherboard eg no extra posts.
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i did that. and made sure everything was connected properly. however, i'm not sure about extra posts. i have 9 post on the motherboard. i used all 6 at the left. there's 3 more at the very right, but they're not touching the motherboard in anyway. should i screw them in place?
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No! Only use the ones that correspond to the mounting holes in the motherboard. Sometimes it is six and sometimes nine usually depends on the size of motherboard.
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hi, i did that and unfortunately the problem still persists.
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Well I checked out the error message you posted and it is a nVidea driver error, so maybe worth playing around with some of the older drivers as I know you have the latest at the moment.
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yeah i've tried older drivers already. is there any special setting i have to do in bios? i still think maybe the voltages are wrong.
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Not as far as I am aware. Although it might be worth updating the firmware on your graphics card if it isn't the latest. I know there used to be a problem with that at one time.
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that was one of the drivers that caused the fan to fail. luckily, i never downloaded that driver.
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Well at least that was one bit of luck(or good judgement) :) To be honest I don't know where to go from here, we seem to have covered most options. Just to check you are not overclocking anything are you?
yes, memtest overnight for both
I just checked back and noticed your answer to one of my questions. When you ran memtest86 did you do it on the modules singularly as I instructed?
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Exactly which Patriot memory kit are you using, and what are your present memory timings and voltages?
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Well at least that was one bit of luck(or good judgement) :) To be honest I don't know where to go from here, we seem to have covered most options. Just to check you are not overclocking anything are you?
yes, memtest overnight for both
I just checked back and noticed your answer to one of my questions. When you ran memtest86 did you do it on the modules singularly as I instructed?
yep, i tested them one at a time. i've also ran prime95, hd error checking, wd data lifeguard tools to check smart status. i've ruled out basically every component expect the motherboard and videocard, for which there's really no way to check its health status(although it's reporting proper temperatures and clock ratings on evga precision).
Exactly which Patriot memory kit are you using, and what are your present memory timings and voltages?
i think i made a mistake earlier about that. it's a pc3-8500f 1600ll series. i'm running on default 1.5v, and 1066mhz(7-7-7-20). but i've tried it the xmp profile, which is 1.65v and 1600(8-8-8-24).
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Can you consider moving house to another area ;D Only joking but we seem to have run out of ideas. Everything we have tested has been fine except the problem persists. Let me have a think about it and I will get back to you later on today.
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XMP profile is for O'clockers. The lower latency at default is more beneficial for you with your memory.
Windows 7 may be the problem. Try to disable any power schemes and screensavers. set all to "never" see if that helps.
also its a long read but a bunch of w7 users have the same issue and it seems to me either windows update or driver updates that cause this issue especially if memtest and other memstressing apps work fine. again its a long thread but maybe something in there will give you a place to start other than replacing/suspecting hardware.
http://www.w7forums.com/windows-7-freezes-t114.html
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do you guys have these two files gdrv.sys and gvtdrv.sys in the windows folder?
i used the verifier tool to test the drivers, and the gdrv.sys file causing my computer to bsod on startup. i think this might be related to the lockups. the file belongs to gigabyte dynamic energy tool, however i never used that, and i only have easytune 6.(i've tested without easytune, and the computer still locks up).
i have not tested gvtdrv yet, but i assume it'll turn out the same way. i tried renaming and deleting the first file and it recreates itself.
edit: another gigabyte software "etdrv.sys" causing problems. this one is related to easytune. do any of you use easytune 6?
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I would not advise installing the additional software that comes with your motherboard from Gigabyte, or any other company for that matter, when you get your board. Most of it is not that good and there are better programs out there on the net for free anyway. The files in question are to do with Gigabyte software.
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well i uninstalled easytune, deleted the system files and even the registry keys. that item is officially cleaned from my computer, but even then, freezing continued.
i'm gonna do a reformat(although i've done it once before). if that fails, i'm giving up and getting a replacement for the motherboard. thanks for the help everyone.
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Even the best uninstallers, like Revo, don't always manage to clear everything off the machine. As you suggest it is best in these circumstances to do a re-format and a clean install of the OS.
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do you guys have these two files gdrv.sys and gvtdrv.sys in the windows folder?
i used the verifier tool to test the drivers, and the gdrv.sys file causing my computer to bsod on startup. i think this might be related to the lockups. the file belongs to gigabyte dynamic energy tool, however i never used that, and i only have easytune 6.(i've tested without easytune, and the computer still locks up).
i have not tested gvtdrv yet, but i assume it'll turn out the same way. i tried renaming and deleting the first file and it recreates itself.
edit: another gigabyte software "etdrv.sys" causing problems. this one is related to easytune. do any of you use easytune 6?
Zach,
I have used Easy Tune 6 a number of times. Sometimes it has worked great for me. On other computers it turned into a total nightmare. The system was perfectly stable before I installed Easy Tune 6, but after the install, the system became highly unstable and gave my lots of BSOD's. And there was no way I could fix it no matter what I tried. It was totally frustrating for me.
On my latest build, the system was working perfect, then after installing Easy Tune 6, I began to receive BSOD's repeatedly. I too removed it, but now we are trying to isolate the problem once again. I too may have to reformat and clean reinstall Windows 7 Ultimate. I hope we can resolve it without having to resort to that!
Good luck!
Soar
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You neglected to give me this information in the other thread ::) It may have a bearing on your problem so please see your original post.
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The Motherboard may not be your problem, especially if LED's don't signal an error. If you choose to re-format, goto your HD's manf. website. There should be download for a utility program for "wiping"(prepping) your HD(completly returms it to a raw state). It'll take a few hours to complete, depending on the size of your HD. When you re-install Win 7, let it install all win 7 drivers. Test your system, before sequentially updating drivers. This will help to eliminate and identify any problematic drivers.
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I appologize if I'm off topic here, but it seems I have a fellow gigabyter with a Windows 7 64-bit installation problem?
I have games hang at random and the display driver crash and recover with a 'diplay driver stopped responding and succesfully recovered' error logged in eventviewer. If you don't give it time to recover, it looks like the system just locked up.
Have a look in eventviewer. Administrative tools.
The problem was worse with a Windows 7 installation with all drivers from mobo disk.
Now with only a minimum of drivers/apps it runs a bit more stable.
I have a clean install of XP pro on a separate partition and there is NO problem there.
I have searched for days for a solution to this and in vain and my best advice is to try run games whatever in Windows XP or Vista SP2 compatability mode (right-click shortcut -> properties) or run in xp sandbox if possible.
It seems Windows 7 has just not come out of beta mode yet. Deja vu anybody.
Best of luck to you tho and if you find a fix please post. :)
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As you quite rightly point out it is best to download the latest drivers from the manufacturers rather than rely on the disk that comes with your motherboard. Also I have found that in general it is best to steer clear of the free applications also on the disk. There are much better ones on the internet usually for free.
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hi, just want to say the problem was probably the motherboard or cpu. both of which were replaced. all other components remained the same and now i have not gotten any freezing, however, there were some scary moments. at first the computer seemed to turn off by itself and there was one time where the pc didn't boot up properly. i updated the bios, and drivers and have not experienced any more of these thought. if i do, i'm changing graphics card(changed psu, harddrive and ram earlier on during the gigabyte fiasco already so they should be safe)
it seems things have stabilized since i installed windows and updated everything. i rma's the processor and intel sent me a new one. i also bought an intel dx58so. i figured a board by the same company should offer total compatibility. the motherboard, however i could not return due to a return time-limit policy(or i could have bought the same board and returned the old one, then again i wanted to be safe)
i'm concluding that it was probably the motherboard. maybe a freak static discharge while installing the board. the screwdriver did slip once. this time i installed the new board with latex gloves and much smaller set of tools. i would like to think it wasn't due to the motherboard simply being crap.
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Thanks for taking thew time to come and gives us the feedback Zach, it is apppreciated. Shame that you didn't replace the Gigabyte board, it would have been nice to see if it ran smoothly this time but i can appreciate your concerns. You could have RMAd the motherboard anyway and got a replacement that would at least have kept your options open.