Gigabyte GA-MA790XT-UD4P & AMD Phenomen II X3 720BE system freezez/lockups

[Ettan]

Hi!

## General description ##

I just bought some new hardware and it is giving me a problem that i don't know what to do with. After the assembly and installation of an OS the computer hangs/freezez from time to time. I haven't found a

single action that is causing this, it is totally random, i could be surfing the web, playing WoW etc. When it freezez it stops responding in any way and i have to restart it with the reset/power button.

There is no articfacts on the screen or no BSOD and the audio dissappears (no stuttering left or anything). The freezez/hangs always occurs inside windows, as of yet it has never done this during the POST or

boot of the OS

## Hardware and OS ##

Case:Antec SLK3700AMB(With two 120mm fans, 2 x Noctua NF-P12 directly plugged in to the mobo)
Motherboard:Gigabyte GA-MA790XT-UD4P(Updated to the latest BIOS F7)
RAM:Corsair XMS DDR3 4GB(9-9-9-24)(TW3X4G1333C9A) 2x2GB
Graphics:XFX ATI Radeon HD4770
Processor:AMD Phenomen II X3 720BE(Stock HS and fan with AS5 applied, the 4'th core is NOT enabled)
HDD:Samsung spinPoint 500GB SATA(HD501LJ) No RAID, just one disk.
Powersupply:Corsair CMPSU-520HX 520W
DVD:Optiarc DVD RW AD-7243S SATA

Nothing is or has been overclocked, i have not made any changes in the BIOS, most of the settings are on automatic.

Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit SP1
Windows XP Pro 64-bit SP2
Windows XP Pro 32-bit SP3

## Detailed description of problem ##

I started of by installing Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit SP1 and the installation was a success, no problems there. I then proceed with the first logon and 2-3 minutes after that the computer rebooted

itself. On its way up after the POST it couldn't find the bootloader for Vista. I then did a number of re-installs with the same result. Finally there was a reboot when the system found the bootloader after

the reboot. After this the system stopped rebooting by itself and allowed me to stay in the system. The problem now is that the system starts to freezez/hangs at any given moment. This usually happends after

a few minutes so there was basically no time to install drivers and so forth. I managed to check the event viewer but couldn't find any clues to these system halts.

I then tried installing Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit SP1 on another HDD (Samsung SpinPoint 80GB SATA SP0812C) and i had some luck and the system didn't reboot the first time but the system halt is still

present.

I then tried installing Windows XP Pro 32-bit SP3 and later the 64-bit version on the smaller HDD (Samsung SpinPoint 80GB SATA SP0812C) and here there were no reboots after the first logon at all. The system

halts is still present in both these OSs but not nearly as often as in Windows Vista. I am now running Windows XP Pro 64-bit SP2 with all the drivers for the hardware installed and the system runs fine when

it is actually running but the system halts still occurs and some days it happends 5-10 times and other days i could be only one.

## What has been tried ##

- Ran MEMTEST86+ for 24h with no errors
- Ran HUTIL to check the Samsung spinPoint 500GB SATA disk, no errors
- Updated the BIOS to the latest version F7.
- Tried running the system with both Optimized defaults and fail-safe defaults.
- Ran all the test in 3Dmark06 to see if that could trigger any problems, went ok.
- Ran all the stress test in Everest Ultimate edition, went ok.
- Tried a different HDD, as i wrote earlier.
- Stressed the CPU with StressCPU from UBCD without any problem, ran it for about 30 min.
- I have tried the following different setups with the memory:
- Bank 1 and 2 - Dual channel mode with Unganged mode
- Bank 1 and 2 - Dual channel mode with Ganged mode
- Bank 1 and 3 - Single channel mode with Unganged mode
- Bank 1 and 3 - Single channel mode with Ganged mode
- Tested the RAM sticks on by one in singel channel mode and in both ganged/unganged mode
- Replaced the SATA cables to the HDD and DVD and tested them on the internal chipset controller and Gigabytes own SATA controller
- Disconnected the DVD
- Tried a PS2 keyboard
- Replaced the signal cable between the screen and graphics card.
- Tried a different wall jacket, although in the same room and none of the jackets is grounded but since my old system was plugged into the same wall jacket with this very PSU i don't think that is the issue.
- The temps are around 40-45 for the system after a freeze when i reboot and check in the BIOS. I also felt the different HS and they do not feel all that hot.
- Dissabling Cool n' Quiet.
- Have tried a different memorymodule, Kingston KVR1333D3N9/2G (which is on the recommended list) and Corsair have also replace my memory with a new pair.
- I have disassembled the whole system and put it back together again.

I have no idea where to go from here. I am now running Win XP Pro 32-bit with all the latest patches and the lates Drivers from Gigabyte/ATI. The system halts are less frequent nowdays for some reason but

they still appear. I have no clue where to go from here. One thing that is odd is that in BIOS under PC Health status it says DDR3 1.5V and in the column to the right it says 1.616V. I looke in the MIT menu but could only find the option to up the voltage for DDR3 not lower it. Could this be the casue for my problem?

Any ideas? At least it would be nice to narrow it down to the failing component so can buy a new one!!

[Tiger]

After loading Optimized Defaults restart the PC. Manually set the DDR3 Memory Timing Items (9-9-9-24) and change the Command Rate to T2, instead of the default T1 setting. The memory should be in the first two slots and Unganged. It looks like the stock DDR3 voltage is 1.5volts on that motherboard, so that should be okay.

Run CPU-Z program and check the memory tab to see how it is running. The 1T/2T Command Timing setting is listed on page 41 of the manual.

[Ettan]

Memory is in the first two slots, runs in unganged mode and i have manually set the timings items to 9-9-9-24/T2.

Report from CPU-Z:

Memory Type                   DDR3
Memory Size                  4096 MBytes
Channels                          Dual, (Unganged)
Memory Frequency               669.7 MHz (3:10)
CAS# latency (CL)              9.0
RAS# to CAS# delay (tRCD)   9
RAS# Precharge (tRP)      9
Cycle Time (tRAS)              24
Bank Cycle Time (tRC)      34
Command Rate (CR)      2T
Uncore Frequency      2009.2 MHz

Now we just have to wait and see i guess.

[bytheway_r]

I can only add that you likely have the same "problem" as me and some others with RAM voltage. I have a different board, though. Most likely that reported value of 1.616v is the real voltage your sticks are getting.

Here's a link:

http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,484.0.html

[Ettan]

Hi,

Thats excatly the voltage my motherboard reports but a couple of times i have seen 1.600V reported. Now i'm at work so i just took a quick look (will read it when i come ohome) at the link you provided and as far as i can understand there is no solution to this right, i mean other than buying some new RAM or a different motherboard?

[bytheway_r]

Basically, yeah. I've given up when Support started sounding like a broken record. It likely could be solved by some software fix but I figured it'd be too bothersome to try and make Gigabyte do it. I ended up overclocking my RAM and raising voltage to 1.73v ( real ) so it doesn't matter to me anymore.

Frankly I have no idea what else you could try with your problem. Maybe a different PSU? Still, this is grasping at straws. One thing that most likely isn't at fault is your RAM. As in, the sticks likely aren't defective. Who knows, maybe the looser timings will fix this, though. The HDD is probably out, too. Apart from that, who knows? Could be the CPU, MB or...

This is like my problem with PC not turning on every now and then. I couldn't figure it out and now it hasn't happened for a month or so even though everything's the same as before. Hmmm, except for a northbridge heatsink but it shouldn't have mattered .

[Ettan]

Yeah i have had the same problem with Gigabyte support, i bought this HW a year back and i contacted their supoprt with this problem and made the same post as above with all the things i have tried. It were even more detailed.

I thought that it is better to try as much as possible by myself and be very detailed so we don't have to go over that since it takes some time for them to repsond. But after a while they started to ask me things and suggest things to do that i had already done and which i had written down in the lenghty post so after i while i also gave up trying to get them to help me.

Now i'm not sure what to do, either i'll go with an entirely new hardware ie Intel or i start to by new HW one thing at the time, sad thing here is if the last HW i buy shows to be the problem i am sitting on a lot of hardware and have lost some money on it.

Worst case i'll to learn to live with it.

[absic]

Hi there,

are you running your system in AHCI Mode? I have come across problems when running in this mode with my own Samsung HDD when it was on the GA-790XTA-UD4 (Both boards use the same chipsets) and I found I had to run in Native IDE Mode.

[Ettan]

Hi,

I'm not sure but i think i'm running in Native IDE (I have loaded optimized defaults and not changed those settings, maybe you what the default are?) . I have to check when i get home from work and get back to you.

[absic]

I'm not saying that it is this but it is worth checking out as I think if you pressed "Y" on the initial BOOT it sets the controllers to AHCI Mode.

Other things to check would be:
Do you have Floppy Drive enabled? If yes try disabling this feature
Do you have S.M.A.R.T. enabled? If yes, disable this too.

Reading through your problems and what you have tried I would be looking at the Hard drive rather than the RAM or CPU especially as you are not getting any BSOD's and the system is just freezing. If I were to look at changing anything this is what I would try first.

[Ettan]

Ok, i'll check all those settings out when i get home. I have tried a different HDD although that were also a Samsung disk but with IDE instead of SATA so i guess since they are the same brand the symptom would still be there right?

Thanks for your reply.

[Ettan]

I was running in Native IDE and the S.M.A.R.T function were disabled. The only thing that wasn't disabled were the floppy support but i have now disabled it.

[Ettan]

I have been able to borrow a 4-5 years old WD HDD, IDE. I'm gonna do a install on that disk and let the system run  on that for a while.

Should i keep the setting i have made:

Native IDE
Disabled Floppy drive
Disabled SMART
Disabled Cool'n'Quiet
Manual timings for my RAM

Or should i load Optimized defaults and restart, or maybe reflash the BIOS altogether?

[absic]

Hi Ettan,

Faced with your problem the first thing I would do is make sure the BIOS is the latest version. Doing this will at least give you the knowledge that your motherboard's software is not the possible cause.

I would do this before I swapped HDD's just to check that it hasn't been a BIOS problem all along.
After Updating BIOS and loading Optimized Defaults I would then disable the Floppy Support and any other on-board devices that you are not using, I disable things like e-SATA, Serial Port, Parallel Port etc.

Leave all the other settings alone including RAM Timings and voltages. The only reason to alter these will be if there is a known issue with your RAM at default settings.

If, after updating the BIOS, you are still getting the freeze problem then try swapping your Hard drive.

[Ettan]

I'm currently running the latest BIOS F7 but i will reflash it with Qflash just to be on the safe side. I will then try to disable all things i don't use.

Should i even disable things like Cool'n'Quiet and one of the SATA-controllers since i only have disk and therefore only utilizing on of the controllers?