Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P - Freezing

[blocks_off]

Support Options

I am just wondering what options are available to me. In August I bought the components from Ebuyer (UK).

1 x AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition 3.2 GHz Socket AM3 8MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor 164047
1 x Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P 790FX Socket AM3 DDR3 8 Channel Audio ATX Motherboard 158607
1 x Kingston 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1600MHz/PC3-12800 HyperX Memory Kit CL9(9-9-9-27) 169240
1 x PowerColor HD 4870 1GB GDDR5 Dual DVI HDTV Out PCI-E Graphics Card 164557
1 x Sunbeam Transformer Black Full Tower Gaming Case - No PSU 150302
1 x Hi-Power Black 800W 14cm Blue LED Fan PSU - 20+4pin 4x SATA 4x PCI-E 135197
1 x Samsung SH-S222A 22X DVD±RW DL & Ram IDE Black Bare Drive - OEM
1 x Hitachi DeskStar 1TB Hard Drive SATAII 7200rpm 16MB Cache - OEM 150256

Obviously I am out of the 28 day period with Ebuyer, but I have been trying everything to resolve my issue!

Basically, the system suffers from freezing/locking up. There is no telling when this will happen. It has been known to freeze within 10 minutes of logging

on, sometimes it will run fine for 8 hours without any problem. I cannot say that any particular application will cause the freezing. It has done so when

using IE, playing mp3's, burning a DVD or playing flight-sim. Yet strangely, the other day I had the freeware utility heavy load running for 2 hours and the

system was fine.

When the system freezes, nothing will respond. Sometimes I will have to power off the PC, other times I get a BSOD with stop 0xf4 (general hardware from what

I've read)

I have made sure that all of my drivers are upto date from the Gigabyte website.

I am currently running Bios version F7 but the behaviour has been no different when using the versions F4/F5/F6.

Can someone please take a look at the above from a compatibility point of view. i.e. would you expect any problems with this combination?

Any reply is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Carl

[oggmonster]

Would first try running a memtest then a Hitachi HDD diagnostic.

[blocks_off]

Hi

The system originally had a different disk, but still had the same problems. I've since ghosted the whole disk onto the newer Hitachi. Can we eliminate the disk?

Memory. What utility should I use? I have tried prime95 / heavyload - each has run for around 3 hours each without any issue. Something I tried at the weekend. Setting the memory speeds manually. I have tried 800,1066,1333,1600 - instead of freezing now the system becomes sluggish (again no telling when it will happen!). Types of behaviour is say moving the mouse from one side of the screen to the other moves very jerky. But task manager just looks normal. i.e. no process has suddenly started hogging the cpu for example.

I am just wondering if there is maybe a compatibility issue with the ram? It's not listed on Gigabytes QVL.

Thanks

Carl

[oggmonster]

To test memory use memtest http://www.memtest.org/#downiso burn the iso to cd using something like nero, then set BIOS to boot from CD. Also have you tried doing a fresh install of Windows?

[blocks_off]

Hi thanks for input so far.

Memtest worked fine - left it running for 3 passes. Will certainly try a fresh install, however I have pre-ordered Win7 so long term I planned to upgrade. However, is it worth exploring the memory timings? From what I've read, I've picked the wrong RAM - fair enough it down grades to 1333 anyway, but i wonder if there are any timings that I may need.

Carl

[oggmonster]

Also try testing each stick individually with memtest. If its passing that aswell then is unlikey to be a problem with timings I wouldn't of thought.

[Beekeeper]

i would suggest checking if voltage rating of your memory meets the value set by the mb and if not then to change it manually in bios

freezing can be caused by faulty PSU, generating some improper voltage peaks

[ex58]

blocks_off,you have new BIOS today F6h:
http://www.giga-byte.co.uk/Support/Motherboard/BIOS_Model.aspx?ProductID=3005

[blocks_off]

Thanks for replies again,

I will test the ram as suggested by oggmonster

As far as voltage goes, again, I will take a look at the settings.

ex58 - confused by these bios versions. Forgive the question but is F7 higher than F6h?

Thanks

Carl

[Beekeeper]

looking at the versions numbers it is, but when you have a look at the issue dates you will see F6h seems to be newer one.
all it looks like gigabyte made mistake in numbering or placing of these bioses

[runn3R]

Hi All

F7 is the latest bios, the website contents has been corrected, sorry for confusion, hope you'll forgive

[blocks_off]

Hello,

This may be significant. I have just had a few hours using the pc - internet, downloads, moving data around, no heavy use & no issues. The system then becomes sluggish, I manage to bring up task manager and all 4 cpu's look like they are being hammered!! At this stage, just 2 tabs in one browsing window were open. I then managed to load Easytune, and on the CPU tab, within the clock section we have CPU speed 15857mhz and BUS speed 991mhz (these were varying but no more than 1000 away from CPU speed). After a reboot they are as I would expect - e.g. 3220 and 201.

I have no manual settings in the BIOS - but to be safe I rebooted and loaded the fail safe defaults. But as I say, nothing was set to manual. I never intend to overclock this machine either.

Has anyone seen this before?

Re: the suggestions of the 20th - I have not yet tried these (been away).

Thanks

Carl

[blocks_off]

Memory has tested fine (by installing 2gb at a time, and testing individually).

Not sure how to change the speeds manually (voltage) - Kingston wont give me any figures other than what's on their datasheet, all they say is 1333,9,9,9 but I feel I am missing a figure. They also give the voltage of 1.5 but I can only add to the voltage manually - I don't seem to have any option to subtract.

Carl

[Pottypete]

Hi,
The figure your missing is in you first post specs,
1 x Kingston 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1600MHz/PC3-12800 HyperX Memory Kit CL9(9-9-9-27) 169240

9-9-9-27      

[blocks_off]

Hi Thanks for the figures, but if I want to run this at 1333 i think their figure is 1.5v - however the base figure for the DDR3 voltage within the BIOS is 1.6v and there are only options to add to this, I cannot subtract. Is there a way to select 1.5v?

One area that I am still unclear on is alhough the board can support 1600, can the processor (phenom II 955) support 1600? And therefore should I be running the memory at 1333 or 1600?

Thanks

Carl