Computer randomly crashing, please help.

[jsksjs]

Hi guys. This is my first post so please forgive me if i make any mistakes.

Cpu: I5 2500K
Motherboard: MSI P67A-G43
RAM- 16 GB (4x4) GSkill Ripjaw
Graphics Card: Gigabyte HD 7970 (Model: GV-R797OC-3GD)
PSU: Rosewill Lightning 800W

About 3 months after i bought my HD 7970 this past January, my system started to crash with screens similar to this:

 



I believed it was the graphics card causing this problem and did some research and saw that crash screens with black vertical lines are usually caused by the graphics card. So i opened an RMA with Gigabyte and sent it in. About a month later i got word that their tests had yielded no crashes and it was being sent back to me. I have tested my CPU and i can't figure out what else is wrong with my system. I had opened up a forum at Tomshardware and i had answered questions there. http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/361230-33-7970-gigabyte-help#t2724172    With this information, is there anyway you guys can help me? It is very frustrating having my computer crash on me up to 15 times in a day.

Thanks, help would be appreciated.

[hartbeatmr]

Good morning jsksjs

The issue is a graphic problem

#1.. have you tried another LCD cable?
#2.. have you tried another LCD
#3.. what is in the event viewer anything tied to the video drivers?
#4.. if it is random it may be a power issue like a PS (power supply)

Hope this helps, please let us know how youmake out. Mike

[jsksjs]

After my card was sent back to me, i did a clean install of my system. After the clean install, the crashes have happened MORE often now. I have not tried another LCD or switched cables because the screen doesn't only turn that color: the whole system crashes. After about 5 seconds with the screen, the audio either cuts or goes into an infinite loop. I'm not sure how to test my PSU. I believe i have to use a volt meter but the thing is, i really don't want to risk taking out my PSU and messing around with it. How exactly do i find info on the crashes in the event viewer?

Thanks.

[hartbeatmr]

welcome back jsksjs

If the issue PC is windows 7 that is in your profile.

Click on the start then in the box "event" a list will populate and click on "event viewer" then click on "windows logs" then click on "system" and look in there red "X" will show errors around the time and date when you had the issue does it say anything like "ATI" or "Radeon" and if so what are some of the errors.

Mike 

[hartbeatmr]

Hi again jsksjs

this may help you

Download BlueScreenView:
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/blue_screen_view.html
unzip downloaded file and double click on BlueScreenView.exe to run the program.
when scanning is done, go to EDIT - Select All
Go to FILE - SAVE Selected Items, and save the report as BSOD.txt
Open BSOD.txt in Notepad, copy all of the content, and paste it into your next reply

Mike

[jsksjs]

Every critical failure is listed as Kernel-Power (Event ID: 41)  (Task Category: 63)

[hartbeatmr]

Good morning again jsksjs

Please look back last post I put up and follow the directions and please post the info into your next post. The Kernel-Power can be from the many things.

Thanks Mike 

 

[jsksjs]

==================================================
Dump File         : WD-20120805-0411.dmp
Crash Time        : 8/5/2012 4:11:32 AM
Bug Check String  :
Bug Check Code    : 0x00000117
Parameter 1       : fffffa80`0d4fa4e0
Parameter 2       : fffff880`02cc3250
Parameter 3       : 00000000`00000000
Parameter 4       : 00000000`00000000
Caused By Driver  : crashdmp.sys
Caused By Address : crashdmp.sys+dfe8a0
File Description  :
Product Name      :
Company           :
File Version      :
Processor         : x64
Crash Address     :
Stack Address 1   :
Stack Address 2   :
Stack Address 3   :
Computer Name     :
Full Path         : C:\Windows\LiveKernelReports\WATCHDOG\WD-20120805-0411.dmp
Processors Count  : 4
Major Version     : 15
Minor Version     : 7601
Dump File Size    : 559,963
==================================================


I found this in a folder called livekernelreports in my windows folder. I don't think i have dumps setup correctly on this machine so i don't know if this is where all my dumps are.

[hartbeatmr]

Good morning again jsksjs

Yes that dump is a bad video driver

I would also go to the MoBo site http://www.msi.com/product/mb/P67A-G43--B3-.html#/?div=Overview pick your windows OS 64 or 32 bit and get and install the chipset drivers install the Chipset drivers first then install the video driver 2nd.

Here is Gigabyte and get a updated video driver here is the web site just pick what version of windows (if your windows 7 is 64 bit make sure you get 64 bit driver) http://www.gigabyte.us/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4102#dl

Please let us know how you make out, Mike 

 

[jsksjs]

Thanks, I'll try this. One question though. Does this mean any driver i download from AMD will make my system crash? I had the latest drivers from AMD.

[patio]

Newer drivers are not always better drivers neccessarily...
Try re-installing the original ones that shipped with the card...

[jsksjs]

I'm not sure what to do now because after installing the drivers that hartbeatmr linked, i haven't crashed yet (knock on wood). So I'm not sure what this means for my PC. What could be causing the newer drivers to be extremely unstable like that? Thanks for the help so far.

[hartbeatmr]

Good afternoon jsksjs

Welcome back to CH and glad to hear you have not crash yet but I am confused the drivers you installed the PC is running but they are extremely unstable what is it doing?

I'm not sure what to do now because after installing the drivers that hartbeatmr linked, i haven't crashed yet (knock on wood). So I'm not sure what this means for my PC. What could be causing the newer drivers to be extremely unstable like that? Thanks for the help so far.

Drivers can have issues like corruption / newly added software programs installation can affect them / virus / compatibility with other programs etc.   

Now you installed the Chipset drivers first then the video drivers?

Hope to hear from you soon, Mike 

[jsksjs]

Yes, i installed the chipset drivers first, then the video drivers. The thing is though, is there any way to find where the driver corruption is originating? I don't want to only use these outdated drivers.

Thanks.

[jsksjs]

(Bump) Ok i have had NO crashing since reverting to the original drivers on the Gigabyte website. I am so confused right now. Is there anyway to find out what is causing every other version of the AMD drivers to crash my computer? I prefer the new drivers because my games run so much more efficiently, but i can't run them because they cause my PC to crash