• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

A PC troubleshooting LESSON!

Joined
Dec 6, 2005
Messages
10,881 (1.63/day)
Location
Manchester, NH
System Name Senile
Processor I7-4790K@4.8 GHz 24/7
Motherboard MSI Z97-G45 Gaming
Cooling Be Quiet Pure Rock Air
Memory 16GB 4x4 G.Skill CAS9 2133 Sniper
Video Card(s) GIGABYTE Vega 64
Storage Samsung EVO 500GB / 8 Different WDs / QNAP TS-253 8GB NAS with 2x10Tb WD Blue
Display(s) 34" LG 34CB88-P 21:9 Curved UltraWide QHD (3440*1440) *FREE_SYNC*
Case Rosewill
Audio Device(s) Onboard + HD HDMI
Power Supply Corsair HX750
Mouse Logitech G5
Keyboard Corsair Strafe RGB & G610 Orion Red
Software Win 10
No matter how much time, you've had building and troubleshooting computers, there's always a curve ball. Read and learn :)

2 months ago, my system started to lock up consistently after 2-10 minutes after booting. If I was working on it, the mouse would start to lag, then a few seconds later, completely unresponsive. I even had it lock up in a BIOS screen, even before booting into Windows!!! Here's what I tried, and each attempt met with no luck:

Swapping the video card
Swapping the memory
Reverting to stock clocks
CMOS Clear/reset
Unplugging all storage peripherals (Extra HDD's, floppy, CD)
A different boot HDD drive
Monitoring the power draw (PSU)

Finally, I replaced the MOTHERBOARD!!! Had a Maximus Formula X38, replaced with a Rampage Formula X48.

Well, thought that was all good. but nooooo... About 15 min mouse studder, crash and blue screen. Rebooted and 10 min later locked up in windows like before.

So I was scratching my head... ok - doing this: :banghead: I happened to have a spare keyboard lying around ( prodikeys of all things). Took out the old keyboard and put in the prodikeys...

It's working!!!

So here was the root of the problem:



Go figure, a $15 keyboard was the issue.

Lesson learned? Perhaps. And that lesson would be this: before replacing $100's worth of parts, start with cabling, then try to root out the cheap stuff.
 
Joined
Apr 11, 2009
Messages
922 (0.17/day)
Location
London, UK
Processor AMD FX 8350 Black Edition @ 4.2Ghz
Motherboard Gigabyte 990FXA-UD3 Rev 4.0
Cooling Corsair H100i
Memory Samsung Green 16GB 30nm 1600Mhz DDR3
Video Card(s) XFX HD 7950 DD 3GB @ 850/5000Mhz
Storage 240GB Intel 520 SSD + 2TB Seagate Barracuda
Display(s) ASUS PB278Q 27" QHD
Case Fractal Design R5 Black
Power Supply Seasonic Platinum 760W
Mouse Corsair Raptor M40
Keyboard Corsair Raptor K50
Software Windows 10 Pro
haha. i had this aswell with my first build i used the apple keyboard which was usb for some reason it kept hanging at post. only way it would work was if i remove it and plug it back in when its into windows
 
Joined
May 21, 2009
Messages
4,966 (0.92/day)
System Name i7-PC / HTPC / iMac
Processor i7 3820 / Phenom II 940
Motherboard GIGABYTE G1.ASSASSIN2 / M3A79-T Deluxe
Cooling Corsair Hydro H100i / Scythe II (HS only)
Memory G.SKILL Trident X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600mhz / 4GB DDR2 1066 (@800) Corsair Dominator
Video Card(s) GB Radeon HD 7950s 3GB / GB Radeon HD 7950s 3GB
Storage 2x 80GB Intel X-25, 2x600gb SATA, 1x1tb 5400RPM storage /1x600GB, 3x500GB,1x160,1x120 SATA
Display(s) 1x 27" Yamakasi / Vizio 42" HDTV
Case Lian Li Lancool PC-K58 / Antec 900
Audio Device(s) HT Omega Striker 7.1 / Onboard and HDMI from ATi Card
Power Supply PC Power & Cooling 750W / 610W
Software Ubuntu / Windows 8.1 Pro / OS X / PHPStorm / Gaming
i have this exact keyboard. thought it looked cool... not using it atm but if i have problems when i do - now i have an idea :) craziness.
 
T

twilyth

Guest
haha. i had this aswell with my first build i used the apple keyboard which was usb for some reason it kept hanging at post. only way it would work was if i remove it and plug it back in when its into windows

Weird thing about USB - if something attached to the hub doesn't behave the way it's expected to, it's like a windup toy walking into a wall.

I don't know why it just can't quarantine that channel and move on, but it doesn't.

I've had this problem with a couple of usb devices and almost all of the time what happens is you have the system hang at bootup.

I wonder if it's just coincidence that the same thing happened with bad IDE drives. If the system couldn't get pass the initialization or whatever it does at bootup, it would just hang.
 
Joined
Dec 6, 2005
Messages
10,881 (1.63/day)
Location
Manchester, NH
System Name Senile
Processor I7-4790K@4.8 GHz 24/7
Motherboard MSI Z97-G45 Gaming
Cooling Be Quiet Pure Rock Air
Memory 16GB 4x4 G.Skill CAS9 2133 Sniper
Video Card(s) GIGABYTE Vega 64
Storage Samsung EVO 500GB / 8 Different WDs / QNAP TS-253 8GB NAS with 2x10Tb WD Blue
Display(s) 34" LG 34CB88-P 21:9 Curved UltraWide QHD (3440*1440) *FREE_SYNC*
Case Rosewill
Audio Device(s) Onboard + HD HDMI
Power Supply Corsair HX750
Mouse Logitech G5
Keyboard Corsair Strafe RGB & G610 Orion Red
Software Win 10
Eating CROW

So, my dear TPU friends... everything seemed fine for a while, then the system started getting flakey again! I can't blame the keyboard.

So I'm having CROW for dinner.

I started this thread with a ASUS Rampage Formula X48 I found on eBay. When I booted everything seemed fine (for quite a while). First, I started witnessing blue screens, no clean lockups like before... then the MB LAN could not acquire an IP address from my router, neither plug.

I started tryng other hardware again. Even a new hard drive and installing windows. I couldn't install windows, it would either lock up or reboot on it's own.

by far, the WORST list of problems I've EVER had with a PC.

Even installed a Matrox PCI video card, took out the onboard sound.

Then... I tried a cheapo 400w PSU I had kicking around. HOLY SHIT, THINGS ARE WORKING!!! The Hiper TypeR 580w PSU is FUCKED. Now, I'm sure the Rampage MB is damaged. Out of three motherboards, here are the results:

  • Original Maximus Formula seems to be running fine, no issues. this was what I thought was the original problem :)
  • ASUS Rampage Formula - Onboard LAN will not acquire an IP address, flakes out on boot up from time to time. Even flashed to the newest BIOS :(
  • Newer Maximus Formula is fine, no issues. It was never plugged into the Hiper PSU. :)
Lesson learned? I'm not sure - I think it's that you don't rave about a problem solved until you're absolutely sure.
 

viczulis

New Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2007
Messages
887 (0.15/day)
Location
Ohio
System Name Bandit 7
Processor Intel I7 920 (Havent OCd yet)
Motherboard MSI X58 Pro
Cooling Air Black Knight
Memory 6 Gbs of something
Video Card(s) 2 - XFX 5770s 1 Gb (waiting for a price drop to go higher)
Storage 1 - TB Sata Seagate
Display(s) 28" LCD
Case CM HAF , G-5 mouse, Saitek Cyborg Keyboard
Audio Device(s) Supreme FX 2 Audio Card
Power Supply ABS Tagan BZ Series 900 W Modular
Software 64 bit Windows 7 Home Premium
Yea that sucks. I have a gigabyte board which kept BSOD and restarting,
my daughters computer. Had a thread here with everyone trying to help figure it out. Changed out everything but mother board. Just when I thought it was a bad board. I changed last two items and have had no trouble since, been going on 6 months.

Dont know which one did it but I dont care either.

The last two items changed was speakers went with a 20.00 cheap speakers from walmart. And went from Linksys wireless adapter to hardwire.
 

Binge

Overclocking Surrealism
Joined
Sep 15, 2008
Messages
6,979 (1.23/day)
Location
PA, USA
System Name Molly
Processor i5 3570K
Motherboard Z77 ASRock
Cooling CooliT Eco
Memory 2x4GB Mushkin Redline Ridgebacks
Video Card(s) Gigabyte GTX 680
Case Coolermaster CM690 II Advanced
Power Supply Corsair HX-1000
Cheap-o PSU = dead system. Lesson learned.
 
Joined
Dec 6, 2005
Messages
10,881 (1.63/day)
Location
Manchester, NH
System Name Senile
Processor I7-4790K@4.8 GHz 24/7
Motherboard MSI Z97-G45 Gaming
Cooling Be Quiet Pure Rock Air
Memory 16GB 4x4 G.Skill CAS9 2133 Sniper
Video Card(s) GIGABYTE Vega 64
Storage Samsung EVO 500GB / 8 Different WDs / QNAP TS-253 8GB NAS with 2x10Tb WD Blue
Display(s) 34" LG 34CB88-P 21:9 Curved UltraWide QHD (3440*1440) *FREE_SYNC*
Case Rosewill
Audio Device(s) Onboard + HD HDMI
Power Supply Corsair HX750
Mouse Logitech G5
Keyboard Corsair Strafe RGB & G610 Orion Red
Software Win 10
Yea that sucks. I have a gigabyte board which kept BSOD and restarting,
my daughters computer. Had a thread here with everyone trying to help figure it out. Changed out everything but mother board. Just when I thought it was a bad board. I changed last two items and have had no trouble since, been going on 6 months.

Dont know which one did it but I dont care either.

The last two items changed was speakers went with a 20.00 cheap speakers from walmart. And went from Linksys wireless adapter to hardwire.

Wow, swapping either a speaker or router solved the problems? that is one for the books as well.

I'm expecting arrival of a Corsair HX750 PSU today. I'm feeling gun-shy, like I'll discover it's something else, even after convincing myself otherwise <eek!>
 
Joined
Dec 6, 2005
Messages
10,881 (1.63/day)
Location
Manchester, NH
System Name Senile
Processor I7-4790K@4.8 GHz 24/7
Motherboard MSI Z97-G45 Gaming
Cooling Be Quiet Pure Rock Air
Memory 16GB 4x4 G.Skill CAS9 2133 Sniper
Video Card(s) GIGABYTE Vega 64
Storage Samsung EVO 500GB / 8 Different WDs / QNAP TS-253 8GB NAS with 2x10Tb WD Blue
Display(s) 34" LG 34CB88-P 21:9 Curved UltraWide QHD (3440*1440) *FREE_SYNC*
Case Rosewill
Audio Device(s) Onboard + HD HDMI
Power Supply Corsair HX750
Mouse Logitech G5
Keyboard Corsair Strafe RGB & G610 Orion Red
Software Win 10
Cheap-o PSU = dead system. Lesson learned.

It wasn't a chepo PSU. I've heard good things about Hiper (though some bad), and it lasted 5 yrs.
 

Binge

Overclocking Surrealism
Joined
Sep 15, 2008
Messages
6,979 (1.23/day)
Location
PA, USA
System Name Molly
Processor i5 3570K
Motherboard Z77 ASRock
Cooling CooliT Eco
Memory 2x4GB Mushkin Redline Ridgebacks
Video Card(s) Gigabyte GTX 680
Case Coolermaster CM690 II Advanced
Power Supply Corsair HX-1000
It wasn't a chepo PSU. I've heard good things about Hiper (though some bad), and it lasted 5 yrs.

Hiper is not a quality PSU brand. No way, no how.
 
Joined
Dec 6, 2005
Messages
10,881 (1.63/day)
Location
Manchester, NH
System Name Senile
Processor I7-4790K@4.8 GHz 24/7
Motherboard MSI Z97-G45 Gaming
Cooling Be Quiet Pure Rock Air
Memory 16GB 4x4 G.Skill CAS9 2133 Sniper
Video Card(s) GIGABYTE Vega 64
Storage Samsung EVO 500GB / 8 Different WDs / QNAP TS-253 8GB NAS with 2x10Tb WD Blue
Display(s) 34" LG 34CB88-P 21:9 Curved UltraWide QHD (3440*1440) *FREE_SYNC*
Case Rosewill
Audio Device(s) Onboard + HD HDMI
Power Supply Corsair HX750
Mouse Logitech G5
Keyboard Corsair Strafe RGB & G610 Orion Red
Software Win 10
Hiper is not a quality PSU brand. No way, no how.

A useless argument. At the time I purchased it, it was not a cheapo PSU.
 
Top