Print

Add to Reputation:  

What do you think of this post?

I agree I disagree  
Comment:

[Sole Signal [Audix]]

First, backstory. I custom built a PC back in 2011 that was affected by the Sandy Bridge chipset recall. I started having problems with my video card (GeForce GT430) crashing and freezing whenever working in video software. I replaced both the motherboard and the video card over the past several years. It's still had an odd behavior of freezing upon startup after power is lost to the system after a power outage. This sometimes creates an infinite loop of crashing and restarting the system, until seemingly at random the PC finally starts Windows (7).

Anyway, I've hardly played any games at all on my studio PC over the past few years. Recently, though, I picked up Civ 5, Skyrim, and the Stanley Parable. My PC runs them fine for about 3-5 minutes until it hard crashes to black screen. After I hard shutdown, Windows 7 attempts a startup repair which takes about 30 minutes, claims that it's not fixable, then shuts off my computer. (If I don't attempt the repair, the system hangs upon startup)

After I turn the PC back on, sometimes the PC starts up right away, sometimes it starts up with visual glitches, and sometimes it freezes again when starting Windows. Eventually, once I'm able to get back to Windows, I can use the PC for internet, music, and even video editing without any problems. The problem seems to occur only when running games. After a crash, it usually takes about an hour of attempted restarting, waiting for Windows "Repair", or System Restore to get my PC back to functional use.

Any ideas on what the problem might be? I tried to install the newest GT430 driver which is new as of Feb 2014, but near the end of the driver installation, the PC crashed to blue screen, so that doesn't seem like a good sign. However, the Device Manager shows that the driver was updated.

I haven't tried another game yet since I don't have time right now to deal with another PC crash to get it up and running again and I don't have much faith that the driver update did anything. Any ideas on what the cause of the problem might be? Thanks!

[Enzo.Matrix]

HDD or RAM for some reason cross my mind.  (memtest86 and seatools, best test tools run outside of Windows)

For video drivers always check the "clean install" box.

What I normally do to try and narrow it down, Furmark and Prime95.  Run furmark in a window and prime95 in the background.  This will stress the shit out of your system, then depending how the system fails you go from there.

[Kratos]

Your ram might be the culprit.

I replaced both the motherboard and the video card over the past several years. It's still had an odd behavior of freezing upon startup after power is lost to the system after a power outage. This sometimes creates an infinite loop of crashing and restarting the system, until seemingly at random the PC finally starts Windows (7).

Anyway, I've hardly played any games at all on my studio PC over the past few years. Recently, though, I picked up Civ 5, Skyrim, and the Stanley Parable. My PC runs them fine for about 3-5 minutes until it hard crashes to black screen. After I hard shutdown, Windows 7 attempts a startup repair which takes about 30 minutes, claims that it's not fixable, then shuts off my computer. (If I don't attempt the repair, the system hangs upon startup)

After I turn the PC back on, sometimes the PC starts up right away, sometimes it starts up with visual glitches, and sometimes it freezes again when starting Windows. Eventually, once I'm able to get back to Windows, I can use the PC for internet, music, and even video editing without any problems. The problem seems to occur only when running games. After a crash, it usually takes about an hour of attempted restarting, waiting for Windows "Repair", or System Restore to get my PC back to functional use.

Any ideas on what the problem might be? I tried to install the newest GT430 driver which is new as of Feb 2014, but near the end of the driver installation, the PC crashed to blue screen, so that doesn't seem like a good sign. However, the Device Manager shows that the driver was updated.

I haven't tried another game yet since I don't have time right now to deal with another PC crash to get it up and running again and I don't have much faith that the driver update did anything. Any ideas on what the cause of the problem might be? Thanks!

Did you use the same RAM? Is the hard drive a SSD or the traditional mechanical?

To test RAM: download http://www.memtest.org/#downiso

Hard drive test: download http://www.hdsentinel.com/thanks_for_downloading.php?file=http://www.harddisksentinel.com/hdsentinel_pro_portable.zip

The hard drive test app is portable. It will show you the health and it will give you a reading if there is any "bad sectors"

The memory test app would need to be burned onto a dvd or cd and booted up.

Let us know how it went or if you need any help with using the programs.

[Sole Signal [Audix]]

Thanks guys, I'll give those a shot.

Some of my reading last night mentioned that the card might be overheating. The fan is working, but I opened up the case and blew a desk fan into the tower. I tried Stanley Parable again, and was able to play for an hour or so without any problems. Not sure if the driver update had anything to do with it, or if the fan had anything to do with it, or neither and I just got lucky.

It's the same RAM. HDD is standard mechanical. I'll run some of those tests you linked to and see what I come up with. Thanks again!