Blue Screen of Death still haunting me!!

[rapsney]

I am having HUGE issues with my pc. I am having game crashes, temps that range from 30c to 65c just idle, and blue screen mem dumps in xp. I have tried all i know to do which include, new mobo, re doing thermal pasting, new heatsink, and new mem. I have even tried clean format of xp with no avail. Please help as i can barley do anything at this time.

------------------
System Information
------------------
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.050301-1519)
BIOS: BIOS Date: 10/31/05 09:57:24 Ver: 08.00.12
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz (2 CPUs)
Memory: 1024MB RAM
Page File: 269MB used, 2193MB available
Windows Dir: C:WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.2180 32bit Unicode

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT
Display Memory: 128.0 MB
Current Mode: 1280 x 1024 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor: ViewSonic VA712b
Monitor Max Res: 1280,1024
Driver Name: nv4_disp.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.8421 (English)
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 3/9/2006 15:29:00, 3968512 bytes

-------------
Sound Devices
-------------
Description: SB Audigy 2 ZS Audio [E000]
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: PCIVEN_1102&DEV_0004&SUBSYS_20021102&REV_04
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Type: WDM
Driver Name: ctaud2k.sys
Driver Version: 5.12.0001.0442 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
Date and Size: 11/18/2003 21:13:54, 366160 bytes


edit: shortened for your viewing pleasure

 

[tyr86]

65c is pretty hot. Did you physically remove the side panel and visually check each cooling fan in your rig to make sure they are working? After you have reinstalled and switched out almost everything, it's down to a cooling problem, hard drive, or processor.

 

[rapsney]

yeah, all my fans are running. I have another hard drive i can try if you think that may be it. I really hope it not the processor as i dont have any funds to get a new on

 

[passing-thru]

8O This gotta be the most detail (and long) device listing I've seen so far.....

Anyway, have you check the ram stick(s) and power supply?

Crashes usually associates with bad memory ...... IMHO

 

[tyr86]

Well if it boots up windows and runs fine and all that for a while, then crashes, it sounds like heat.

Try running your rig with the side panel off and a good sized fan blowing in on the side. If it still BSoDs, then try the hard drive. If it still BSoDs, then I don't know. Unless your proc has bent pins or something nasty like that, but if that was the case, it wouldn't even boot, and if you play your cards just right, it won't even POST.

So I say cooling or HDD.

 

[rapsney]

I have switch out the mem but have not tried the power supply. ANy good recommendations for one?

I have also taken the side panel off and aimed a fan in there but it still seems to act up.

I have even tried several heat sinks including this beast http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835106044

The temp isnt constant 65c in idle. It will go from 33c to 65 then back down several times a minute (using the pc probe software that came with the mb).

It crashes in simple games like Zuma and Atlantis. ANd the most recent crash came during the installation of Fable (was trying to see if it was games that was causing the crash) so im think the harddrive sounds probable to me.

 

[tyr86]

Well if it boots up windows and runs fine and all that for a while, then crashes, it sounds like heat.

Try running your rig with the side panel off and a good sized fan blowing in on the side. If it still BSoDs, then try the hard drive. If it still BSoDs, then I don't know. Unless your proc has bent pins or something nasty like that, but if that was the case, it wouldn't even boot, and if you play your cards just right, it won't even POST.

So I say cooling or HDD.

 

[tyr86]

What kind of PSU do you have?

 

[rapsney]

its a raidmax 420w model no. ky-520atx

 

[The_Prophecy]

maybe the thermal paste is the problem..... try grabbing some Arctic Silver 5 and apply it to the CPU, North Bridge, and GPU heatsinks. Getting the error code displayed by the BSOD would be helpful in determining exactly what the problem is.

 

[rapsney]

ive tried artic silver 3, 5, and the generic stuff that came with my mobo.

Ive only got the BSoD once (while installing Fable) so i cant remember what the code was but i will try to recreate the sutiation and see if it happens again.

 

[rapsney]

on a side note, it seems to affect my sound as well. I hear static and breaks in audio (like when windows boots up)

 

[tyr86]

Make sure the heatsink is on flush with the proc. I remember I had to take off the heatsink one time to put a hard drive in and I just put in the heatsink real quick and I didn't make sure it was square with the proc and it kept rebooting interminently. Quickly figured that one out and put the heatsink on right.

Also, if you can, try switching out PSUs.

 

[elpresidente2075]

You may have a defective motherboard. That kind of temperature variation in that short period of time seems like an electrical problem. It may be that the sensor reads really high for a short period, and the motherboard freaks out, possibly causing the dreaded BSOD.

 

[rapsney]

ok heres the update. I took out the mobo, redid the heatsink and cpu with Artic Silver 5, and switch to a new hdd. After installing windows xp and updating with all the drivers my cpu is idling at 41c with very little variance.

But here is the deal, my MB temp is now 50c!! its not varying at all but my senser is Giving me a code warning (with alarm sound and blarring red light).

What could be the problem now?

 

[bluntside]

sounds like a memory issue to me, try to rearrange your ram, and If its still not working, quesss what??
You got to replace your ram.
Other than that try running updates for your OS :twisted:

 

[rapsney]

its not ram. I have completly replaced the ram with some from another computer.

 

[elpresidente2075]

What code is being thrown? It should be referenced in the user manual.

 

[The_Prophecy]

if the board temp is staying high... i'd be willing to bet that it's the north bridge HS that's not seated properly.... that is of course if you tinkered with the NB at all.....

 

[kwalker]

the temp on the northbridge changed after you reaplied thermal paste.
try to repeat that step without completly removing the hdf(reseat)
you may have a bad mobo ....hairline crack or circuit cold solder joint in pcb.
re seat ram.
reboot and see if the temp varies again.

 

[hatsurfer]

Sounds like your temps are about what other guys have had.

Another guy on another thread solved his problem by reseating his heatsink like you did.

"AH HA! It looks like I may have solved it and yeah at 91 degrees I'm surprised it is still working at all!

After much fiddling with the ridiculous plastic twist pins, which hold down the heatsink to the CPU, I managed to get the HS back off. The thermal paste that was on there was about 80% untouched. It appears that when I put it on and fussed around trying to lock those crazy pins in place it wasn't pushed down all the way. So after much experimentation with the HS off the CPU I tried again to reattach it and booted it up. It is now comfortably running at 45-50 degrees CPU and 27 degrees motherboard temp. so it all appears to be fine.

I have to say that all my "brand" name components have been great except for those crazy plastic flimsy HS clips, no wonder Intel sells replacements at $2 a set, they must know people are going to go through them like crazy. I just hope I never have to take them out again."

Question is are you still having problems after bringing down your CPU temps? I admit 50c is a bit hotter than the other guy here that had 27c.

Have you flashed your mainboard bios/drivers to the newest?

http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us

What's most puzzeling is that you have ruled out the CPU and RAM. Not much left if you rule of updating drivers, take out extra cards (i.e. sound card), reinstalling windows. Think you might start considering the CPU might be bad. You know some places like Fry's here in California give a 15 day warranty. You could toss in the new processor and see if your hiccups go away. If not, return it for a PSU. That would be my next guess if you have to shell out any more cash.

The Southbridge chipset isn't really the best thing out there too. I hear alot of them fail, but since you replaced the MB it's a slim possibility you got 2 bad boards.

 

[Herr_Fritz]

My mobo sensor registers 45-50 at idle all the time. Its either a bad sensor, or a flaw in the HS.

 

[allhell]

only other thing i can think of if you have done all those other things is your hd has a few bad sectors that needs flagging.
do a surface scan & not from windows XP.
Wipe the drive & use fsisk to create a new setup & then run scan disk to repair bad sectors.