Question "Clock Watchdog Timeout" on New Build ?

[Spartan1986]

Hi All

I have the following machine, running Windows 11, and I'm getting regular "Clock Watchdog Timeout" BSODs

• Intel Core i9-13900K 3 GHz 24-Core Processor
• Asus PRIME Z790-P WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard
• Corsair Vengeance RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL40 Memory
• MSI GAMING X TRIO GeForce RTX 4070 12 GB Video Card
• Corsair RM750e (2023) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply

I've become stuck trying to find a solution, so seeking help.
Here's what I've tried so far/discovered

• BIOS Updated to the latest version
• XMP is currently disabled, makes no difference if I enable it
• AI settings are predominantly set to auto, I've not touched these settings.
• Drivers obtained from ASUS Download centre and installed.
  • Intel ME download from the ASUS Download centre, which is currently installed, is dated last year (Seems odd, and a potential culprit?)
• Latest Nvidia driver installed via GeForce experience application
• Windows updates applied as far as possible at this time
• CPU - C States & Speedstep disabled in BIOS (other forums have listed these settings as being potentially problematic)
• SFC scan reports no issues
• Windows Memory Diagnostic run, no issues found
• BSOD only occurs when running Windows under normal settings, and happens randomly. (I might get 20 seconds, might get an hour).
• Runs without issue in Safe Mode
• Intel Processor Diagnostic tool ran
  • Windows under normal settings: BSOD during CPU Load test
  • Windows in Safe Mode: Passed every test on (ran twice to confirm).

I will post DMP files later, as I appreciate that is where the true picture lies

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated

Regards

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

getting regular Clock Watchdog Timeout BSODs

usually related to BIOS settings and the system not being able to handle them.
try to load optimized defaults with no further user input.

if the system loads and runs with no issue then you know something had been mis-managed.

 

[ubuysa]

Please upload the latest kernel dump, it's the file C:\Windows\Memory.dmp. The 0x101 BSOD cannot be properly analysed with a minidump, only with the kernel dump (and there's only ever one of those).

 

[Spartan1986]

DMP Files are at the following link

DMP Files – Google Drive

drive.google.com

@ubuysa, I can't see a Memory.dmp file at that path

Just ran Prime95, within safe mode and it blue screened with the same Clock Watchdog Timeout, to my mind this points toward a hardware fault?

 

[ubuysa]

DMP Files are at the following link

DMP Files – Google Drive

drive.google.com

@ubuysa, I can't see a Memory.dmp file at that path

That's unusual. Can you please enter the command sysdm.cpl in the RUN command box. In the window that opens click the Advanced tab. Then click the bottom Settings button (in the Start-up and Recovery section). What is in the 'Dump file' location box there?

The 0x101 bugcheck cannot be diagnosed with a minidump unfortunately, they only contain the status for the processor reporting the bugcheck, for a 0x101 bugcheck we need to be able to see all processors - hence the need for a kernel dump.

Just ran Prime95, within safe mode and it blue screened with the same Clock Watchdog Timeout, to my mind this points toward a hardware fault?

That's pretty conclusive. Which test failed? The tests all also stress RAM to some extent, one more than the others. I see you've run the Windows memory diagnostic tool, sadly that's not very thorough. A quick and 100% reliable test of RAM is to remove one stick and run Prime95 on just the one stick. Then swap sticks and run Prime95 on just the other stick. If it BSODs on both then it's most likely the CPU, but if it BSODs on one stick but not the other you have your culprit.

 

[Spartan1986]

@ubuysa

I'll run that command tonight and stick the file in the Google drive folder in the link above.

I ran the blend test in Prime95, my intention was to halt it at 10mins but it blue screened before that. I'll also do the RAM test you've suggested and report back.

 

[Spartan1986]

@ubuysa - Turns out windows wasn't configured to capture kernel dumps, so I changed that and then ran the system in normal mode. Same BSOD within 30 seconds of running.

I've uploaded the Kernel dump file to the Google Drive folder in the link above with the other minidump files.

BSOD still occurred when I did the single stick test with either installed.

 

[ubuysa]

I'm downloading the kernel dump and will post back if it shows anything new, but I'm afraid everything now points at a bad CPU.

Later edit:
The kernel dump is corrupt unfortunately...

**************************************************************************
THIS DUMP FILE IS PARTIALLY CORRUPT.
KdDebuggerDataBlock is not present or unreadable.
**************************************************************************

 

[Spartan1986]

@ubuysa - Damn, I felt for the file size there must be some useful info in there, thank you for downloading and looking at it.

Question for you all.......
I'm relatively new to overclocking and the settings that go with it, in so much as I've never had a system with these options, but am aware of what the majority of settings do.

In my ASUS BIOS, I have AI Tweaker, which has all the overclock settings. The BIOS default is to set everything to Auto, which initially I thought was the safest option as in my mind this would allow the components to find their own settings. My question is, could the issue I'm having be down to the Auto settings Overclocking/Underclocking and causing deadlocks based on the freedom to change settings? Is it best practice to manually apply these settings?

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

The BIOS default is to set everything to Auto, which initially I thought was the safest option as in my mind this would allow the components to find their own settings.

have you already

try to load optimized defaults with no further user input.

?

 

[Spartan1986]

have you already

?

@JohnBonhamsGhost
Yep, I've been running the BIOS defaults throughout, as I thought the same as you've suggested. However, now I'm curious as to whether the Auto settings might be causing the issue? Or should any set of compatible hardware work on this setting? Windows is as up to date as i can make it with updates and drivers, so before I RMA the CPU, I wanted to rule out misconfiguration in the BIOS.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

I wanted to rule out misconfiguration in the BIOS.

usually the default settings will allow everything to run at what ASUS may have determined was the best auto-options.

normally allows the system to at least run fine with the majority of compatible components.

though many times i've found that CPU settings were off;
voltages, stepping, minimum/maximum speed ranges, etc.
try going through and manually entering all of the CPU's default entries.

 

[Spartan1986]

So ...I manually did the settings and the BSOD still occurred, I then became aware of Asus Armoury Crate, which can query drivers. It found that my Chipset & Management engine drivers were outdated, as well as a bunch more (even though i'd got what I thought were the latest drivers from the Asus website). I got hopeful that this might resolve the issue, but the blue screens continue.

The Kernel dump file from last night was corrupted in the same way as the one @ubuysa looked at.

I'm going to RMA the processor.....

 

[Spartan1986]

To close this one out, I RMA'd the processor, and bought a replacement.

No bluescreens after 8 hours of runtime of the course of the weekend, so it proves without any doubt that the processor was faulty.
Many thanks to @JohnBonhamsGhost & @ubuysa for helping me.

 

[ubuysa]

Glad it's sorted! 👍