Question Consistent, random freezing problem

foxfries

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Feb 14, 2019
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Hey there and thanks for reading my post.

A couple of weeks ago i got a new pc from a guy that was saving up to get a new one, the components looked okay for the price and my pc was dying so i was looking for a replacement in kind of a hurry.
When i installed Windows10 on the pc it froze entirely at 34%, meaning i couldn't move the cursor nor use the keyboard, i had to reset the pc and start the installation anew. it worked fine though so i didn't bother.
Then last week the problems got worse. At completely random times a day, no matter what i'm doing it seems, the computer just freezes or "locks up" like that from time to time. First it happened while i had a game running in the background and tried to move some files onto an usb drive, my pc froze and i reset it and tried again. Same result. I thought maybe it's my E drive, which was where i was moving the files from, so i disconnected it for a bit. The problem persisted. Did the same thing but with the D drive, same result. I even installed Win10 on a whole another SSD i had around yet the problem still exists.
It seems to mainly happen when i move or save any kind of data, first it only froze while i was moving large amounts of data (10gb+) from one drive to another or to an external drive, but now it also happened right after i logged into windows, while i was downloading updates for windows, while i was just playing a game and shortly after i tabbed back into a game. every time it freezes i have to hard reset because everything locks up, i tried waiting for a while multiple times but it doesn't help.
i contacted the former owner of the pc and asked for help, he said he had the same issue with the previous motherboard but since he replaced it shortly before he sold it to me (he also gave me the receipts and the case etc) he didn't have the problem anymore. After i said i had reset the BIOS to its default settings as suggested by an online thread he told me to change some of the settings and boot it again, since i did that earlier today i haven't ran any games or moved any files though in fear it might freeze again.

I really don't know what's causing the issue. I read another thread where someone suggested that the motherboard is of poor quality and lacks ventilation but the former owner said he never had any overheating issues, the BIOS didn't show any high temperatures either. I'll list my current specs below, in case it helps:

  • CpuAMD FX 8350
    MotherboardASROCK 970 PRO3 R.2
    GPUAsus Nvidia Gtx 1060 Dial 6GB
    RAMHyper X Predator 2x4GB
    SoundcardCreative Soundblaster Fatality
    PowerBeQuiet! Straightpower 500W

1 SSD 100GB with Windows 10 installed
2 HDD 500GB each that hold games, D has roughly 7k hours of usage and E about 11k


The former owner suggested maybe trying to use my old Ram, as it could be related to that, or that my E drive has too many hours on its back and is failing to move data correctly due to that, although crystaldisk is showing the disks health as "Good".

I really have no idea about computer parts and how to figure a problem like this out, any support is highly appreciated as i depend on my pc in all sorts of ways and i just want it to work without freezing like 5 times a day depending on what i do.. if any more information is needed please let me know and i'll provide as much as i can!
 

Dark Lord of Tech

Retired Moderator
Put it this way they have this warning on the CPU support page for the 8350 and other 125w CPU's , because the board can't handle the chips. Boards like this shouldn't be verified as 125w capable. Also the PSU in terms of quality is lacking.

"For cooling the CPU and its surrounding components, please install a CPU cooler with a top-down blowing design."
 

foxfries

Reputable
Feb 14, 2019
29
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4,545
Put it this way they have this warning on the CPU support page for the 8350 and other 125w CPU's , because the board can't handle the chips. Boards like this shouldn't be verified as 125w capable. Also the PSU in terms of quality is lacking.

"For cooling the CPU and its surrounding components, please install a CPU cooler with a top-down blowing design."

Oh wow, i read some bad reviews of the motherboard prior to getting the pc but i wasn't aware it's this much of an issue.
Are there any specific brands of motherboards you'd recommend for my setup? Like i said i only know little about pc composition .. but thanks for the replies so far
 
Feb 12, 2019
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Probably and most likely the motherboard from my experience. I was repairing a friends PC and windows would not install (basically same issue as you) and when I replaced the MB windows installed correctly.
 

computerjoe314

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Jan 2, 2019
481
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1,840
Oh wow, i read some bad reviews of the motherboard prior to getting the pc but i wasn't aware it's this much of an issue.
Are there any specific brands of motherboards you'd recommend for my setup? Like i said i only know little about pc composition .. but thanks for the replies so far
There is no specific brand that will be better. It matters on the specific models VRM/ ability to handle the power needed to give to the CPU.
 

foxfries

Reputable
Feb 14, 2019
29
1
4,545
Probably and most likely the motherboard from my experience. I was repairing a friends PC and windows would not install (basically same issue as you) and when I replaced the MB windows installed correctly.

Geez it seems to be a really bad model, wonder why they're still selling it.. thanks for the feedback!

I think it is the CPU throttling because of the poor thermal design of the board.

I'll look into the receipts i have and see if i can still return it, thanks for your help!

There is no specific brand that will be better. It matters on the specific models VRM/ ability to handle the power needed to give to the CPU.

Okay, can you maybe give me like a short list of things i need to look out for when purchasing a new motherboard? Obviously I'll check for connections i need, but are there any key differences regarding anything other than the cpu socket? Sorry if that sounds stupid, i just want to make sure.
 

computerjoe314

Respectable
Jan 2, 2019
481
36
1,840
Geez it seems to be a really bad model, wonder why they're still selling it.. thanks for the feedback!



I'll look into the receipts i have and see if i can still return it, thanks for your help!



Okay, can you maybe give me like a short list of things i need to look out for when purchasing a new motherboard? Obviously I'll check for connections i need, but are there any key differences regarding anything other than the cpu socket? Sorry if that sounds stupid, i just want to make sure.
You want to get a motherboard with a chipset that is compattible with your CPU. Just because it has the same socket doesn't mean that it will for sure work with it.