Getting Blue Screens, Should I Update BIOS

[mzsofka9000]

For quite a while now i have been getting Blue Screens when animating or playing games, sometimes more intensive games sometimes not.
The most common Blue Screen Stop Codes are:
CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT
WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR
But Ive also had random ones like:
KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE
MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION
Im not Tech savy at all, so i have no idea what these mean when i start up on google and try searching for solutions but i was looking at my BIOS version for my ASUS Z97 PRO and its the oldest version possible. i built this computer about 4 years ago and only ever upgraded RAM and GPU and never had problems but one day about a year ago they slowly started happening more often. i have been keeping all my other drivers up to date but i almost feel like that's the problem as if my old BIOS isn't accepting these new drivers properly.
So Should I Update my BIOS or not? i have never done it before and am a little nervous because I know how crucial it is to the computer. also if you think i should can you post a link to proper instructions. i have been looking around for guides and ASUS offers tools for just executing an update straight through a download but i think its only for I5 Intel chips and im running I7-4790 CPU @3.60GHz
Ill post my computer specs to the best of my knowledge down here
OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Home
Motherboard: ASUS Z97 PRO
CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4790 CPU @ 3.60GHz
GPU: NVIDIA Geforce GTX 970
RAM: 24GB DDR3 (DDR3 doesn't sound right but i'm going of the performance window in Task Manager)
HARDDRIVE1: 1TB HDD (cant remember or find exact model)
HARDRIVE2: SanDisk SDSSDXPS240G
BIOS VERSION/Date: American Megatrends Inc. 0603, 4/14/2014

 

[justin.m.beauvais]

So, this is going to sound strange... but I think the reference oscillator on your motherboard might be going.

By all means try to update your BIOS if you think that is an issue. Also, sync your computer's clock to the time server, then shut off the automatic time update. Check your computer's clock every day against a known good clock. If you are losing or gaining seconds over a few days, your master clock oscillator is having problems. I have to tell you, this is not a normal problem, but nearly everything in the PC relies on that oscillator to be on point. By the errors it has given you, I can't help but think that it might be the problem. I hope it isn't though, as this would require a motherboard replacement.

Syncing the time might fix it, but if it doesn't, give the clock test a try.

Also, DDR3 is right for the 4th gen Core chips.

 

[mzsofka9000]

Thanks for the reply Justin. its true i actually have been losing seconds on my computer clock. i cant remember if this issue came up right when i started getting blue screens but some time ago i tried shutting off the automatic time update and resetting things per some instructions online but it never worked. my time was still out of sync so i downloaded a program called Atomic Clock that communicates with a server to reset your time on scheduled updates which fixed the problem with the clock. do you have any guess to what could have caused the oscillator to be failing like this? Thank you again for the response.

 

[justin.m.beauvais]

Honestly it could have been a weak component from the start and a power bump messed it up. I'm not sure. What you can try, and it is cheap, is to get a new motherboard battery. I don't know if it will fix the issue, but a couple dollars is worth a shot.

If that doesn't do it then you will probably need a new motherboard.

Man... I really hoped it wasn't that.

 

[Calvin7]

You wrote, "24GB DDR3 (DDR3 doesn't sound right but i'm going of the performance window in Task Manager)".

I would think you have some kind of incompatible RAM setup. Try listing your memory part number(s). It seems to be some kind of oddball memory configuration.

 

[justin.m.beauvais]

24GB isn't unheard of. It is strange, very cobbled together, but it is a 16GB kit and an 8GB kit. Something totally doable... and even understandable. Buy a PC with 8GB, buy a 16GB memory kit to upgrade it, ask yourself why you can't just use it all, then put it all in to see if it boots. If if it works you have 24GB. If it doesn't, just use the 16GB.