new custom build pc - Games crashing to desktop

[dabolras]

Hey everyone,

I custom-build a new PC about 2 weeks ago and have experienced some issues with games crashing to the desktop ever since.

My specs are:
PSU: 600 Watt Corsair CX Series
Motherboard: Asus H87-Pro (C2)
CPU: Intel Core i5 4570 4x 3.20GHz
Ram: 8GB Corsair Vengeance
GPU: 4096MB Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 Windforce 3X OC Rev. 2
HDD: 1000GB Seagate Desktop HDD ST1000DM003 64MB 3.5" (8.9cm) SATA 6Gb/s

Operating System: Windows 7 64 Bit

The games tested so far are Guild Wars 2, Assassins Creed 4, Splinter Cell Blacklist and Battlefield 3.
All share the same problem: after about 20-60 minutes the games crash to the desktop.
The Windows Event-Viewer shows the following error most of the time: “Display driver nvlddmkm stopped responding and has successfully recovered.” Sometimes there is simply no error-log.

I have tried all kinds of advice on the internet related to the issue and am out of ideas now. If any of you have a clue what the problem could be - I'd be very thankful for your help.

The things i tried include:

- reinstalling Windows7, 4 times now.
- using the latest drivers, reinstalling the drivers, installing newer beta drivers, installing older drivers for everything I could find, including audio, video, motherboard, usb, lan, sata...
(driver sweeper use included to make sure there are no conflicting older fragments)
- updating my bios
- disabling the hardware acceleration of firefox.
- setting the nvidia 3D Energy saving option to maximum
- running a benchmark of the GPU for 8 hours straight without errors (with Furmark and OCCT)
- running benchmarks of my CPU & PSU with OCCT with no obvious problems or errors
- running a memory check with Memtest for 8 hours without errors
- checking my hard drive with the CHKDSK command & HD Tune
- checking my system integrity with the sfc command
- checking my DirectX installation with dxdiag
- using a clean WIndows installation with only the absolutely necessary drivers to run games
- replacing the hard drive
- replacing the PSU
- reducing the gpu clock rate to the default, non OC specs for the GTX 770 via MSIAfterburner
- manually controlling my GPU's fan rotation
- disabling all energy saving options in the bios, motherboard software etc.
- trying different graphics settings in the games - including the lowest possible, medium, highest possible...
- running games as administrator
- check for viruses, trojans etc.

- trying a different GPU with everything else the same - no crashes.
- using my GPU in an entirely different PC - no crashes

- and more I can't think of right now...

The highest temperature my GPU reached in the mentioned games was 71°C. Benchmark maximum was 82° C.
CPU maximum temperature was 71°C.

Except for those crashes everything is running perfectly fine.

Thanks a lot for anyone trying to help in advance!

 

[StickyJamGamer]

I hope that you are using LEGIT COPY of the Game. Are you using a pirated copy ?

 

[dabolras]

Keys for Assassins Creed, SPlinter Cell and Batman Arkham Origins came with the graphics card with an action from nvidia (Geforce GTX gaming Bundle: http://www.geforce.com/whats-new/articles/announcing-the-geforce-gtx-holiday-bundle-featuring-heroes-pirates-and-spies)

Bought the rest of the games over the course of last year. So all legit copies. (Guild Wars 2 can't be played pirated because its an MMo to my knowledge - private servers aside maybe?! And have a boxed copy of BF3 from amazon )

 

[StickyJamGamer]

OK. Follow these instructions:

1.Right click on your "Computer" icon and then click on properties.

2.Look for the option called "Advanced System Settings" on the left side and click to open it.

3.A new window will pop up then go to the "Advanced" tab in that window.

4.Then click on "Settings" in the first place. (See the screenshot)

5.On clicking that new window will open up.

6.Then click on "Data Execution Prevention" tab.

7.There you will see two options choose the highlighted one (See the Screenshot)

8.Then click on "ADD" button and browse for your ".exe" file.

9.Click "APPLY" and then close it.

10.Done

Now try opening up your game.

I hope this helps

 

[dabolras]

Hey, thanks for your answer.

Unfortunately this doesn't seem to work. It just tells me "This program must run with data execution protection (DEP) enabled. You cannot turn off DEP for this program." every time =/

 

[StickyJamGamer]

Hey, thanks for your answer.

Unfortunately this doesn't seem to work. It just tells me "This program must run with data execution protection (DEP) enabled. You cannot turn off DEP for this program." every time =/

OK then. Try to run those games with integrated graphics (without any GPU) and then tell me if this still happens.

 

[dabolras]

OK then. Try to run those games with integrated graphics (without any GPU) and then tell me if this still happens.

Didn't help either sadly.

Fortunately, it seems like I have found the problem at last.
After exchanging the remaining parts I did not take out yet step by step, it seems like there was something wrong with the memory after all, even though Memtest did not point out any issues.

After replacing it for good, everything seems to run fine now.

Thanks a lot for you trying to help though! I appreciate it.