[SOLVED] ntoskrnl.exe, IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL problems out of the blue

[Dultak]

BSOD, IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL, ntoskrnl.exe on Previously Fine Ryzen 3600 System- I originally posted on reddit

Hey, and thanks for your time.

EDIT: I also can see Kernel Power Event #41 in Event Viewer. I think this may be due to needing to hold down power to get out of frozen screens sometimes though.



I've been having a fairly frustrating issue with my PC for the past week or more that I cannot seem to figure out. My PC has been randomly freezing, just sits there completely frozen, and has been blue screening with multiple error messages. The most common error message is the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error listed with ntoskrnl.exe. I have tried everything , reinstalled windows many times, installed windows on a different drive, ran driver verifier on all non-microsoft drivers, installed latest drivers for EVERYTHING, ran memtest86 with flying colors, updated to latest BIOS, incrementally installed all chipset drivers - everything I can think of and the internet suggests. The thing is, this setup has been running fine since Christmas, and now it BSODs all the time. It will let me play games undisturbed for an hour or more sometimes, but it always BSODs with the IRQL error eventually. I think that points to a windows update or driver update messing with things, but I have no idea which update might be known to have caused it. There have been many posts with this error but none that I have seen have solutions that have worked for me thus far.

I also get CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT after about 30s - 1min after logging into safe mode only.

My specs: More detail at bottom

Ryzen 5 3600

Corsair LPX 16GB RAM

B450 Steel Legend Mobo

Samsung 850 EVO

GTX 1080 8GB AMP! Edition



Here's a link to many of the dump files I have accumulated recently, I think that they are kernel memory dumps, some might be automatic memory dumps. If you can help and want a different memory dump type, please let me know, it will not take long for me to generate one....

Some have different bugchecks than others.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JPyqFLHBVFtEa1qciSFjbTeEg5h_Z4P9



There were many many others but here is just a few. I've tried using windows debug tools but I don't know what to look for and how to identify what the problem could be with them.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for considering!







Computer Type: Desktop

GPU: GTX 1080 AMP! Edition 8GB

CPU: Stock Ryzen 5 3600

Motherboard: B450 Steel Legend https://www.asrock.com/mb/amd/b450 steel legend/index.asp

RAM: Corsair 3000mhz 16GB (2x8GB) RAM https://www.newegg.com/corsair-16gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820233859?item=9SIA2F84GM9354&source=region&nm_mc=knc-googlemkp-pc&cm_mmc=knc-googlemkp-pc-_-pla-buyvpc-_-memory+%28desktop+memory%29-_-9SIA2F84GM9354&gclid=CjwKCAjw7-P1BRA2EiwAXoPWA19IlZEicW4oifByO55TjKsX5LrRsGcnGjX8DMUf01iGFlpM4Ni9_hoC5fAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

PSU: 750w

Operating System & Version: Windows 10, fully updated

GPU Drivers: 445.75

Chipset Drivers: Latest (2.04)

Background Applications: Unsure

 

[Dultak]

@Colif PC is just shutting off at random and will not BSOD with driver verifier running on all drivers. I've tried it before on all non-Microsoft drivers, but with all drivers being verified the BSODs will not happen. The random shut down happened after the PC was awoken from sleep mode.

 

[Dultak]

I have dumps from more BSODs after turning off driver verifier:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1mhXhO8XtGuvNWXK5IoyOdMKmlxLNpMM6

 

[gardenman]

I ran the dump files through the debugger and got the following information: https://unrefinedbeer.htmlpasta.com/

File information:	051420-5281-01.dmp (May 14 2020 - 20:09:23)
Bugcheck:	DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION (133)
Probably caused by:	memory_corruption (Process: System)
Uptime:	0 Day(s), 0 Hour(s), 04 Min(s), and 41 Sec(s)

File information:	051420-4812-01.dmp (May 14 2020 - 20:02:37)
Bugcheck:	IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (A)
Probably caused by:	memory_corruption (Process: System)
Uptime:	0 Day(s), 0 Hour(s), 58 Min(s), and 57 Sec(s)

This information can be used by others to help you. Someone else will post with more information. Please wait for additional answers. Good luck.

 

[Dultak]

I ran the dump files through the debugger and got the following information: https://unrefinedbeer.htmlpasta.com/

File information:	051420-5281-01.dmp (May 14 2020 - 20:09:23)
Bugcheck:	DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION (133)
Probably caused by:	memory_corruption (Process: System)
Uptime:	0 Day(s), 0 Hour(s), 04 Min(s), and 41 Sec(s)

File information:	051420-4812-01.dmp (May 14 2020 - 20:02:37)
Bugcheck:	IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (A)
Probably caused by:	memory_corruption (Process: System)
Uptime:	0 Day(s), 0 Hour(s), 58 Min(s), and 57 Sec(s)

This information can be used by others to help you. Someone else will post with more information. Please wait for additional answers. Good luck.

This is the RAM that I have - https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Vengeance-3000MHz-Desktop-Memory/dp/B0134EW7G8

I bought it thinking it is compatible, and looking around on the internet for a bit it seems to really be compatible. The QVL (matisse) does not show it on the motherboard's page - https://www.asrock.com/mb/amd/b450 steel legend/index.asp#MemoryMS
though I think I may be reading it wrong cus idk what im doing haha.

I've been reading around online a lot about this problem and some are saying it could be GPU related. I don't really know how to test this, and I'm not sure how to see in the dumps where GPU issues could arise.

Those two dumps that gardenman yet again so kindly ran through the debugger were from after I turned off driver verifier and was playing Star Citizen without any errors at all until an abrupt BSOD. Upon restarting after the BSOD, a freeze happened again. I had to hard restart and then I turned on driver verifier on all drivers again and now the PC stays up and running without freezing. Driver verifier seems to be making the system more stable, but the performance hit is too much to keep turned on all the time. I'm so lost on this.

 

[Colif]

i was feeling really tired yesterday and wouldn't have been much assistance to anyone so just didn't come on.

I think the 2nd error - the IRQ one - was caused by the lan drivers
nt!tcpxsum is part of error text, From what I can tell tcp xsum is an internet command. Its a tenuous connection but its only 1 I have in both dumps.

I am seeing a rash of people with bad lan drivers (or its the same people and I am just going around in circles) All seem to be the Feb realtek drivers too.

 

[Dultak]

Generally, if a BSOD survives many installs, its not windows, its hardware.

Having newest GPU drivers with a 10 series card isn't always best idea as I seen the newer drivers cause havoc on similar systems, for the last 6 months or so. But I have yet to see them cause the clock watchdog timeout although it is possible as it can be caused by hardware or software.

I have asked a friend to look at the dumps. ntoskrnl = windows kernel. it is victim, not cause.



thats odd. Almost makes it clear its not software.. it could be a built in windows driver but thats rare. As in, I never seen it.
Have you run Prime 95 on CPU? - https://www.mersenne.org/download/
Prime 95 Guide: http://www.playtool.com/pages/prime95/prime95.html

Just going to mark this as best answer now, I’ve RMAed my CPU and now await news on it, I downgraded I windows 1809 which seemingly allowed me to see WHEA core hierarchy errors - which points to CPU problems. A lot of people with this problem seem to have Ryzen 3000 as well..... Thanks so much for the help @Colif and @gardenman !