Question PC randomly freezing with buzzing sound from the speakers

[Flow99]

Since I’ve read threads on similar problems but didn‘t find a fix that works for me, I’ll try and explain my issue here to maybe find someone who has an idea on what’s causing it.

My PC (specs at the bottom) has been randomly freezing for a couple of months now. It used to happen approximately once per week, but lately it began to freeze on a daily basis. There was no actual event (e.g. a windows update) that got it started.
The freeze doesn’t seem to be related to any type of software that’s running, since it mostly happens when only the browser is running. Heavy Games in terms of GPU and CPU usage work fine - I’ve only had 2 freezes while playing.

During the freeze, a loud buzzing sound comes out of my headset.
In the beginning, the freeze would require a manual restart of the PC, but a couple of days ago, a new type of freeze occurred: The PC freezes for like 3 seconds (again the buzzing sound), then the screen goes black for 1 second and everything works fine again). The first type of freeze is still not gone though.

Here some details on what I’ve already done on my search for the cause of the problem

1. PSU and Mainboard are both new (the issue already existed with the old ones)

2. Temperatures are fine (CPU during Benchmark below 70 degrees, GPU well below 80 degrees)

3. I’ve reinstalled all essential drivers, including audio and GPU drivers

4. MemTest86 didn’t show any issues with the RAM

5. Hard Disk Sentinel shows that both my SSD and HDD are in excellent shape

6. Windows Event Viewer doesn’t show any errors right before the freezes

7. Virus scan turned out negative

Specs:
CPU: intel i7 7700k - not overclocked
GPU: MSI GTX 1080 Gaming X - not overclocked
Motherboard: Asus Maximus IX Hero Z270
RAM: GSkill TridentZ 3000MHz (2x 8 GB)
CPU-Cooling: NZXT Kraken X52
SSD: Samsung
HDD: Barracuda

I‘d be really thankful for suggestions on any further steps/ tests that might help.

 

[RARRAF]

PSU make model and age ??

 

[Flow99]

PSU make model and age ??

Corsair CX550 M - 550W , about 6 months old. My old Corsair PSU also had 550W and worked fine for over 2 years

 

[rikke-]

I had this problem a few years ago, and I have since stumbled upon a couple more since with the same problem. It was an issue with the RAM in all our cases, I just reseated mine and it fixed it, and for one of the others it was a faulty stick which had to be replaced. So my best bet is to fiddle about with your RAM-sticks and see if it gets any different, try them both separately, switch slots/channels etc.

 

[RARRAF]

you could try https://www.resplendence.com/whocrashed might show you what is causing the crashes

 

[abin2021]

Since I’ve read threads on similar problems but didn‘t find a fix that works for me, I’ll try and explain my issue here to maybe find someone who has an idea on what’s causing it.

My PC (specs at the bottom) has been randomly freezing for a couple of months now. It used to happen approximately once per week, but lately it began to freeze on a daily basis. There was no actual event (e.g. a windows update) that got it started.
The freeze doesn’t seem to be related to any type of software that’s running, since it mostly happens when only the browser is running. Heavy Games in terms of GPU and CPU usage work fine - I’ve only had 2 freezes while playing.

During the freeze, a loud buzzing sound comes out of my headset.
In the beginning, the freeze would require a manual restart of the PC, but a couple of days ago, a new type of freeze occurred: The PC freezes for like 3 seconds (again the buzzing sound), then the screen goes black for 1 second and everything works fine again). The first type of freeze is still not gone though.

Here some details on what I’ve already done on my search for the cause of the problem

1. PSU and Mainboard are both new (the issue already existed with the old ones)

2. Temperatures are fine (CPU during Benchmark below 70 degrees, GPU well below 80 degrees)

3. I’ve reinstalled all essential drivers, including audio and GPU drivers

4. MemTest86 didn’t show any issues with the RAM

5. Hard Disk Sentinel shows that both my SSD and HDD are in excellent shape

6. Windows Event Viewer doesn’t show any errors right before the freezes

7. Virus scan turned out negative

Specs:
CPU: intel i7 7700k - not overclocked
GPU: MSI GTX 1080 Gaming X - not overclocked
Motherboard: Asus Maximus IX Hero Z270
RAM: GSkill TridentZ 3000MHz (2x 8 GB)
CPU-Cooling: NZXT Kraken X52
SSD: Samsung
HDD: Barracuda

I‘d be really thankful for suggestions on any further steps/ tests that might help.

>>>>

Having the same issue with my
Maximus IX Hero
intel i7 7700k - not overclocked
Corsair ram 32
Razer KB and mouse
Win 10
System and files are up to date.
Sometimes the sound buzzes and the video works.
Sometimes the sound keeps playing while the video is frozen.
The video either resumes 3 - 5 seconds later at the correct time after the freeze ends or does a little "fast forward" back to sync with the sound.
It will occasionally lock up a video stream - requiring restarting the browser.
Moving the mouse will sometimes initiate the freeze.
Mouse / KB always stop working. The Razer control app is a bit crashy - but that's a different issue.
The PC always resumes - like a hiccup.
These freezes last between 3 and 6 seconds.
The HD light on the MB always stays solid for 2 or 3 seconds during the freeze, flashes off for (.5 sec) then steady state for a couple more seconds and back to business as usual after the freeze.
It has been worsening lately.
I am looking for some fix too.

 

[Midnight1334]

I was having the same problem all last month with my pc black screening and an annoying buzzing sound from my headphones when I was playing games, it turns out it was my psu I had a 500w and upgraded to 600w and that solved the problem for me

 

[Th4nato5]

Here are my Specs:
-MSI GTX 1070 Gaming X (Overclocked by 100 MHz for Memory)
-G. SKILL 3000 MHz 15-16-16-36 RAM (2x 8GB)
-i5-6600K CPU (TurboBoost is turned on)
-MSI Z170A SLI PLUS Motherboard (Updated BIOS to latest version)
-Corsair RMx650 PSU

I had this exact problem over the last 8 months and I tried the following:
-Replaced PSU from a Corsair RMx650 (4 year old btw) to a EVGA 850W P2 (Didn't work)
-Removed the Realtek sound driver (Didn't work)
-Testing with a friend's Quadro K4000 (Didn't work)
-Updating the BIOS to the latest version (Didn't work)
-Underclocking my GTX 1070 (Didn't work)
-Checked each stick of RAM in DIMM #2 (Didn't detect everything)
-Checked temperature values (which were not even exceeding 60-65C)

This usually occurred when I am playing games and surfing the web at the same time.

After a duration of 8 months of troubleshooting, it turned out to be the XMP profile stored in the Motherboard BIOS that was causing the crashes. The most likely cause was due to a high amount of voltage being pumped from the motherboard into the CPU and the RAM (since my VCC Server Agent, VCC I/O, and DRAM voltages were being set at 1.248V, 1.264V, and 1.36V respectively), the fact that Skylake 6XXX series (and most likely Kaby Lake 7XXX series; not sure about other LGA1151 CPUs) that are prone to problems when the DRAM voltage goes higher than 1.35V, and the fact that my motherboard cannot withstand the voltage in question.

Here is what I recommend for you to try:
-Check the voltage values that are used (if the voltage values are set to AUTO with XMP turned on) and record it down. If your values exceed the normal ranges shown in the links below, then it's most likely a RAM problem).
-Turn off XMP profile
-Reset the BIOS settings
-Turn back on your PC and trying running games or other software to test it. I used Memtest 86+ to test the RAM.

If you do not have any more crashes, then it was the XMP causing issues. If you want to OC the RAM again, then I suggest the first step as follows:
-Go into CPU-Z and check whether your RAM is single-rank or dual-rank, then check which manufacturer made your memory modules for your RAM

Before you proceed with the below steps, check the following pages first (since manually setting voltage values can cause problems for you):
Tweaktown (Skylake guide, but it applies to Kaby Lake): https://www.tweaktown.com/guides/74...e-intel-skylake-overclocking-guide/index.html
Memory Tester GitHub Page (Applies to all LGA1151 CPUs): https://github.com/integralfx/MemTestHelper/blob/master/DDR4 OC Guide.md#integrated-memory-controller-imc
G. SKILL RAM Page: https://www.gskill.us/forum/forum/g...63-cpu-capability-list-maximum-dram-frequency

-Go into your BIOS, and select 3000 MHz (or whatever frequency your memory runs at) as the Memory Profile
-Using the manufacturer information and the clock ratings for your RAM, check if your BIOS have preset memory profiles. Refer to the Tweaktown page for details.
-Manually set the voltage values for VCCSA, VCCIO, and DRAM (or whatever it is called in your BIOS; check the TweakTown page) based on what is shown in the three links that I have posted. I selected 1.15V for VCCSA and VCCIO, and 1.35V for DRAM since I use single-rank 8 GB RAM modules, but this MAY NOT be applicable for you.
-Run OCCT for an hour with AVX2 or SSE test to confirm that this is stable (or any tests recommended in the GitHub page for testing stability).