Question PC Shuts down when undergoing hardware diagnostic

[tstonesix]

Hello,

I've been having issues with my computer shutting off while under a certain amount of stress. It's fine when I'm browsing the web and streaming videos, but sometimes crashes when I play games like Overwatch. Narrowing things down, I'm trying to run diagnostics on my hardware. Windows Memory Diagnostic program crashes when it gets to around 8-9% of the first pass. Hot CPU Tester Pro crashes when Calculating PI get's to around 90%.

I've checked for heating/cooling issues. All of my fans are running. I've removed dust build up from my case. I've reapplied a new coat of thermal paste and reseated the heatsink. I also checked the CPU pins and MOBO capacitors for damage, and didn't see anything wrong.

I've checked all of my hardware via Device Manager and updated all of my drivers. I've updated virus definitions and scanned for viruses and malware. I've updated my OS and scanned my disk drive for errors.

I've also tested my RAM in another system, and was able to complete the Windows Memory Diagnostic with no errors reported.

I can't diagnose the CPU and MOBO without the system crashing, as stated above. I'm pretty sure my power supply and video card are fine, but I also am not sure how to test those properly.

One thing that concerns me is that I bought my MOBO on eBay, and everything else was new. The seller has a 100% positive rating, with 80+ reviews at the time that I bought it, so it seemed reasonable to purchase from them.

Specs:
Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 Mobo
AMD FX-8350 Black 8 Core 4.0G CPU
Arcic Alpine 64 Pro Rev 2 CPU Cooler
GSkill Ares 16G RAM (2x8G sticks)
ASUS ROG GeForce GTX 1060 6G VCard
Samsung 850 EVO 2.5" 500G HD
EVGA 600 BG 600W PSU
6x SilenX EFX-12-15 120MM Case Fans
Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD Burner
Corsair Carbide Series 200R Case
Logitech Keyboard/Mouse

At this point, I'm not sure what else I could try before replacing hardware. Can anyone give me a good recommendation of what to try before taking that step?

Thanks

 

[Phaaze88]

Bad cpu/motherboard combo. The power phases on that board can't reasonably handle the power draw of the 8350.
Save up for a new Ryzen setup, because the FX platform isn't worth salvaging. In the meantime, I underclock the cpu.

What are you checking the temps with? AMD Overdrive is recommended, as other programs don't display the correct temps.

 

[tstonesix]

Thanks for your response. I can't quite afford a Ryzen setup, as I would have to replace the Mobo, CPU, and RAM. The cheapest I could go, without sacrificing quality, is about $330. Which isn't terribly expensive, but also wouldn't be the ideal setup. I could just replace my Mobo for half that cost (or less), and be happy with my FX-8350 for a few more years. Or underclock it, as you recommended.

For checking temps, I was running CAM a while back. Most recently, I was just paying attention to the in-game display when playing Overwatch. It never got hotter than 57-58 C before dropping back down to 53-54. Definitely lower than the 65 C maximum, but I never tried using AMD Overdrive, so I'm not sure how accurate that is.

If I were to underclock my CPU, how far down should I bring it? Default is 4.0G. Should I bring it down to 3.5? Lower?

If I were to replace my Mobo, what should I get? I see a couple of Asus M5A78L-M boards that would support my current hardware. I feel like an Asus board would have better stability with my Asus Video Card, but there is also the ASRock 970A-G and GIGABYTE GA-78LMT-USB3 R2 which would also support my current setup.

Thanks again

 

[Phaaze88]

Aww shucks, with that much, you could get this, and it would completely stomp your current cpu/mobo/ram 6ft under:
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor ($145.78 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - Fatal1ty B450 GAMING K4 ATX AM4 Motherboard ($79.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill - Sniper X 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $305.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-06-07 22:43 EDT-0400
And just carry the other parts over.

Or this one too, if you want to hold onto a little more of your money - not as good as the other, but would still stomp your current setup:
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($135.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - Fatal1ty B450 GAMING K4 ATX AM4 Motherboard ($79.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill - Sniper X 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $295.77
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-06-07 22:45 EDT-0400

 

[tstonesix]

Thank you again for the reply. It's still a problem with funds. I was not planning on replacing anything on my computer, and don't have any money set aside for rebuilding my setup. I'm on a week to week budget, so I really need my system to be stable for as little expense as possible.

 

[Phaaze88]

Well, back to your current setup:
Use AMD Overdrive. They altered the 'readings' in a way that only Overdrive shows the correct temps with those FX chips.
Underclock to 3.5. If you are still unable to get it stable, then work your way down to 3.0

The only mobos I'd trust to reliably handle FX 8xxx/9xxx cpus are those of the 990fx chipset. The other boards you mentioned, a 760g and a 970a, are in the same ballpark as your current one, also a 970. They all suffer from the over-stressed vrm issue.
You see, AMD goofed and underestimated the power draw of the 8xxx/9xxx cpus. Thus, the motherboard manufacturers ended up making a bunch of underspecced models. They got together and fixed this with 990fx, but will cost more than the ones you're looking at.
Some boards: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3, Asrock Fatality 990FX Killer, Asus Sabertooth 990FX.

I am in no way suggesting you to try to salvage your current setup - I am against that. But if money is an issue, it can't be helped. Try not to spend more than necessary on that outdated platform.
Consider the 3 boards I suggested and other 990fx mobos, pick one, and don't spend a penny more until you're ready to move to something recent.

 

[tstonesix]

Just wanted to give an update on this. Underclocking did fix the problem. The highest I can run the CPU without crashing is 3.78G. I hope this helps anyone who runs into the same problem.