Mxhawthy

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Hi All,

Tl;DR; I hoovered out my PC case without any anti-static protection or anything, HOWEVER, my PC was acting very slow and strange BEFORE I even did anything, and possibly would have bluescreened if I'd just waited a bit longer. Instead, I shutdown fairly quickly and decided to clean it out with a hoover. Please read the below for extra context and what I've tried so far.

I've recently spent a week away for work, and when I booted up my desktop on my return, noticed it was acting very weirdly. Chrome took ages to load, etc. (I built my PC back in 2017 and it's been lightening-quick and had NO issues at all since I built it, so this was VERY unusual). Another weird thing I noticed is that although my GPU has triple fans, 2 of them were not spinning, and 1 of them was spinning at full-speed and made the entire room sound like an aeroplane was about to take-off. This had never happened before. The PC was not hot (had only been turned on for a few minutes) and I wasn't playing any games, just tried to open Chrome and load Youtube. After about 2 minutes I thought "I haven't cleaned it for a few months, maybe the dust is causing this" so I shutdown and unplugged everything. Usually, I would've taken the PC outside onto the garden table and used compressed air inside the case to clear it out. However, because I'd had a long week away and was shattered from work, I just put my PC onto the desk, and grabbed my hand-held hoover (vacuum, for any Americans out there). I have heard about static when using a hoover and that you shouldn't do it, but for some reason I was not thinking properly, and did it anyway.

After cleaning it out, I put the case all back together and booted up. The GPU fan instantly started spinning at full-speed again whilst the other 2 GPU fans stayed still. Then after a few minutes of my PC acting weirdly again, I got the BSOD. Now, my PC just gives me the Blue Screen of Death (with NO error codes or any other useful information) every time I try to boot it up. It will sometimes bluescreen at the Windows 10 login screen, sometimes before then, sometimes it will let me log in, and then after a few minutes or after I try to click on something/open a website, it will bluescreen. It is barely functional. It won't let me open command prompt to run a CHKDSK, or open Windows Settings. It just hangs for a minute or so and then Bluescreens.

Troubleshooting done so far:
  • Tried another GPU (which I know works), same fan issue. Still Bluescreens
  • Removed the GPU and run on integrated CPU graphics. Still Bluescreens
  • Checked that all connections inside the case are firmly pushed-in and not loose. Still Bluescreens
  • Re-seated all 4 sticks of RAM. Still Bluescreens
  • Unplugged all peripherals that I don't need. Just left LAN cable, Mouse, Keyboard, and 1 monitor. (and power obviously).
  • Tried booting into Safe mode but it just hangs on a black-screen.
  • Unplugged the power from the PSU and left it for 2 days to give plenty of time for any static or other electricity in the PC to discharge. Tried plugging it in again and booting up after 2 days but same issue.
Any help would be appreciated. I really can't afford to build a new system at the moment so would love to get this fixed :(
 
Last edited:
Solution
Those temps seem to hot if they are accurate.
Is the cooler snug on the CPU?
Try and wiggle it. It should be snug.
Is the CPU cooler fan spinning?

Are there any values for these three voltages in the BIOS?

  • +3.3v
  • +5v
  • +12v
Hi All,

Tl;DR; I hoovered out my PC case without any anti-static protection or anything, HOWEVER, my PC was acting very slow and strange BEFORE I even did anything, and possibly would have bluescreened if I'd just waited a bit longer. Instead, I shutdown fairly quickly and decided to clean it out with a hoover. Please read the below for extra context and what I've tried so far.

I've recently spent a week away for work, and when I booted up my desktop on my return, noticed it was acting very weirdly. Chrome took ages to load, etc. (I built my PC back in 2017 and it's been lightening-quick and had NO issues at all since I built it, so this was VERY unusual). Another weird thing I noticed is that although my GPU has triple fans, 2 of them were not spinning, and 1 of them was spinning at full-speed and made the entire room sound like an aeroplane was about to take-off. This had never happened before. The PC was not hot (had only been turned on for a few minutes) and I wasn't playing any games, just tried to open Chrome and load Youtube. After about 2 minutes I thought "I haven't cleaned it for a few months, maybe the dust is causing this" so I shutdown and unplugged everything. Usually, I would've taken the PC outside onto the garden table and used compressed air inside the case to clear it out. However, because I'd had a long week away and was shattered from work, I just put my PC onto the desk, and grabbed my hand-held hoover (vacuum, for any Americans out there). I have heard about static when using a hoover and that you shouldn't do it, but for some reason I was not thinking properly, and did it anyway.

After cleaning it out, I put the case all back together and booted up. The GPU fan instantly started spinning at full-speed again whilst the other 2 GPU fans stayed still. Then after a few minutes of my PC acting weirdly again, I got the BSOD. Now, my PC just gives me the Blue Screen of Death (with NO error codes or any other useful information) every time I try to boot it up. It will sometimes bluescreen at the Windows 10 login screen, sometimes before then, sometimes it will let me log in, and then after a few minutes or after I try to click on something/open a website, it will bluescreen. It is barely functional. It won't let me open command prompt to run a CHKDSK, or open Windows Settings. It just hangs for a minute or so and then Bluescreens.

Troubleshooting done so far:
  • Tried another GPU (which I know works), same fan issue. Still Bluescreens
  • Removed the GPU and run on integrated CPU graphics. Still Bluescreens
  • Checked that all connections inside the case are firmly pushed-in and not loose. Still Bluescreens
  • Re-seated all 4 sticks of RAM. Still Bluescreens
  • Unplugged all peripherals that I don't need. Just left LAN cable, Mouse, Keyboard, and 1 monitor. (and power obviously).
  • Tried booting into Safe mode but it just hangs on a black-screen.
  • Unplugged the power from the PSU and left it for 2 days to give plenty of time for any static or other electricity in the PC to discharge. Tried plugging it in again and booting up after 2 days but same issue.
Any help would be appreciated. I really can't afford to build a new system at the moment so would love to get this fixed :(
What are your system specs?
Make and model PSU?
if you can get into the BIOS...does it display voltages?
If so...what are they?
 

Mxhawthy

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What are your system specs?
Make and model PSU?
if you can get into the BIOS...does it display voltages?
If so...what are they?
Hi Jay,

My PC specs are in my signature below my reply. My CPU is not overclocked or anything, the whole system is running standard as they come out of the box. My PSU is XFX TS 550W which is known to be a very good, reliable, well-built PSU back in the day when I built this.

Just checked M.I.T Current Status and it says my Core Temperature for all 4 of my CPU cores is between 98°C and 100°C. Is that going to be accurate? How can it be running at 100°C when it's only in BIOS? And it doesn't feel hot when I put my hand near the CPU fan.

OK, now I've just clicked on M.I.T/PC Health Status. It says:
  • CPU Temp is 91°C (so completely different to what the MIT Current Status screen said)
  • System Temp is 27°C
Voltages:
  • CPU VCore 0.828v
  • CPU VRIN 1.740v
  • DRAM Voltage 1.512v
  • +3.3v
  • +5v
  • +12v
  • CPU VAXG 0.012v

I don't understand the voltages at all. Please could you let me know what is normal and if mine are OK?
 

Mxhawthy

Distinguished
Those temps seem to hot if they are accurate.
Is the cooler snug on the CPU?
Try and wiggle it. It should be snug.
Is the CPU cooler fan spinning?

Are there any values for these three voltages in the BIOS?

  • +3.3v
  • +5v
  • +12v
  • 3.363v
  • 5.070v
  • 12.168v

Those are the values for +3.3, +5, and +12v.

I've just wiggled my CPU cooler and by golly you might have saved me. It's quite loose. The CPU fan is spinning though. I'm guessing I need to just re-secure the CPU cooler? What are those voltages telling you? Do you think I need to get some more thermal paste too, because the cooler has come loose, or could I just clip it back down and be OK?
 
  • 3.363v
  • 5.070v
  • 12.168v
Those are the values for +3.3, +5, and +12v.

I've just wiggled my CPU cooler and by golly you might have saved me. It's quite loose. The CPU fan is spinning though. I'm guessing I need to just re-secure the CPU cooler? What are those voltages telling you? Do you think I need to get some more thermal paste too, because the cooler has come loose, or could I just clip it back down and be OK?
First....just try and snug the cooler as is....the paste may still be OK.
The voltages are the PSU voltages....but I think you found the problem.
 

Mxhawthy

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First....just try and snug the cooler as is....the paste may still be OK.
The voltages are the PSU voltages....but I think you found the problem.

Ok, I've pressed down on the CPU cooler and heard it click into place. Now it's snug and not wiggling. My PC has now been on for about 10 minutes without Blue Screening. It's running between 30-64°C on all 4 cores. I am typing this reply to you from my PC rather than from my work laptop, which is already a massive improvement as I couldn't even load google before! I don't want to jinx it by saying the words, but thank you so much for your help Jay! I would never have thought to check the cooler, as I didn't realise I'd knocked it.
 
Ok, I've pressed down on the CPU cooler and heard it click into place. Now it's snug and not wiggling. My PC has now been on for about 10 minutes without Blue Screening. It's running between 30-64°C on all 4 cores. I am typing this reply to you from my PC rather than from my work laptop, which is already a massive improvement as I couldn't even load google before! I don't want to jinx it by saying the words, but thank you so much for your help Jay! I would never have thought to check the cooler, as I didn't realise I'd knocked it.
You're welcome...and excellent.
Keep an eye on it.
If it came loose once...it might again.
 

Mxhawthy

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You're welcome...and excellent.
Keep an eye on it.
If it came loose once...it might again.

Now I'm back to the original issue I had before I decided to clean my PC... One of my GPU fans is spinning very fast/loud whilst the PC is idle. And the other 2 GPU fans aren't spinning at all. Do you have any idea why this could be happening? It's so loud, and it it has been fine before last weekend.
 
Now I'm back to the original issue I had before I decided to clean my PC... One of my GPU fans is spinning very fast/loud whilst the PC is idle. And the other 2 GPU fans aren't spinning at all. Do you have any idea why this could be happening? It's so loud, and it it has been fine before last weekend.
I would power down....and carefully remove and reseat the GPU in the slot.
I would also download and run HWInfo and check the voltages and temps in Windows.
The only thing you did ...was spend a week away from the PC.....and this happened....correct?
 

Mxhawthy

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I would power down....and carefully remove and reseat the GPU in the slot.
I would also download and run HWInfo and check the voltages and temps in Windows.
The only thing you did ...was spend a week away from the PC.....and this happened....correct?

I've removed and reseated the GPU about 4 times whilst trying to diagnose my blue screen issue. Just installed it again and same issue. I've also tried another GPU (exact same model GPU) and got the same result.

I can't see the voltages for GPU in HWinfo. Here's a screenshot.

Yep I just spent a week away from home. Got back, turned on my PC, and this happened.
 

Mxhawthy

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I've removed and reseated the GPU about 4 times whilst trying to diagnose my blue screen issue. Just installed it again and same issue. I've also tried another GPU (exact same model GPU) and got the same result.

I can't see the voltages for GPU in HWinfo. Here's a screenshot.

Yep I just spent a week away from home. Got back, turned on my PC, and this happened.

I've just checked 'Speccy' and it shows this information about my GPU:

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti
Manufacturer NVIDIA
Model GeForce GTX 980 Ti
Device ID 10DE-17C8
Revision A2
Subvendor PNY (196E)
Current Performance Level Level 0
Voltage 0.868 V
Technology 28 nm
Bus Interface PCI Express x16
Temperature 34 °C
Driver version 30.0.14.7111
BIOS Version 84.00.36.00.4c
Physical Memory 2047 MB
Virtual Memory 2048 MB