Question Sporadic, graphically distorted Bluescreen on Windows 10 PC - - what's causing it ?

[Risto48]

The Bluescreen occurs very sporadically on my Windows 10 desktop computer: Can be twice per day or with two months in between:

After it occured I have to do a hard reset. Checking the various Memory dump entries over time showed these entries:
IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION
APC_INDEX_MISMATCH

Key specs of the machine:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
RAM: 2 x 16 GB DDR4-3200
Graphics: MSI Radeon RX 5700 XT Gaming X
OS: Windows 10 Professional

Hardware monitor programs show nothing remarkable, no high temperatures or alike.
My goal is to resolve this swiftly without risking any settings or data loss on the machine as I rely on it. So I need to decide which component to replace (first) and so I reach out to you here:


Is the most probable cause for this the graphics card, the RAM, the CPU, the mainboard, or instead not hardware issue but a Windows issue?

My guess would be RAM because I also ocasionally see single programs crashing like the mail client or the browser while the OS remains intact. But the distorted graphics on the buescreen makes my suspect the graphics card.

Any help is very much appreciated!

 

[DaleH]

The Bluescreen occurs very sporadically on my Windows 10 desktop computer: Can be twice per day or with two months in between:

After it occured I have to do a hard reset. Checking the various Memory dump entries over time showed these entries:
IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION
APC_INDEX_MISMATCH

Key specs of the machine:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
RAM: 2 x 16 GB DDR4-3200
Graphics: MSI Radeon RX 5700 XT Gaming X
OS: Windows 10 Professional

Hardware monitor programs show nothing remarkable, no high temperatures or alike.
My goal is to resolve this swiftly without risking any settings or data loss on the machine as I rely on it. So I need to decide which component to replace (first) and so I reach out to you here:


Is the most probable cause for this the graphics card, the RAM, the CPU, the mainboard, or instead no hardware but a windows issue?


My guess would be RAM because I also ocasionally see single programs crashing like the mail client or the browser while the OS remains intact. But the distorted graphics on the buescreen makes my suspect the graphics card.

Any help is very much appreciated!

I'd try another monitor before anything else. I've seen this kind of failure with a monitor. The GPU would be the next suspect, I'd think.

 

[Risto48]

I'd try another monitor before anything else. I've seen this kind of failure with a monitor. The GPU would be the next suspect, I'd think.

Hmm, I am skeptical. Monitor works fine and there is no correlation between the crashes and turning it on or off. Can you provide more info, please?

 

[DaleH]

Your pc also works fine, until it doesn't. Being skeptical doesn't help eliminate the monitor. Sorry, I can't provide more info, only the steps I would take if I were troubleshooting. Eliminate the easy things before jumping to conclusions. This would just be my approach if it were my problem.

 

[Risto48]

Any other help is much appreciated. Has anyone seen a bluescreen like this?

 

[Misgar]

without risking any settings or data loss on the machine as I rely on it.

If by "risking any settings" you're talking about the Windows Registry, have you:-

1). Saved the entire Registry to an extenal device?
or
2). Cloned the Windows drive to an image or another SSD?

Alternatively, if you mean the BIOS menu settings, have you photographed every BIOS screen down to the deepest menu sub-levels?

As for possible data loss, do you have a 3-2-1 backup strategy in operation, or are you trusting to luck and hoping you'll never suffer data loss with only a single instance of each critical file?

Before embarking on any investigations, make sure all valuable data is copied and stored elsewhere, i.e. not on the ailing machine.

My goal is to resolve this swiftly

To "resolve this swiftly" on one of my computers, I'd swap multiple components (one at a time) out of my spares box and other working systems, in the following order:

3). Change the Monitor as already suggested by @DaleH
4). Change the monitor cable (HDMI, Display Port, DVI, VGA, etc)
5). Try a different GPU
6). Install a fresh copy of Windows on a new SSD (this may well fix the fault)
7). Disable XMP if enabled
8). Run full MemTest86 (several hours) and fit new RAM if any faults found
9). Swap CPU
10). Try a new PSU
11). Change motherboard

It also helps to try components from the faulty computer (apart from the Windows SSD) in a fully working PC. That way you can check the GPU, RAM, CPU, PSU, etc and confirm their state of health.

By now, all you're left with is the case and the CPU cooler, keyboard and mouse. Total time to check everything, about one day of intensive work. If you don't have the parts and the fault is elusive, it could take weeks.

If you'd like me to guess what's gone wrong, I'd say Windows is corrupted. Try a fresh install of Windows on another SSD. It'll only take 15 minutes to get into the Windows Desktop on the new installation. A couple of hours to add vital software and you can wait to see if it BSODs again.