Question System keeps crashing. Possibly my SSD

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Rebel836

Rebel836

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Apr 22, 2020
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I've been encountering an issue lately where my computer keeps crashing/freezing inconsistently, but frequently. The crash happens in several different ways. Sometimes the whole thing just freezes and stops responding, resulting in me needing to force shutdown the system. Sometimes it will just completely restart on its own with no warning. Other times it will crash to the blue screen with the sad face saying that windows encountered an error and will restart.

In every case, I have the "disk repair" loop where the system will automatically attempt to repair my drive, restart, then repeat. I have let this repair go overnight and it still continues. Sometimes the comp will crash during this repair. There are also times when it won't even post properly. When I turn my computer on for the first time, or on restart, the fans will spin up to 100% for a second, then wind back down and the computer will boot. Sometimes though, the fans won't and will constantly run at 100% and the comp will not post, resulting in me having to force shut down again. I have tried the chkdsk route, I have tried almost everything I can look up. I updated the firmware on my SSD (WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD) using the dashboard which says I still have "96%" life remaining. Short of wiping the drive and reinstalling windows (which I'm not even sure would help) or buying a new SSD entirely, I'm not sure what to try next.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super
RAM: 16GB
MOBO: MPG X570 Gaming Plus (MS-7C37)
Storage: WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD
PSU: EVGA 750W Bronze
 
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Lgodinez

Nov 20, 2021
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Rebel836 said:
I've been encountering an issue lately where my computer keeps crashing/freezing inconsistently, but frequently. The crash happens in several different ways. Sometimes the whole thing just freezes and stops responding, resulting in me needing to force shutdown the system. Sometimes it will just completely restart on its own with no warning. Other times it will crash to the blue screen with the sad face saying that windows encountered an error and will restart.

In every case, I have the "disk repair" loop where the system will automatically attempt to repair my drive, restart, then repeat. I have let this repair go overnight and it still continues. Sometimes the comp will crash during this repair. There are also times when it won't even post properly. When I turn my computer on for the first time, or on restart, the fans will spin up to 100% for a second, then wind back down and the computer will boot. Sometimes though, the fans won't and will constantly run at 100% and the comp will not post, resulting in me having to force shut down again. I have tried the chkdsk route, I have tried almost everything I can look up. I updated the firmware on my SSD (WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD) using the dashboard which says I still have "96%" life remaining. Short of wiping the drive and reinstalling windows (which I'm not even sure would help) or buying a new SSD entirely, I'm not sure what to try next.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super
RAM: 16GB
MOBO: MPG X570 Gaming Plus (MS-7C37)
Storage: WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD
PSU: EVGA 750W Bronze
Click to expand...

From my experience, the NVME drive are fast, but generates a lot of heat than the SSD.. Does your NVME drive has a heat sink or a good thermal solution? This is one of the cause of freezing
 
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Rebel836

Rebel836

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Apr 22, 2020
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Lgodinez said:
From my experience, the NVME drive are fast, but generates a lot of heat than the SSD.. Does your NVME drive has a heat sink or a good thermal solution? This is one of the cause of freezing
Click to expand...

To the best of my knowledge, no it does not have a heatsink. That wasn't something that came up as necessary when I was building the PC. My dashboard reports the SSD as running between 96-98 F. I'll be the first to admit that I don't know off the top of my head what a standard operating temp should be.



Lafong said:
Is there something that leads you to believe this is an SSD problem?

You say "I have tried almost everything I can look up."

Such as what?
Click to expand...

I've run the ckhdsk commands, I've done virus scans, I've tried diagnostics tests, I've tried reseating the drive.

And the main thing that leads me to believe that it's a problem with the drive is that the repair drive during startup happened at the same time the crashes started. I don't experience any stuttering or anything that leads me to believe that the performance of the PC is lacking, it just crashes randomly. It can happen during startup, while sitting at the desktop, during games, hours after starting, seconds after starting, repeatedly or sometimes it will be fine. The only thing that is consistent is that nothing about my performance suffers until it just straight up crashes and the system seems to think that something is wrong with my drive. Other than that, I don't really have any evidence of it being an SSD problem. But I also don't know where else I should look
 
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Lafong

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I would use at least one more temp monitoring program to verify temps are high.

That drive should throttle if temps go above a certain point, probably around 80.

You might be able to use WD Dashboard or other tools to find out if it has ever throttled or what the highest temps ever recorded are.

Have you looked at a SMART report of drive health?

Is the drive mounted in close proximity to a graphics card?

Does your motherboard have another port for the SSD if necessary?

What is your cooling/ventilation situation generally? Number and location of case fans; brand and model CPU cooler? You have said nothing about it.

Case brand and model?

What are temps 3 minutes after startup, just idling at the desktop, doing NOTHING, looking at 2 different temp monitoring programs?

Normal expectations on an NVMe should be under 50 for sure, probably 40-ish...ASSUMING you have average cooling.
 
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Rebel836

Rebel836

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Apr 22, 2020
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Lafong said:
I would use at least one more temp monitoring program to verify temps are high.

That drive should throttle if temps go above a certain point, probably around 80.

You might be able to use WD Dashboard or other tools to find out if it has ever throttled or what the highest temps ever recorded are.

Have you looked at a SMART report of drive health?

Is the drive mounted in close proximity to a graphics card?

Does your motherboard have another port for the SSD if necessary?

What is your cooling/ventilation situation generally? Number and location of case fans; brand and model CPU cooler? You have said nothing about it.

Case brand and model?

What are temps 3 minutes after startup, just idling at the desktop, doing NOTHING, looking at 2 different temp monitoring programs?

Normal expectations on an NVMe should be under 50 for sure, probably 40-ish...ASSUMING you have average cooling.
Click to expand...

I downloaded crystaldisk and I'm using the WD Dashboard. Both report around 98 degrees Farenheit or 37c

I don't know where to pull up a report but the highest temp recorded according to WD Dashboard was 100F

Both programs report the drive health at 96%

Yes the drive is mounted just above the GPU

No I don't see another port for an nvme SSD

I have 2 fans in the front of the case for intake and a single fan in the rear for exhaust just above the GPU. There are more slots for fans on the roof of the case if necessary but I haven't noticed an overheating issue with any other hardware. The CPU cooler is the cooler that came with the CPU labeled as a "Wraith Stealth Cooler"

The case is a Corsair Carbide 270R mid tower

The temp idling at the desktop using both the WD Dashboard and CrystalDisk is 37c

https://imgur.com/a/VmtnQXn
View: https://imgur.com/a/VmtnQXn
 
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Rebel836

Rebel836

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Lafong said:
No temp worries.

C rather than F confusion.

F is normally not used.

Pay attention to C.

80 F is about 27 C
Click to expand...

Fair enough. I knew I should have converted. If it was 98c I'm sure my pc would be a puddle at this point lol.

Is there any reason to believe that it might be something else causing issues?
 
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Lafong

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I don't see anything highly unusual there.

I'd guess the drive is about 2 to 3 years old?

And it is running most of the time you are awake?

You are writing about 10 gb per hour of operation (61997/6098).

That's about 62 TB, certainly higher than most people would write.

But the drive has a TBW of 600. 20 or 30 TB a year is not outlandish.

I'd guess your problem resides elsewhere.
 
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Rebel836

Rebel836

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I made it in 2020 so yeah. I am on it a lot so that doesn't really surprise me.

So if that isn't the issue, what else could cause this? I should have plenty of power. I hope it's not the mobo.
 
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Lafong

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Intermittent problems are a major pain.

Maybe others can comment.

The SMART report wouldn't eliminate the SSD as a possibility, but moves it down the list.

Try running sfc /scannow from an administrator's command prompt. That might pick up and repair some corrupt system files.

Is this a single drive system?

Bad RAM?

I'd test RAM using memtest 86.

Maybe let it run overnight...10 or more passes.

Haven't used it in a while. I think you need to put it on a USB stick.

Other possibilities:

Software/malware/non-hardware; a rathole, maybe look at it later?

Other hardware failing:

Power supply; possible, but not at the top of the list right now and not easily diagnosed without test equipment. I'm guessing you don't have a spare.

Motherboard; certainly possible, but usually inferred if not obvious and diagnosed by process of exclusion if you don't have a lot of tools and knowledge.
 
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Rebel836

Rebel836

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Apr 22, 2020
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I have done that command before around the same time I used /chkdsk but it can't hurt to try again

Yes it's a single drive system for now. I'm now debating getting another drive, this one not nvme of course

I'll try the memtest tonight. Hopefully it doesn't crash while running

I have done a thorough virus scan recently using windows defender. Not sure if there are better ways to go about this

No I don't have a spare PSU at the moment

I'll just cross my fingers it's RAM and not mobo. RAM is infinitely easier to replace
 
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Rebel836

Rebel836

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Bob.B said:
Give the innards a good cleaning.
Heatsinks and fans extra clean.
Reseat all plugs.
Test.
Click to expand...

I'll do that

Lafong said:
Hate to see you do that without better reasons.

I don't see any reason to think NVMe has anything to do with it.

Do you have any System Restore points to a time before this began? Certainly could be a Windows issue of some type, but that's way down into another rathole.
Click to expand...

I might have some restore points, though it would be a fair ways back. Still, it's worth a shot.

And I mostly meant that I only have the one slot for NVMe anyway. Though one of my housemates did tell me that NVMe has its share of issues. He may just be reluctant to change though lol
 
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