Specs:
Processor: Intel Core i7-3820
Motherboard: Asus P9X79 Deluxe
Case: Cooler Master HAF-X
Fan: Noctua NH-D14 SE2011
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws Z DDR3 1600 16GB 4x4GB CL7 (Model #: F3-12800CL7Q-16GBZM)
HD: Samsung 830 SSD 512 GB (Model #: MZ-7PC512D/EU)
PSU: Seasonic Platinum 860W (Model #: SS-860XP Active PFC F3)
Graphics: PowerColor HD 7950 PCS+ 3 GB (Model #: AX7950 3GBD5-2DHPP)
Note: All the latest Drivers and Windows Updates have been installed.
Pic of Build: http://i.imgur.com/90l4L.jpg
Close-up: http://i.imgur.com/GIuSo.jpg
Notes:
No major issues during build.
All latest Drivers and Windows Updates have been installed
---
Turning On First Time:
First time I turned it on, got a green flashing screen. Turned it off. Waited a few minutes, turned it back on, worked OK (never had the green screen problem since). Got CPU Fan errors. Read on forum that’s normal for Noctua NH-D14 fan due to efficient RPM, so I lowered CPU Fan Alarm threshold and never got the CPU fan error again.
---
Main Issues:
When it wakes up from from a short sleep, the Q-Code stays at “30” (which refers to the sleep cycle). A couple of times I saw it stay at “30” and then it changed to “80” (DXE Initialization) while still working, but I never saw it go back to “AA” after waking up. Shouldn’t the Q-Code change to normal “AA” status once the computer wakes up and has been used for over 30 minutes? In case it helps, when I put it to sleeps, it goes from “AA”, to “03” (System Agent initialization before microcode loading), and then goes off.
At first, computer would wake up immediately from a short (few hours or less) sleep. But it did not seem to respond to an overnight sleep. After leaving it asleep overnight, pressing the keyboard or moving the mouse did nothing. I had to shut it off.
Now, after installing the last 36 Windows updates, it only sleeps for about 30 seconds and then wakes up by itself but the screen is still blank. If I move the mouse, Windows then appears normally on the screen.
Computer has frozen at least four times so far. Once when editing the Windows Hosts file in Notepad, second time while opening a Youtube Video, third time when running 3dMark11, fourth time while opening a Youtube video again. I checked the Q-Code of the MB when the second freeze and fourth freeze happened and it showed a Q-Code of “30” on both occasions, so it might have to do with the Sleep. When it freezes, the screen stays on whatever it was on, but nothing moves or reacts or changes (neither on the screen nor on the computer itself). It simply stops responding and reacting. When it froze on 3dMark11, the screen was just dark and stayed that way (I ran 3dMark 11 4 times, it only froze on one of those four times).
---
Diagnostic Screenshots:
Fans & Voltage: http://i.imgur.com/ct8cc.png
RAM: http://i.imgur.com/pQbU0.png
---
Underperforming Benchmarks:
1) SSD
Samsung 830 512GB with latest firmware.
Partitioned and properly aligned.
S.M.A.R.T. Screenshot: http://i.imgur.com/ULKf9.png
Crystal Disk Marks: http://i.imgur.com/WPI0O.png
Based on average Crystal Mark Scores from 4 different sources online (see below), my SSD is underperforming an average of -36%:
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1795/5/
http://www.pureoverclock.com/review.php?id=1455&page=8
http://www.reghardware.com/2012/01/06/review_storage_samsung_830_ssd/page2.html
http://www.reportlabs.com/testbed/version1/hdv1/detailssd.php?recordID=128
After doing the last 36 updates on Windows, I ran it again, and it’s still underperforming: http://i.imgur.com/vngtJ.png
2) GPU
3DMark 11 Score: P7187
Full Details: http://i.imgur.com/QKewv.png
---
Based on all of the above, it is clear to me that something is very wrong with my build, which is quite disheartening after all the time and money I invested in it.
Please help me figure out all these issues as I’m way in over my head and have no idea how to diagnose or resolve them.
Building a PC was far more complicated than I anticipated (especially due to the poor instructions in the manuals regarding so many cables), but I thought it was still worth it when I finally finished the build and saw what I had created with my own two hands. Now, with all these problems that my old Dell never gave me (it pains me to say that), I’m starting to have regrets and second-thoughts, especially since I saved up a lot of money to buy top-of-the-line components to avoid precisely these kinds of issues. To be honest, after this experience, I probably won’t be building a PC ever again, but I want to at least salvage this one so that it lasts me at least 3 years.
I’m willing to test, diagnose, and try anything, so I’m all ears.
Please help. Thank you.
Processor: Intel Core i7-3820
Motherboard: Asus P9X79 Deluxe
Case: Cooler Master HAF-X
Fan: Noctua NH-D14 SE2011
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws Z DDR3 1600 16GB 4x4GB CL7 (Model #: F3-12800CL7Q-16GBZM)
HD: Samsung 830 SSD 512 GB (Model #: MZ-7PC512D/EU)
PSU: Seasonic Platinum 860W (Model #: SS-860XP Active PFC F3)
Graphics: PowerColor HD 7950 PCS+ 3 GB (Model #: AX7950 3GBD5-2DHPP)
Note: All the latest Drivers and Windows Updates have been installed.
Pic of Build: http://i.imgur.com/90l4L.jpg
Close-up: http://i.imgur.com/GIuSo.jpg
Notes:
No major issues during build.
All latest Drivers and Windows Updates have been installed
---
Turning On First Time:
First time I turned it on, got a green flashing screen. Turned it off. Waited a few minutes, turned it back on, worked OK (never had the green screen problem since). Got CPU Fan errors. Read on forum that’s normal for Noctua NH-D14 fan due to efficient RPM, so I lowered CPU Fan Alarm threshold and never got the CPU fan error again.
---
Main Issues:
When it wakes up from from a short sleep, the Q-Code stays at “30” (which refers to the sleep cycle). A couple of times I saw it stay at “30” and then it changed to “80” (DXE Initialization) while still working, but I never saw it go back to “AA” after waking up. Shouldn’t the Q-Code change to normal “AA” status once the computer wakes up and has been used for over 30 minutes? In case it helps, when I put it to sleeps, it goes from “AA”, to “03” (System Agent initialization before microcode loading), and then goes off.
At first, computer would wake up immediately from a short (few hours or less) sleep. But it did not seem to respond to an overnight sleep. After leaving it asleep overnight, pressing the keyboard or moving the mouse did nothing. I had to shut it off.
Now, after installing the last 36 Windows updates, it only sleeps for about 30 seconds and then wakes up by itself but the screen is still blank. If I move the mouse, Windows then appears normally on the screen.
Computer has frozen at least four times so far. Once when editing the Windows Hosts file in Notepad, second time while opening a Youtube Video, third time when running 3dMark11, fourth time while opening a Youtube video again. I checked the Q-Code of the MB when the second freeze and fourth freeze happened and it showed a Q-Code of “30” on both occasions, so it might have to do with the Sleep. When it freezes, the screen stays on whatever it was on, but nothing moves or reacts or changes (neither on the screen nor on the computer itself). It simply stops responding and reacting. When it froze on 3dMark11, the screen was just dark and stayed that way (I ran 3dMark 11 4 times, it only froze on one of those four times).
---
Diagnostic Screenshots:
Fans & Voltage: http://i.imgur.com/ct8cc.png
RAM: http://i.imgur.com/pQbU0.png
---
Underperforming Benchmarks:
1) SSD
Samsung 830 512GB with latest firmware.
Partitioned and properly aligned.
S.M.A.R.T. Screenshot: http://i.imgur.com/ULKf9.png
Crystal Disk Marks: http://i.imgur.com/WPI0O.png
Based on average Crystal Mark Scores from 4 different sources online (see below), my SSD is underperforming an average of -36%:
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1795/5/
http://www.pureoverclock.com/review.php?id=1455&page=8
http://www.reghardware.com/2012/01/06/review_storage_samsung_830_ssd/page2.html
http://www.reportlabs.com/testbed/version1/hdv1/detailssd.php?recordID=128
After doing the last 36 updates on Windows, I ran it again, and it’s still underperforming: http://i.imgur.com/vngtJ.png
2) GPU
3DMark 11 Score: P7187
Full Details: http://i.imgur.com/QKewv.png
---
Based on all of the above, it is clear to me that something is very wrong with my build, which is quite disheartening after all the time and money I invested in it.
Please help me figure out all these issues as I’m way in over my head and have no idea how to diagnose or resolve them.
Building a PC was far more complicated than I anticipated (especially due to the poor instructions in the manuals regarding so many cables), but I thought it was still worth it when I finally finished the build and saw what I had created with my own two hands. Now, with all these problems that my old Dell never gave me (it pains me to say that), I’m starting to have regrets and second-thoughts, especially since I saved up a lot of money to buy top-of-the-line components to avoid precisely these kinds of issues. To be honest, after this experience, I probably won’t be building a PC ever again, but I want to at least salvage this one so that it lasts me at least 3 years.
I’m willing to test, diagnose, and try anything, so I’m all ears.
Please help. Thank you.