KVR Audio

royaldeadman · Post by **royaldeadman** » Sun Jun 09, 2013 8:54 am

Hey hey, let's get down to the bottom of my Pc problems shall we? My eyes are shot from typing all this and writing so I'm just as upset as you are.

Here we go.

I decided to start looking into my computer specs and trying to figure out what is the problem and how I could fix it. Now in no way, shape, or form, am I a computer genius, but with a little help from the community I may be able to pull this off.
Now my computer suddenly crashed while inside of studio one 2, which was very weird. I've had a crash a few times now from various things and the screen goes "BLUE" with lots of words on it. To sum it up it basically says "dumping files, please uninstalled any recent software." Not sure why this happens but it does and I just restart and continue on. However, the second part to this is sometimes when I restart or even just start up my computer; it takes you through the various screens as we all know. At some point it hits a screen called "American megatrends" and it's a black screen with red wording and the information says "CPU overheated please press F1 to fix."
Below is most of the specs for my PC that was custom built by my dad's brother who has supposedly been working on them for year's or is just smart in that sense. He's apparently good with cables and electric stuff. So he built it but I bought the parts. This was about 3-4 years ago now it seems like. Maybe I just need a new computer? Before that let's see the specs shall we?
So I pressed Delete on the start-up screen and got into my BIOS and this is most of the information I wrote by hand but I admit that after most of the writing and towards the end I gave up with getting everything written down because most was set to auto anyways and there was just so many different names and long wording that I got frustrated.
Here it is.
American megatrends. V/02.61 1985-2009
Advanced settings: Intel core ™ i7 CPU 920 2.67GHZ.
Frequency - 2.66
BCLK - 133MHZ
Cache - L1 = 128KB
Cache - L2 = 1024KB
Cache - L2 = 8192 KB
Ratio actual = Value 20
CPUID = 106A4
MAIN:
Sata 1-5 = Not detected
Sata 6 = HL- DT - ST - DVD ROM GH
Device = Atapi CD ROM
Vendor = GH22LS40
PIOMODE = 4
Hard disc write protect = Disabled
Bios info
Version 0603
Build date = 05/19/09
System memory
Usable size = 12279 Mb
AI TWEAKER:
AI over clock tuner = Auto
CPU RATIO setting = Auto
Intel speed step = Enabled
Turbo mode = Enabled
D ram Frequency = Auto
UCLK Frequency = Auto
Qpi link data rate = Auto
CPU voltage = auto
CPU pll voltage = auto
HARDWARE MONITOR
CPU temp = 84 c and 183 F
MB temperature = 38 c and 100 F
CPU fan speed = 1962 rpm = varies
CPU q fan = disabled
CPU voltage = 1.056V
Driver xpert current mode = super speed
And that's most of what I wanted to write down. Really not sure what to do now but I can't have my computer failing on me or I'll never get any music made this way.
Let me know.

elcabong48 · Post by **elcabong48** » Sun Jun 09, 2013 9:16 am

These types of problems can be extremely difficult. Just at a glance, I would say your CPU temp seems high to just be idling in the BIOS. Also, you mentioned you saw a CPU temp error message, so maybe that is the place to start.

The question I would have is, what changed in your system? Did you take the cover off and bump against your CPU cooler or something like that?

Do you have a good high performance CPU cooler or just the Intel stock one?

Is your CPU case completely enclosed or does it have good airflow through it? Try leaving the cover off while booting up the machine. Does that help any?

It could be that over time, your CPU has lost a good "seating" against your CPU cooler, where it is no longer providing sufficient cooling to the CPU. Or it could be that the person who built your machine used cheap thermal paste when seating your CPU cooler and now it has dried up and flaked away.

Are you comfortable opening up your machine and taking out the motherboard? If not, then ask the person who built your machine if he wouldn't mind re-seating your CPU cooler against your CPU. You'll need a little thermal paste to do so. Best to get the quality stuff, it's not expensive, maybe 10 bucks or so.

You may want to stop by your local computer store or an online one and get you a better CPU cooler. If you're going to re-seat it anyway, maybe now would be a good time to upgrade your cooler and put that whole problem to bed.

Afterwards, go back into the BIOS and see if your CPU temp has lowered substantially.

Now if you still have problems after that... have to trouble shoot what you're seeing at that point.

Good luck.

planetearth · Post by **planetearth** » Sun Jun 09, 2013 9:29 am

At some point it hits a screen called "American megatrends" and it's a black screen with red wording and the information says "CPU overheated please press F1 to fix."

Between the BSOD (Windows "Blue Screen of Death") you mention and this, it would appear your computer has some hardware problems--notably, it's overheating.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/25690 ... stock-core

You need to find out if a fan is failing or if something is blocking the airflow inside the case. If that processor overheats, you'll fry it. Then again, you'll have a great reason to buy a new PC if that happens.

Steve

EDIT: Elcabong, you wrote all that while I was researching i7 temperature ranges? Good work!

So, yeah, what Elcabong48 said, basically....

royaldeadman · Post by **royaldeadman** » Sun Jun 09, 2013 9:52 am

Thanks a lot. Yeah it's been doing this for months so I must be lucky my cpu hasn't fried yet. As far as thermal paste goes I don't remember even putting any on. Maybe that should be re- looked at huh?

Yeah I take my cover of my computer case off all the time to just look at all the dust inside. Fans look to be working. The fan on the cpu motherboard is real dusty.

I may need to do some upgrading also who knows.

redplum · Post by **redplum** » Sun Jun 09, 2013 10:24 am

Clean the dust out of the CPU's heatsink (use Q-tips, or something)! And the fan blades.

tomtoo · Post by **tomtoo** » Sun Jun 09, 2013 10:29 am

royaldeadman wrote:... As far as thermal paste goes I don't remember even putting any on. Maybe that should be re- looked at huh?.....

+10

royaldeadman · Post by **royaldeadman** » Sun Jun 09, 2013 10:54 am

Will do.

Kaine · Post by **Kaine** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 11:06 am

royaldeadman wrote:To sum it up it basically says "dumping files, please uninstalled any recent software." Not sure why this happens but it does and I just restart and continue on.

Follow these instructions : http://pcsupport.about.com/od/windows7/ ... dows-7.htm

Next time it gives you a BSOD write down the error and stop code then post it back here. A BSOD is your friend, it's when machine just resets without one most engineers start to curse.

But yeah, it does sounds like a cooling problem somewhere if even if it isn't the main issue... expecially if the isn't any thermal paste involved.

DevonB · Post by **DevonB** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 5:31 pm

Kaine wrote:Next time it gives you a BSOD write down the error and stop code then post it back here. A BSOD is your friend, it's when machine just resets without one most engineers start to curse.

But yeah, it does sounds like a cooling problem somewhere if even if it isn't the main issue... expecially if the isn't any thermal paste involved.

I honestly think the error code is irrelevent in this case. I think it's BSOD'ing because it's overheating. 84C in BIOS at idle is wicked high. I know my i950 is high enough at 59C in the BIOS and 80C under 100% CPU load. If you have a 20C swing like I do from idle to under load, you'd be at ~103C. This is a KNOWN thing with the first Nehalems though. Sandy Bridge is much cooler. The temp between CPU bins on the Nehalem as I recall were all over the board. Some were doing 45C, mine was 59C, etc. 100C was supposed to be thermal shutdown as I recall, but you don't want to be in that territory just like you wouldn't drive your car at red line all the time either. Redo the heat sink, get a GOOD solid seating of that heat sink (the stock one was a bear to get on right) and try again. Otherwise you've got a bad CPU, IMHO.

Also, be VERY careful cleaning out that dust. Get it in the bearings, and you'll shorten the life of the fan.

Devon

royaldeadman · Post by **royaldeadman** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 7:54 am

Leaving my case of has helped so much.

BertKoor · Post by **BertKoor** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 9:20 am

royaldeadman wrote:Leaving my case of has helped so much.

Is the fan on the power supply still spinning? Or is there another fan which should propell the airflow in the case? That one is probably obstructed, halted, or defect, or maybe even boycotted to make the case silent.

Kaine · Post by **Kaine** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 9:51 am

DevonB wrote:I honestly think the error code is irrelevent in this case. I think it's BSOD'ing because it's overheating.

Aye, I agree, and the follow up post above would confirm it.

Would still be interesting to see if it threw up anything useful, if it's been overheating for a while I'd start to worry about other components getting stressed and the BSOD might give indication of secondary issues before they develop futher.

whyterabbyt · Post by **whyterabbyt** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 9:54 am

royaldeadman wrote:Below is most of the specs for my PC that was custom built by my dad's brother who has supposedly been working on them for year's or is just smart in that sense. He's apparently good with cables and electric stuff. So he built it but I bought the parts

.

royaldeadman wrote:As far as thermal paste goes I don't remember even putting any on. Maybe that should be re- looked at huh?

Confused. Who installed the CPU fan, your uncle or you?

Oh yeah, and when someone does get around to sorting out the fan, use as little thermal paste as you can get away with, dont slather it on. Putting on lots makes things worse, not better.

Kaboom75 · Post by **Kaboom75** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 11:26 am

The i7 throttles back if it gets to about 100c if it keeps rising it shuts down your computer at around 110c. It would proberbly look like a blue screen of death then the computer goes silent. My I7 920 is overclocked to 3.4Ghz and gets to 79c only when I've been gaming on a CPU intensive game I can't get it that high with Ableton Live. You can't get the temps from the bios screen as that only shows it after it cooled down a bit and only just been switched on.

CPUID HW monitor install that and monitor your CPU fan speed in RPM and % and CPU core temps. It will save your highest temp and show current temp, minimum temp so you can close a game and then have a look at what the highest temp was.
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

My CPU fan started slowing down after two years then it got to the point where it was stopping then spinning again. My temps went up higher each day.
It was a Coolermaster V8 CPU cooler and many complained about the fans short lifespan.

Replaced the CPU cooler fan with a Noctua fan. quieter and as cool as it was on the first day. Don't replace it with a case fan.

If your fan is ok then thermal paste could be missing.
Some CPU coolers come with thermal paste already on and you peal back the sticker to reveal the sticky stuff before you place it on. The high end CPU coolers tend not to have this they either come with a tiny tube of it or you buy it separately . It has a similar feel to toothpaste but stickier and can be any colour.

DevonB · Post by **DevonB** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 11:42 am

whyterabbyt wrote:Oh yeah, and when someone does get around to sorting out the fan, use as little thermal paste as you can get away with, dont slather it on. Putting on lots makes things worse, not better.

Absolutely. Put a dot of it on about the size of a green pea. Google searches or Youtube will give you plenty of visuals to work with to see the right amount. A little goes a very long ways.

Devon

Bios specs and computer problems