Advice for Repairing My Ailing Desktop

[Paulonius]

The custom built I put together a couple of years ago failed last week and I don't have a ton of confidence that the guy working on it has it figured out. The system started locking up and crashing about a week ago seemingly unrelated to any new hardware or software install. It will boot and run a browser, but if I run something that attempts to install software it locks up -- despite the fact that diagnostic on the drive is clean.

Three months ago the cpu cooler started to make noise as its fan died, so I replaced It. Cpu checks out fine. I ran a couple of diagnostics, but didn't see a problem, so I took it in. Repair guy thinks that the power source I used was not getting enough air and may have been surging -- which apparently is a good argument for installing them with the fan facing up. I figured it ought to face the vent on the bottom, but in hindsight that was not so smart. Anyway, he can't isolate the problem either. First he replaced the power source. Didn't fix the problem, but I can see that as a logical first step if it was the initial source of the problem, but not the crashes that might make sense. Next he replaced the hard drive and reinstalled W7. System checks out clean until I tried updating windows and now it's unstable again. Not sure why he didn't do that before he brought it back. My guess is that the board is shot, but I can't get the thing to download a diagnostic to check.

Any thoughts?

If I need a board any thoughts on what would be the right buy that is compatible with the rest of the pieces I already have? System specs pulled from BurnIn below. If you see an obvious upgrade opportunity let me know.

Thanks for your time!

-P


System summary

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 build 7601 (64-bit),
1 x Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 920 @ 2.67GHz,
12.0GB RAM,
NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250,
1863GB HDD,
CD/DVD, CD-RW/DVDRW/BD-RE,
General

Motherboard Manufacturer:   ASUSTeK Computer INC.
Motherboard Name:   P6T
Motherboard Version:   Rev 1.xx
Motherboard Serial Number:   101088720000195
BIOS Manufacturer:   American Megatrends Inc.
BIOS Version:   1408
BIOS Release Date:   09/21/2010
CPU

CPU manufacturer:   GenuineIntel
CPU Type:   Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 920 @ 2.67GHz
Codename:   Bloomfield
CPUID   Family 6, Model 1A, Stepping 5, Revision D0
Socket:   LGA1366
Lithography:   45nm
Physical CPU's:   1
Cores per CPU:   4
Hyperthreading:   Enabled
CPU features:   MMX SSE SSE2 SSE3 SSSE3 SSE4.1 SSE4.2 DEP PAE Intel64 VMX Turbo
Clock frequencies:   
- Measured CPU speed:   2673.2 MHz [Turbo: 2806.9MHz]
- Multiplier:   x20.0 [Turbo: x21.0]
- Base Clock:   133.3 MHz
Multiplier range:   Min: x12, Max non turbo: x20
Cache per CPU package:   
- L1 Instruction Cache:   4 x 32 KB
- L1 data cache:   4 x 32 KB
- L2 cache:   4 x 256 KB
- L3 cache:   8 MB
TDP Limit:   130 Watts
TDC limit:   110 Amps
Memory

Total Physical Memory:   12278MB
Available Physical Memory:   11059MB
Memory devices:   
Slot 1:   2GB DDR3 SDRAM PC3-8500
OCZ OCZ3G1600LV2G
1.5V, Clk: 533.3MHz, Timings 7-7-7-16 (@ Max. freq.)
Slot 2:   2GB DDR3 SDRAM PC3-8500
OCZ OCZ3G1600LV2G
1.5V, Clk: 533.3MHz, Timings 7-7-7-16 (@ Max. freq.)
Slot 3:   2GB DDR3 SDRAM PC3-8500
OCZ OCZ3G1600LV2G
1.5V, Clk: 533.3MHz, Timings 7-7-7-16 (@ Max. freq.)
Slot 4:   2GB DDR3 SDRAM PC3-8500
OCZ OCZ3G1600LV2G
1.5V, Clk: 533.3MHz, Timings 7-7-7-16 (@ Max. freq.)
Slot 5:   2GB DDR3 SDRAM PC3-8500
OCZ OCZ3G1600LV2G
1.5V, Clk: 533.3MHz, Timings 7-7-7-16 (@ Max. freq.)
Slot 6:   2GB DDR3 SDRAM PC3-8500
OCZ OCZ3G1600LV2G
1.5V, Clk: 533.3MHz, Timings 7-7-7-16 (@ Max. freq.)
Virtual memory:   C:\pagefile.sys (allocated base size 12278MB)
Graphics

NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250   
Chip Type:   GeForce GTS 250
DAC Type:   Integrated RAMDAC
Memory:   1024MB
BIOS:   Version 62.92.79.0.90
Driver provider:   NVIDIA
Driver version:   9.18.13.2018
Driver date:   5-12-2013
Monitor 1:   1680x1050x32 59Hz
Monitor 2:   1920x1080x32 60Hz (Primary monitor)
Disk volumes

C: Local drive, NTFS, (1862.92GB total, 1762.84GB free)
D: Optical drive
E: Optical drive
Disk drives

Disk drive: Model: ST2000DM001-1CH164 ATA Device Serial: N/A (Disk: 0, Size: 1863.01GB, Volumes: N/A)
Optical drives

D: LITEON DVD-ROM LTD163 (CD/DVD)
E: PIONEER BD-RW BDR-205 (CD-RW/DVDRW/BD-RE)
Network

Realtek RTL8168C(P)/8111C(P) Family PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet NIC (NDIS 6.20) (Speed: 100Mb/s) (MAC: 00:26:18:95:D2:D0)
Ports

Keyboard Port: PS/2 connector
Mouse Port: PS/2 connector
FireWire (IEEE P1394): IEEE 1394 connector
FireWire (IEEE P1394): IEEE 1394 connector
USB

Intel(R) ICH10 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 3A37
Intel(R) ICH10 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 3A38
Intel(R) ICH10 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 3A39
Intel(R) ICH10 Family USB Enhanced Host Controller - 3A3C
Intel(R) ICH10 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 3A34
- G15 Gaming Keyboard
- Logitech USB Receiver
- Logitech Inc Logitech USB Headset H540 (SN: 00000000)
- G15 GamePanel LCD
Intel(R) ICH10 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 3A35
Intel(R) ICH10 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 3A36
Intel(R) ICH10 Family USB Enhanced Host Controller - 3A3A

[gimlet]

sure sounds like a memory problem. The first thing I would do is take out and reinstall the memory.
Then run a memory test.

[UOMaddog]

Functioning, but then locking up is almost always one of these (in order of most likely):

- Bad RAM (highly likely!)
- Fried motherboard
- Fried CPU (very unlikely these days, unless it's due to a fan failure, which is less a "CPU" issue, and more a "cooling" issue)

Usually what happens with RAM is, it's functional until the bad sectors get read/written to/from and then it locks up. For a fried motherboard, it often works until everything heats up, then microscopic cracks in the MB heat up and expand, either short circuiting or cutting of a circuit that is required causing the whole thing to lock up.

Any of these COULD have been caused by a bad power supply, but usually you can tell "power" issues if you have variations in power supply sound (not just different fan speeds, but more like flickering and stuff like that).

Hope this helps! Start with good RAM and see if that helps (either 1 stick at a time, or good RAM from another comp)

[manwinc]

Hit it with a hammer.

[Paulonius]

I pulled three of the six memory boards, fired up the computer and it immediately appeared to have become stable. I ran the memory test and the boards came back clean. I swapped in the other three and ran the memory test again, again it came back clean. I put the first three back in, all in their original slots, and it was unstable again.

With three memory boards in the system is running stable and I was able to download some of the software that was crashing the system last night. I downloaded the Asus diagnostic tool, and I installed three of six windows updates. For some reason a couple of the updates are coming up with errors. Not sure if that's related.

I am wondering whether my problem could be a motherboard issue that is limited to a connection to one or more of the second set of memory slots?

[gimlet]

you might try adding 1 at a time ie 4 , 5 then 6 after you install the 3 that work.
This might pinpoint a bad "pair" and if you are clean on 5 id say the hell with it and run with 10 gig

[TrailMyx]

SIMM seating can cause problems like that as well.  Often times when a computer goes through a heat transition, it might shift the seating of the memory in the socket.  Simply getting in there and moving the memories around can have an effect.  If the pins or fingers become oxidized on the memories, a trick to fix that is to take an eraser from a pencil and give each side of the board interconnection on the memory module a good "rub" with the eraser.  Probably not your problem since the computer is pretty new, but still a remedy nonetheless.

Windows updates are annoying.  I still have some that don't take, so hopefully that's not indicative of continuing memory woes.

Anyhow, it really sounds like one of those memory modules is funky.  You could probably isolate which one if you wanted to.  Are they all from the same manufacturer, or are they mixed/matched?

[Masscre]

Functioning, but then locking up is almost always one of these (in order of most likely):

- Bad RAM (highly likely!)
- Fried motherboard
- Fried CPU (very unlikely these days, unless it's due to a fan failure, which is less a "CPU" issue, and more a "cooling" issue)

Usually what happens with RAM is, it's functional until the bad sectors get read/written to/from and then it locks up. For a fried motherboard, it often works until everything heats up, then microscopic cracks in the MB heat up and expand, either short circuiting or cutting of a circuit that is required causing the whole thing to lock up.

Any of these COULD have been caused by a bad power supply, but usually you can tell "power" issues if you have variations in power supply sound (not just different fan speeds, but more like flickering and stuff like that).

Hope this helps! Start with good RAM and see if that helps (either 1 stick at a time, or good RAM from another comp)

MadDog hit it spot on with the troubleshooting issues.

Now i am with TM on a possible connection issue with the ram, also you might check and see if the motherboard matches ram into pairs. Some do and some do not. If this is part of the problem then you might be having issues with one module that is not playing nice with its counterpart and during the change outs maybe it got matched up with one that is more forgiving.

[ximan]

The P6T supports triple channel memory architecture; if installing less than 6 DIMMs be sure to follow the recommended memory configurations mentioned in the manual, page 2-11:

#chips : slots
2 : A1 B1
3 : A1 B1 C1
4 : A1 A2 B1 C1

In the BIOS you could trying disabling AI Overclock Tuner, Intel SpeedStep and Intel Turbo Mode, and slightly slowing the base DRAM frequency and lowering the CPU Ratio (multiplier from 20 to get cpu clock speed under 2.66GHz).  Check your DRAM timing settings such that they match the parameters in your system summary (7-7-7-16).

There are a ton of BIOS and chipset driver updates for the P6T on the ASUS site.  Installed the current chipset drivers?  Looks like you have latest BIOS, have you tried reverting to 1303 or 1201?

If you have access to a live linux distro, after setting up the system with DIMMs in slots A1 B1 C1, could try booting into it and see if the same stability problems crop up.  Might help determine if the issue is with hardware or with Windows. If possible test all the memory in a separate machine.

If they check out, and there are problems under both Windows and Linux, then there's also this ominous line in the manual: "For system stability, use a more efficient memory cooling system to support a full memory load (6 DIMMs) or overclocking condition".  Given the earlier cooling issues you mentioned, makes me wonder if the i7 may be suspect at this point (they have an integrated memory controller as opposed to using one on mobo).

http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P6T/#support_Download_30
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCD

[UOMaddog]

Honestly, I'd bet money on one (or more) bad sticks of RAM. If you can't narrow it down, just get new RAM and be done with it. It's not too expensive these days anyways.

Oh, and don't be concerned if Windows updates fail. I've done completely fresh installs of Windows that have had some of the very first batch of updates fail. Most of the time, it's because you downloaded a different update that had to include another update as part of it, then the first update won't install properly and fails everytime forever and ever. Just hide the update and ignore it.

[TrailMyx]

Holy cow, did I just see Ximan lurking from the shadows briefly?!?!??!  *rubs eyes*

[Hoby]

save all your scripts somewhere else beside you computer!!!  SAVE THE SCRIPTS!!! i can;t believe no one said that. lol.

[manwinc]

Dropbox... Dropbox.... Dropbox.... Dropbox.... Dropbox.....

[UOMaddog]

Dropbox... Dropbox.... Dropbox.... Dropbox.... Dropbox.....

You get rep for that!

[ximan]

UOMaddog has the right idea if you really think the memory is the issue.  Might look for a place that will accept memory returns and/or has minimal restocking fee to purchase them from. 

Hey TM, yeah I read new posts frequently, just too lazy to log in lolz.