What is wrong with my desktop

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blackjack17

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#270053 21-Apr-2020 09:59

My computer crashes every now and again. There doesn't seem to be any pattern to it. It isn't a "normal" crash like a blue screen or freeze the screen goes like this.

I use the word crash because I don't really know what to call it. When it happens it isn't just the display which is gone I can't save or exit programmes, or turn the computer off through the keyboard I need to power off with the power button

It "crashed" twice this morning and the last time it happened was weeks ago and before that nearly a year ago.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/jQV778gU5vLjR6nG8

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#2466857 21-Apr-2020 10:07

GPU overheating would be my first guess? Perhaps download a tool to monitor GPU and CPU temps and keep an eye on them as a first step?

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Dynamic

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#2466858 21-Apr-2020 10:09

I'll second that... possibly a GPU fan failure. Tiny fans on low end GPUs just do not last in my experience. I used to sell lots of them to clients who's PC did not support twin screens natively, and occasionally supplied the ones with small fans when fanless ones with larger heatsinks weren't available. A very large percentage of the fans seized up within 3 years.

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Rikkitic

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#2466864 21-Apr-2020 10:15

Could be just a bad connection on the motherboard. I have had similar. In one case the problems seemed to be completely random. I could not see a pattern related to temperature or vibration, but it eventually turned out to be a bad ground strap. When I soldered a new connection, the problem vanished. I am only using this as an example of what can happen. Not saying it applies to you.

There is an old TV repairman's trick which is just to give it a whack. Be sensible about it but you might try slapping the side of the case (not too hard) just to see if it has any effect at all. This might indicate a connection or component issue.

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blackjack17

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#2466870 21-Apr-2020 10:21

Using onboard GPU. Running HWMONITOR and all temperatures look fine with temps between 27-40C (the highest being one of the hard drives)

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Batman

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#2466872 21-Apr-2020 10:22

looks like GPU failure but in reality could be anything. if you plug in a dedicated GPU card and it fixes it ...

lxsw20

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#2466878 21-Apr-2020 10:26

Could be bad ram if it's being shared with the built in gpu. If it has more than one stick of ram, try one out at a time and see if it still happens.

timmmay

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#2466885 21-Apr-2020 10:29

Use memtest x86 overnight to see if it's bad RAM. Then use HCI Memtest again over the next night to check the RAM from within Windows - note that you need to read the instructions and run enough instances to test all your available RAM. I've had an instance where memtest didn't detect bad ram but HCI did, after RAM replacement everything was good again. Symptoms were nothing like this though.

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#2466903 21-Apr-2020 10:39

I'd actually be leaning to GPU or PSU issue. I have seen PSU's cause these type of issues, though admittedly usually, with Non Inbuilt GPU's.

sidefx

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#2467084 21-Apr-2020 14:03

Batman:

looks like GPU failure but in reality could be anything. if you plug in a dedicated GPU card and it fixes it ...

Very true, but generally looking into issues like this needs to start at the easiest to test and move the hardest. Generally it's pretty easy to monitor GPU\CPU temps so it's a good starting point. (Also opening the case and watching all the fans spin is a good thing to check at the same time...)

If it's not that then I'd suggest running RAM tests as someone mentioned above, as that's also pretty easy but takes a lot longer.

If it's not the RAM then you might need to move onto looking at PSU and mobo issues - but these are the hardest to figure out (IMO) because often you just have to "test" by replacing them and seeing if it fixes the issue... (At least that's my approach ;-)

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WyleECoyoteNZ

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#2467129 21-Apr-2020 14:57

If it is temps, try using CPUID to monitor temps

https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

blackjack17

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#2467134 21-Apr-2020 15:03

WyleECoyoteNZ:

If it is temps, try using CPUID to monitor temps

https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

Have been running CPUID since the two crashes this morning and they seem fine.

Guess a memory check is next

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WyleECoyoteNZ

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#2467224 21-Apr-2020 17:11

I noticed in your video\picture the hard disk sitting under the monitor(s)

If this is in use, would that be causing an interference?

Also, if it is blue screening\crashing, there is a utility called Who Crashed which might provide some insights.

k1w1k1d

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#2467232 21-Apr-2020 17:21

Why is the reading for Graphics Clocks on 0Mhz?

blackjack17

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#2467304 21-Apr-2020 19:16

WyleECoyoteNZ:

I noticed in your video\picture the hard disk sitting under the monitor(s)

If this is in use, would that be causing an interference?

Also, if it is blue screening\crashing, there is a utility called Who Crashed which might provide some insights.

The harddrive is just sitting there. It is from my media centre that appears to have a failed sata port and I hooked it up to my hardrive reader to test. Haven't had time to put it back.

I don't get a blue screen just the weird vibrating 1cm2 images of the screen before it crashed

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blackjack17

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#2467306 21-Apr-2020 19:17

k1w1k1d:
Why is the reading for Graphics Clocks on 0Mhz?

What should it be?

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