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Abrupt video signal loss and system lockup. Need your help.

A

AB

Member
Guys,

Apologies if this is the wrong section for this thread.

I am stumped by the erratic behavior of my system. I have been running this setup for nearly a year now without any changes to hardware with only a single re-install of Windows 7 to a licensed copy version. The problems I describe below have been happening more and more frequently now but I am unable to reproduce them. I have run MEMTEST, and Prime for hours without failure which makes me believe that my memory modules and CPU aren't the problem. I have posted my hardware and driver specs as well. Any and all suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

Problem:

1. Often times I am unable to even get into Win 7. I lose video output and my keyboard locks before even the login screen.
2. At times when I am watching video (youtube, hulu), I lose video output as if my computer just went into sleep mode. Unfortunately video never comes back and eventually my keyboard locks requiring a hard reboot. Upon reboot at times I run into Problem 1 listed above.
3. There has been instances where I have gotten stuck at the BIOS post and have not been able to get past the discovery of my devices. After a few hard resets, this works, however i feel like I'm kicking a motor to start. Building computers for the past 14 years, this is the oddest behavior I have seen.
4. There were errors in Event Logs which I have addressed by updating the Visual C++ redistributable package and updating ATI drivers and CATALYST Control Center to the latest version. Still no help.
5. I have updated BIOS to the latest published version.


System Specs:

Core i7 920 (no overclocking)
Thermalright U120E-RT-1366 Air-cooled Cooler
Antec Neo HE 500 Power Supply
Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD3R v1.0
6 GB Triple-Channel Corsair XMS3 3 x 2GB dimms (8-8-8-20)
Primary Boot drive OCZ-VERTEX 60 GB (1.41 firmware with TRIM support)
ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series (512 MB) (no overclock 650,1050)
Optical drives (DVD/HD-DVD/Bluray)
28" Hanns-G

BIOS Properties:
BIOS Type Award Modular
BIOS Version F6
Award BIOS Type Award Modular BIOS v6.00PG
Award BIOS Message EX58-UD3R F6
System BIOS Date 05/11/09
Video BIOS Date 07/22/08
 
Sounds like a motherboard issue, especially since it's not posting correctly.

Do you have any bulging capacitors on the motherboard or anything like that?
 
According to the power supply calculator, you're fine in regards to power supply.

Just for the heck of it, do you have a different video card you could try?
 
Yea I do but the problem is so sporadic that I don't know when the lock-up will happen again. I don't have a way to reproduce the problem; I guess I can put in an old clunker video card for a while but I am fairly skeptical about the problem being the video card mainly because the keyboard locks up.
 
Yeah, those are the worst kind of problems. I've had a similar thing happen twice. Once it was the motherboard, and once it was the video card. My bet is on the motherboard though. Eliminating the possibility of a video card problem by swapping is simpler than that of a motherboard which is why I suggested it.
 
Thanks for the suggestion; much appreciated. I am leaning towards the memory controller on the board, the dimms or the PS but it's so difficult to isolate the problem. The frequency of incidents has increased over the past 3 months which leads me to believe the problem is in the PS or perhaps even my Win 7 install.
 
you're right; I was thinking the POST problem was separate.

Don't have an extra PS; at least one that is any better than this one.

I am thinking of submitting a RMA for my memory; wouldn't hurt to get new dimms right?
 
true. more and more i think this through with you, the more I am inclined to believe it is a PS issue or the board. PS is easier and cheaper to replace; wish I had an extra one sitting around and a reproducible scenario.
 
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