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

[AB]

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

 

[thegpfury]

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?

 

[AB]

No bulging capacitors that look out of the ordinary. Is my power supply sufficient?

 

[thegpfury]

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?

 

[AB]

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.

 

[thegpfury]

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.

 

[AB]

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.

 

[thegpfury]

Windows 7 install issue wouldn't affect POSTing, so it's probably not that.

Do you have alternate memory or PS to try?

 

[AB]

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?

 

[thegpfury]

That might do something, but I would've thought that it would have shown up with memtest if they were really bad

 

[AB]

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.