Wow does anybody know What component is to blame for this strange freezing?

[noni]

Please can anybody help me before I completely give up on this.

It's a Dimension 8400 that at first started freezing randomly in games. ( not every game, for example froze every time in Supreme Commander).

Since then I've replaced memory, video card and sound card ( since the original sound blaster audigy made a loud screeching sound when the lock happened) but

the freezing continued. Then I did a fresh XP install on a new harddrive.

Now it really got a mind of its own and it freezes only after exiting games. Games like Supreme Commander and DMC 4 demo freeze 90 -100 % of the time after exiting

and others like Quake Wars only 50%. The lock up happens about 5 seconds after closing the game and yes its always 5 seconds and never does it lock up instantly when exiting.

And by freezing I mean a hard lock, no blue screen or error message just the desktop with a frozen mouse cursor and an unresponsive keyboard with fans inside the case still spinning.

I tried posting on Dell forums but they couldn't give me much advice only told me to check motherboard capacitors which I did and they're fine.

The rest of the specs are

Intel 3.4 EE
dell mobo
ati 4850
creative x-fi
seagate 250 gb

 

[mpilchfamily]

Well since you've checked everything else there is only a couple of things left. The motherboard is going bad or the CPU. The system is about 4 years old so your about due for a new one. Sorry to hear you spent all that money on the HDD, video card and RAM for nothing. But its time for a new PC.

 

[the unknown]

Why do you think it's hardware? Try a complete reinstall of windows and/or your video card drivers. Maybe other drivers are to blame as well, or a conflict from old installed drivers. Regardless, I'd definitely just do a clean install of windows and go from there.

 

[Roguestar]

Maybe the PSU isn't giving the graphics card all the power it needs. Try using a different PSU?

Originally posted by: the unknown
Why do you think it's hardware? Try a complete reinstall of windows and/or your video card drivers. Maybe other drivers are to blame as well, or a conflict from old installed drivers. Regardless, I'd definitely just do a clean install of windows and go from there.

but

Originally posted by: noni
Then I did a fresh XP install on a new harddrive.

 

[noni]

Thank you for your responses.

@ mpilchfami
Maybe you're right but what puzzles me why doesn't it die already. I've had this for about a year. And I thought hardware especially cpu or mobo either works or doesn't.

I would switch them both out in an instant if it wasn't for dell's proprietary atx design.

@ Roguesta

Yeah same with PSU it's using dell's own design. I admit it does seem like a PS issue but

before my ATI 4850 I had a Geforce 6800 with the same problem.

I just want to find out the cause for this behaviour but sadly I'm out of options.
It's really messing with my head now that it crashes after instead of during gaming.

 

[corkyg]

It may not be your hardware. One of the more common causes of freezing is when two applications try to use the same piece of memory. A good disgnostic tool is to run MSCONG and follow this procedure:

1. Click on the Start menu, choose Run, type msconfig and click OK

2. In the System Configuration tool, click on the Services tab

3. Check the box labeled Hide all Microsoft services

4. Click the Disable All button to disable all non-Microsoft services

5. In the System Configuration tool, click on the 5General tab

6. Click the Selective startup radio button, and Uncheck the box labeled Load startup items.

7. Click OK to accept all changes in the System Configuration tool

8. Reboot for the changes to take effect

9. Attempt to run the application that previously failed

10. Re-run the System Configuration tool and re-enable the services that you disabled in step 4 above

Further diagnosis can be made in the Startup menu. Uncheck all non-Microsoft programs and reboot. Try the system - if it does not freeze, start adding them back one at a time until you find the guilty driver/background program.

 

[postmortemIA]

dell's PSUs are very weak, I'd start from there, especially if you have installed different card than what you gotten in the system.

 

[the unknown]

Originally posted by: noni
Then I did a fresh XP install on a new harddrive.

It was late. Reading comprehension was at a low .
I'm guessing theres no overclocking to report?
Anyways, I wouldn't throw anymore money into solving the problem. Unless you have a spare psu, or a system to test the cpu, I'd just put up with it until you get a new comp. If it's the mobo, you can't do anything about it. If it's the CPU, Dell mobo's are usually pretty crappy, since they limit upgrading. It would be a waste to buy an older CPU at high cost. I used to own a dell too, and I recently scrapped it for parts and put it in my new rig .

 

[mpilchfamily]

Originally posted by: noni
Thank you for your responses.

@ mpilchfami
Maybe you're right but what puzzles me why doesn't it die already. I've had this for about a year. And I thought hardware especially cpu or mobo either works or doesn't.

I would switch them both out in an instant if it wasn't for dell's proprietary atx design.

@ Roguesta

Yeah same with PSU it's using dell's own design. I admit it does seem like a PS issue but

before my ATI 4850 I had a Geforce 6800 with the same problem.

I just want to find out the cause for this behaviour but sadly I'm out of options.
It's really messing with my head now that it crashes after instead of during gaming.

Actually things can be faulty and still work some of the time for quite a while.

 

[bruceb]

You can't overclock a Dell .. BIOS setttings that would do that are either not present or inaccessible to the user.
Dell does this to prevent the normal computer buyer from messing things up. As to the power supply, aftermarket
companies like PC Power & Cooling make units that will fit. Dell supplies are now standard as to connectors as of about
4 years ago, however on some replacements with an On/Off switch you may need to notch the computer back panel.

Either of these will work on your Dell 8400

http://www.pcpower.com/Dell/Di...on/Dimension-8400.html

 

[wideo]

PSU problem.

EDIT: misread OP

 

[noni]

Thanks again to others who added their advice.

I will try a different psu and also corkyg's suggestion next weekend when I'm at home.

 

[noni]

I promised an update and here it is. I replaced the stock Dell power supply
with an Antec Basiq 500 and the freezing is still there.
So it wasn't the power supply :laugh:.

Or maybe I got the worst luck and the new PSU is defective. Can anybody tell me if this is normal for this PSU?

When the power switch is in the ON position I can hear a faint high pitch sound coming from inside the PSU.
I have to put my ear next to it to hear it. Other than this it works just fine.

I also want to share some voltage testing I did for both PSUs. Using a multimeter shows that at idle Antec gives 12.30V on the 12V rail. Under load it drops to
12.22. 5V at idle is 5.15 and 5.11 under load.
Dell is surprisingly good considering its running close to its maximum wattage: 12V at idle is 12.15 and load is 12.11. 5V at idle is 5.12, load is 5.08.

 

[jae]

Originally posted by: noni
I promised an update and here it is. I replaced the stock Dell power supply
with an Antec Basiq 500 and the freezing is still there.
So it wasn't the power supply :laugh:.

Or maybe I got the worst luck and the new PSU is defective. Can anybody tell me if this is normal for this PSU?

When the power switch is in the ON position I can hear a faint high pitch sound coming from inside the PSU.
I have to put my ear next to it to hear it. Other than this it works just fine.

I also want to share some voltage testing I did for both PSUs. Using a multimeter shows that at idle Antec gives 12.30V on the 12V rail. Under load it drops to
12.22. 5V at idle is 5.15 and 5.11 under load.
Dell is surprisingly good considering its running close to its maximum wattage: 12V at idle is 12.15 and load is 12.11. 5V at idle is 5.12, load is 5.08.

Well I wouldve guessed PSU or Motherboard from the beginning. Since you replaced everything else and upgraded to 4850, you might as well buy a new (current) cpu + mobo + ram.

 

[ussfletcher]

I agree, that you should pretty much just buy a new mobo, cpu, and ram at this point.

 

[Jiggz]

Originally posted by: noni
I promised an update and here it is. I replaced the stock Dell power supply
with an Antec Basiq 500 and the freezing is still there.
So it wasn't the power supply :laugh:.

Or maybe I got the worst luck and the new PSU is defective. Can anybody tell me if this is normal for this PSU?

When the power switch is in the ON position I can hear a faint high pitch sound coming from inside the PSU.
I have to put my ear next to it to hear it. Other than this it works just fine.

I also want to share some voltage testing I did for both PSUs. Using a multimeter shows that at idle Antec gives 12.30V on the 12V rail. Under load it drops to
12.22. 5V at idle is 5.15 and 5.11 under load.
Dell is surprisingly good considering its running close to its maximum wattage: 12V at idle is 12.15 and load is 12.11. 5V at idle is 5.12, load is 5.08.



Those readings are not bad at all. Usually, voltage regulation is acceptable up to 3%. It's probably time to get a new mobo + CPU + new rams.

 

[sao123]

not sure if you tried this... reset your bios and do a bios update.