Running Down a Problem

[Dogstar]

I could use some help in pointing me in the right direction. The system I use, while a bit older (think I got it in 2011), has been performing just fine until about April.

SysSpecs:
i7-3820
16 GB RAM
Radeon 6950 2GB
256GB SSD (for Windows/Start-up)
2TB HD
ASUS Widescreen Monitor (purchased at same time as computer)
Corsair 800W power supply
Windows 10
Runs between 36C and 47C (higher end is during graphic-intensive games like Tomb Raider)

However, I'm starting to get an increasing number of crashes/freezes over the last three months. I had Firefox, Word, and Spotify open, and I get occasional freezes requiring a reboot. Random freezes during Tomb Raider (not the newest one) and other games. Critical Process Died errors. Sometimes the monitor just goes black but the computer stays on, fans and all. Very, very rarely the system just completely dumps me out and reboots on its own.

I've done the following: checked the hard drives for errors, running full scans. Nothing. Ran memtest86 from boot. Nothing. Ran NovaBench and FurMark to look for anomalies with the video card. Nothing. Checked the video card drivers for updates. Nope. I've cleaned the inside of the computer and re-seated components to no avail. The fans all seem to be working. I looked for Windows updates dating back to the time when the crashes first started happening, and there doesn't seem to be anything there.

So is there something obvious that I'm missing? Anything I should additionally check? Is my system just getting old and I don't want to admit it?

[Freyland]

With the checks you have done, I'm going MB for a $1000. Do they still have those little silver doo-dads you can look at for evidence of swelling? Its been awhile since I have worked with parts. Also, if you have the ability to switch in a different power supply, it's worth seeing if the problems persist before buying a new board. Typically though, if a PS is causing trouble in "low powered" programs like you described, it should actually turn off the system.

[Smoove_B]

Yeah, I hate to use my usual reason for computer problems, but once again I'd go with the motherboard and bulging capacitors. You can also try a quick search online to see if your year/manufacturer had a noted "bad run". It could also be a wonky power supply as well but I'd be powerless (!) to offer suggestions on what to do there for troubleshooting and/or replacement.

[Dogstar]

The swelling/bulging problem is completely new to me; I'll research that and try to figure out how to test for it. Really appreciate the info and other suggestions!

Amusingly, the computer shut off while reading your responses. I'm not ruling out gremlins.

[killbot737]

After you mentioned the memtest success my second thought was immediately bad capacitors on the motherboard. They may be so small you can't tell whether they're popped or not. Unfortunately given all the evidence everything is pointing to the MB.

Good luck!

[Montag]

Check your temperatures. I have heat sinks come loose before and resulted in random crashes.

[Smoove_B]

The swelling/bulging problem is completely new to me; I'll research that and try to figure out how to test for it.

It'll be a visual. When I had the issue I had to remove the case and use a flashlight to look over all the capacitors. In my situation it was easy to see because they had bulged to the point of bursting. If you do a Google Image Search for "Bulging Capacitors" you can actually see some really good shots of what to look for. The computer I was dealing with was absolutely suffering from the Capacitor plague.

[hitbyambulance]

+4 to bad capacitors. sounds like classic symptoms of such a problem. what's the make/model of your motherboard?

[Kasey Chang]

Now for a long drawn out technical **** for bad caps.

Most MB's use what's known as "electrolytic capacitor". They are those little "cylinders" you typically see, typically aluminum electrolytic capacitors. They have tiny amount of electrolyte inside, thus the name.

There was a bunch of bad capacitors from unknown manufacturers from 1999 to 2007 that affected most OEMs in Taiwan, which in turn affected a ton of major PC makers including Dell, HP, IBM, Apple, etc. Basically, the electrolyte inside the caps were wrong, and instead of transferring the energy properly, it boiled and popped the capacitors. Instead of lasting 5-10 years, it's only lasting less than 3 years, sometimes, only months. There are rumors on the cause of these, but no sure answers, as nobody was willing to admit to have manufactured the bad caps, or how were they sourced. The common theory was they were made by some cut rate clone manufacturers in China who made a mistake cloning the electrolyte solution.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague

With that said, if the PC's old enough, it is definitely POSSIBLE for the original GOOD capacitors to have failed. Capacitors do have a limited lifespan, but typical design life puts it well beyond 5 years of continuous use, but depending on ambient temp and operating temp it can be significantly decreased.

Whether it's worth looking for bad capacitors and perform some DIY repairs... is entirely up to you.

[Dogstar]

Sorry for the delay, but I've been trying to figure out what's wrong with the machine while finishing a final take-home final exam that was due today. I'm writing to you on my laptop, which isn't a great indication.

1. It doesn't seem to be the capacitors. I looked for the signs with a magnifying glass borrowed from a neighbor's kid and a maglite, and there don't seem to be any like those depicted in Smoove's pic. Everything seems... pretty normal; there's nothing that stands out.

2. The board in question is an ASROCK x79 Extreme 4. I did search for it, and it didn't seem to be suffering from any unusual issues.

3. Temperatures have been good unless two separate thermometers have gone wonky. Nothing exceeding 43C in the past three days.

4. Which brings us to this morning, where Murphy's Law kicked into effect. I'm working on my paper, with Word and Firefox open, and the computer seems to flicker (like it's suddenly not getting enough power) and then just kicks off. I yell a bit, especially as I hadn't backed up my paper elsewhere, wait about five, turn the computer back on. It comes back on without problem. I quickly email my paper to myself and continue working. Twenty-five minutes later, and with temperatures around 35C, the exact same thing happens. I leave it off and work on my laptop.

So any further thoughts? I'm guessing the power supply (XtremeGear ATX 800W, thought it was Corsair) now, but I'm a little fried from the paper and the computer issues, so who knows.

Edit: Upon some research, it does appear that I ordered myself one crappy power supply when I first got the unit, as some of the problems sound familiar and it's gotten a number of bad reviews. On the other hand, it has lasted five years (if it's the problem).

[Isgrimnur]

Definitely could be a PSU issue. In my experience, they do degrade over time. My previous issue was compounded by the fact that the PSU wasn't rated high enough to handle the needs, so it's amazing that it lasted as long as it did.

[hitbyambulance]

any way to borrow a PSU from... someone? somewhere? to try out?

[Dogstar]

any way to borrow a PSU from... someone? somewhere? to try out?

Unfortunately not for another three weeks.

[Pyperkub]

any way to borrow a PSU from... someone? somewhere? to try out?

Unfortunately not for another three weeks.

Where are you?

[Dogstar]

any way to borrow a PSU from... someone? somewhere? to try out?

Unfortunately not for another three weeks.

Where are you?

South-central Pennsylvania

Thankfully with my laptop I'm not completely screwed (knock on wood). I've been looking at power supplies on Newegg, and it's a little over $100 for a replacement. I'm thinking I might give that a go. Should it work, I fix my problem. Should it not, I've got a new power supply to put towards my slow/eventual rebuild.

[Giles Habibula]

FWIW, I have had a motherboard go bad without showing any obvious physical signs. A new one fixed the problem, but it took forever to diagnose because it looked so damn nice.

When I replaced it, I examined the old one carefully, and the damn thing looked pristine. Zero bulging capacitors, nothing looked burned, no brown spots, all the leads were perfect. The whole thing was still shiny and appeared as brand new.

I'm not much help, I know, I'm just saying don't rule it out.

That said, if it was me, I'd probably try the PSU first because it's far easier to replace, and could just as easily be the problem.

[Dogstar]

Ordered an EVGA Supernova 750 P2; we'll see if that fixes the issue. If it's not that, I have a decent component part at least. When looking at parts, I was surprised to find out how much power consumption/demands have fallen from when I got this system.

[Cylus Maxii]

Did you open the powersupply and inspect the caps in it?

[hitbyambulance]

#hahaonlyserious

[Dogstar]

It appears to have been the power supply, knock on wood and cross my fingers. Finally got it installed after spending an ungodly amount of time prying loose the main motherboard connector with a screwdriver. Whoever assembled the computer initially thought it would be fun to secure the cable with some sort of bonding substance, which lead to a ridiculous amount of frustration on my part. However, it's been two days of decent running without any of the problems (the flicker, the USB devices not working/recognized, the shutting down, or the crashes). With any luck, that'll be how things stay for awhile.

Many thanks for all the ideas and tips that you guys provided! I really appreciate you guys helping me sort this out.