Well, it's now sounding like maybe the grfx card or the driver. Could still be RAM or PSU though.

Try this....




DDU Instructions - Nvidia
1. Get this program, here: https://www.wagnardsoft.com/ ...get the latest version, and save it to your desktop.
2. Get your vid card driver here, use the Manual Search: http://www.geforce.com/drivers ...save this to your desktop.
3. Run DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) choose the "Highly Recommend Option", and just do what it tells you. If it wants to go into "Safe Mode", let it.
4. After it's done and comp has rebooted to normal mode, just double click the Nvidia driver to install. If it want's to reboot, let it.




/e I'm assuming you're still checking your temps. What is your CPU temp?

This post was edited by Ghot on Apr 10 2018 08:14pm

After restoring the computer, Windows is not able to successfully install updates. I’m resetting the install - going to just go through these steps again and see what happens. I am planning to do Windows updates > Chrome > Chipset > Audio and Wireless > GFX driver, setting up Windows backup each step of the way

What is your CPU temperature?

I’ll check in a bit. I BSOD’d while installing Windows again. Restored the computer and it made it to Windows.

I’m going to just take out the 980 again and then reinstall from scratch, and this time not put in the 980 until I’ve got the system ready for it.

I’ll enter BIOS and report on the temp when it resets. I’m very sure the processor is fine - it ran great and never got over 61 degrees when it was overclocked / during stress test. Just checked the BIOS after it restarted and temperature was 28 - 1 less than the MB temp that it reported. Not really helpful since it’s 15 seconds after being under load

This post was edited by Interesting on Apr 10 2018 08:39pm

Good. I just didn't want you to say, "it's been running at 95C the whole time".

Are your voltages, 3.3, 5, and 12v all showing up correctly in the BIOS?



/e This time, when you get to Windows and get the motherboard drivers installed....stop.

We need to test the RAM and the RAM slots.

Use ONE stick of RAM. Try it alone in each of the 4 RAM slots. Then repeat with the other stick of RAM.
We are looking for which stick in which slot, may be causing your BSOD/freezing issues.

/ee I assume you realize, that you need to shut the computer off, for each RAM stick in each slot. You don't want to be changing them with the power on.

This post was edited by Ghot on Apr 10 2018 09:06pm

Reset and installed windows without GFX. Got to Windows - had a BSOD - reloaded and it froze.

I removed one stick of RAM (prior to reading your most recent post) and am resetting Windows again.

How do you want me to test the RAM - should I use a certain program each time I move the RAM / load?

By the way... my cpu cooler blocks the A1 RAM slot. I’ve been using A2-B2

UPDATE - with the A2 RAM only, just got another BSOD while reinstalling Windows... clock watchdog timeout

This post was edited by Interesting on Apr 10 2018 09:10pm

Try that same stick in the other light colored slot. See if you get BSOD or freeze.

Then try the other stick of RAM in the A2 and B2 slots...looking for BSOD or freeze.


If you get BSOD or freeze on both sticks (separately) in either slot, then try the B1 slot.

This post was edited by Ghot on Apr 10 2018 09:20pm

Voltages are the following [all set on auto in default BIOS]

CPU Core/Cache: 1.008V
DRAM: 1.200V
CPU VCCIO: .968V
CPU System Agent Voltage: 1.080V
CPU Graphics Voltage: .032V
PCH Core Voltage: 1.024V
CPU Standby Voltage: 1.004V

The Hardware Monitor shows 12V at 12.000V to 12.096, 5V at 5.000, and the 3.3V at 3.344

Yeah, I was just concerned with the PSU voltages. It seems the Bitfenix power supplies have a decent rating.
The other voltages really don't matter at this point. With the BIOS set to defaults, the BIOS should not affect things like BSOD or freezing.

/e With the vid card NOT installed, the problem pretty much has to be... RAM, RAM slot or motherboard.



/ee There is a test specifically for the RAM, but it takes a while. We are trying to look for gross RAM or RAM slot errors, by swapping sticks and slots.

The RAM software test is Memtest: https://www.memtest86.com/download.htm ...but if we find a bad slot, there really isn't any point in running Memtest.

This post was edited by Ghot on Apr 10 2018 09:46pm

I had pretty good success without the GFX card until I installed put in the GFX card and installed the drivers again. Just to be sure, I’ll take out the card and reinstall Windows, etc., again. Then I’ll do the GFX card and drivers again. I’ve been doing the manual searches for the right GFX driver already.

Maybe I’ll try installing an earlier driver instead of the latest

If I go through everything and don’t have any issues until putting in the GFX Card, I think we have the culprit. Unfortunately, GFX cards are expensive :/

This post was edited by Interesting on Apr 11 2018 12:06am