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Question

Very strange issue on custom built pc, please help

Mar 5, 2015 11:13AM PST

Hello all those who clicked on this post. I have been having an issue for the past 3 weeks where my computer randomly does a full freeze. As in, it completely locks up... Can't use the keyboard or the mouse, no display.

***all pieces of hardware in computer currently***
Mobo- Asus Sabertooth r2.0 990fx
CPU- AMD viscera 8 core fx9590
PSU- thermaltake 1200w toughpower gold
RAM- (2x) ballistix sport (crucial) 1333 mhz (8gb)
Liquid cooler- h100i corsair
HDD- (3x) western digital 1tb
Optical drive - piece of crap
Case- NZXT switch 810
GPU- EVGA GeForce GTX 770 classified

***swappable pieces***
PSU- corsair RM 650
GPU- XFX Radeon HD 6870
CPU- AMD 8 core something
RAM- gskill sniper 8gb MHz 1066

---steps taken already---
-memory check - ok
-defrag HDD
-ran diagnostic - ok
- drivers check - up to date
- bios update - ok
- reformatted, installed OS on all three hard drives, one at a time. Issue still occurs
- swapped out ram
- used one stick instead of 2
- swapped PSU (not enough power, failed)
- swapped GPU (issue still occurs)
-rewired all Sata cables
- made sure everything was plugged in right
(After doing all of this, now my computer boots up, but it doesn't read my HDDs anymore. It can't see any of them.)
This might be a sign that my HDDs all failed... But I'm really scratching my head.

If anybody knows what's going on with my computer please reply... I'd be eternally grateful.

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
"Installed OS" question
Mar 6, 2015 11:18PM PST

Looking down through your specs, there is something that doesn't make sense to me - "reformatted, installed OS on all three hard drives". What is the purpose of installing an OS on each HD? To me, that looks to be a problem in itself. I mean, my main desktop has 3 HD, but only one has the OS installed.

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Or, individually?
Mar 6, 2015 11:25PM PST

If you meant you tried each one, but only used one at a time, then I guess I misunderstood.

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(NT) I meant that I tried each one, one at a time
Mar 9, 2015 2:01AM PDT
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Answer
3 bad Hdd.?
Mar 6, 2015 8:30AM PST

what's the chance of that happening. I would put all my money on "none". So you say it doesn't boot at all or just windows won't boot? But you are able to installed it. I am an old guy so all these GPT and UEFI confuses me and I wonder if that be your problem here.

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I don't think it's the HDD
Mar 9, 2015 2:04AM PDT

Well, first windows would boot fully... But about an hour into usage, it would randomly freeze up. Then my motherboard couldn't detect my hard drives and therefore wouldn't boot up. Now my computer won't even power on. I'm RMAing the motherboard and I'm trying to RMA the PSU

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Answer
System Lock Up
Mar 6, 2015 9:06AM PST

Power supply..?

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(NT) It might be.
Mar 9, 2015 2:14AM PDT
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Answer
Oldart seems to be right
Mar 6, 2015 9:17AM PST

Something in the BIOS settings if the HDD aren't recognized anymore, but with all you've done, it's a difficult guess other than that.

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Answer
lock up
Mar 6, 2015 10:18AM PST

had this problem on a couple of different computers over the last couple of years , each time it was the power supply, replaced that with no further problems, not to say that this is causing the problem in your case,just something to be aware of....hope this is of help....

cheers Michael...

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Seconded
Mar 6, 2015 10:43AM PST

Gotta agree with milt555. Faulty power supply is a strong suspect. Other thoughts: check your temps to make sure you are not overheating.
The drives missing gives us another possible clue. Either the bios/efi settings are wrong, (double check whether your efi recognizes them as Santa or IDE and fix accordingly) or this may be a clue of either insufficient power (a clue again towards the Psu) or a faulty motherboard.
Swap the power supply first. It's cheaper and you can return it if it doesn't fix it.

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Err
Mar 6, 2015 10:44AM PST

Sata not Santa. Stupid iPad spellguess

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I think its the PSU
Mar 9, 2015 2:18AM PDT

Right now, my computer wont even turn on.
My motherboard has a light that tells me if its receiving power, but when I turn on the computer, nothing happens. I think my PSU is faulty and I'm returning it as soon as possible. I'm also RMAing the motherboard just in case.
My CPU temp was a solid 20-45 celcius.
My EFI recognizes the HDD's as Sata. Its always been SATA. I don't know how to change the settings, a lot of what you said went over my head. Silly

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Answer
very weird
Mar 6, 2015 11:34AM PST

you said you did a bios upgrade. did you also go thru the bios - completely ?
bios::
verify that all parts are recognized.
check your start up sequence of choice - usually the first HD. as it may
be trying to read the other one and its not formated to be #1

be sure your drive 1 sata cable are going to the correct #1 HD
It would be weird for all three drives to fail at the same time.
check the power plugs to make sure they are seated in the drives.

you might - only plug in 1 HD. and try it - then #2, then#3 if its one of
the hd's this will find it faster - and - -if they are drawing too much juice - reason for
soured psu. and like others said - how old is your PSU.

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PSU was purchased at the same time as everything else.
Mar 9, 2015 2:20AM PDT

That being said, maybe 4 months old.
I tried plugging in one HDD at a time, but now the computer wont even turn on.
My start up is usually HDD first, but I also have changed it to dvd at times. With my motherboard, the BIOS system is super easy to configure.

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Answer
Drives randomly missing
Mar 6, 2015 6:10PM PST

I agree that BIOS need to be checked but this machine was obviously built to perform and sometimes people try to squeeze out extra by overclocking. I don't see where that was mentioned. As for BIOS, check to see if any fast boot option has been enabled and also see if you can adjust the time allowed for disks to be detected. A disk that doesn't spin up quickly enough can go missing. I used to see this plenty with older drives when starting cold. It can still happen.

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I'm not overclocking.
Mar 9, 2015 2:22AM PDT

I dont have any fast boot options enabled, but you've given me something to think about. Thanks.

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Answer
Some inconsistencies here
Mar 6, 2015 7:11PM PST

Hi, I agree, very strange - and that's just the description! You say up front that the machine randomly locks up - which suggests that it is running prior to the lock-up. Down near the bottom you say "now my computer boots up, but it doesn't read my HDDs anymore. It can't see any of them" - what is it booting up from if it can't see your hard disks? Do you just mean that it gets through BIOS/EUFI? Or something else?

I agree with an earlier poster that three simultaneous HDD failures is extremely unlikely unless they.be been shorted somewhere. I assume they are spread across two or more separate SATA controllers - I suppose it's just possible the controllers are blown but again, very unlikely.

"rewired all Sata cables" - what does that mean, you replaced the data cables with new ones or you took a soldering iron to the old ones? First option good, second option, not so much.

I've not done all the sums but a 1200 watt power supply seems like it should deliver enough but like others have said, it could be getting flaky for some reason. Have you tried cutting the machine back to the bare bones, 1 RAM stick, 1 HDD, the lower power or your graphics cards or if the Mobo has one built in, that one, to see what happens?

Depending on how bad your "piece of crap" optical drive is, can you boot a live CD from it, Knoppix, say, and take a look round at exactly what the system can see and what it can't?

Before three weeks ago, was the system behaving normally? If so, the basic problem analysis approach "What Changed?". I'm as mystufied as you, I think. Good luck!

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Probably the PSU
Mar 9, 2015 2:28AM PDT

-The lockups were happening first. I made some changes to see if I could fix the lockups, then my computer would boot into bios and wouldn't read the HDD's. As of right now, the computer wont even turn on. I'm going to try a new PSU and see if it works. I'm also swapping out the motherboard again.
-I don't think the HDD's have failed. They simply aren't being read.
- I just put new sata cables in to see if it might be the cables. Who knows, right?
-I have cut it back to the bare bones, it still freezes. Even when I swap my old PSU in.
-The optical drive loads cds and can even write to dvds. However, its very old... it functions, but I don't think its a problem. Its one of those devices where if it isn't broke, I wont fix it.
- I've been having issues with it since I started building it during Christmas. I've RMAed at least three parts. I finally got it working, but now its freezing. Once again, I'm leaning with the PSU being the faulty piece. If it isn't the PSU, I'll inform everybody who was kind enough to post, and hopefully we can find another answer.

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Answer
Does not sound strange. Reviews in line with your issue.
Mar 9, 2015 2:26AM PDT