First Black screens, stalling, unstable OS and underperforming

[thorpj]

http://imgur.com/fJZDjrT

 

Would this be the way to identify if i have the driver?

[thorpj]

this I am not really sure

 

Mine was more of a crude method of backup

 

you may need to know where are your setting files are which means a little know how of the way windows works and that

 

the rest are just my pictures and videos which i just copy and paste into my external drives

 

my method is trial and error as I lost a small batch of files because i forget to copy before I reformat

I tried just copying all files in C drive (except core windows files, because they won't be needed after reinstall) to my backup drive. If i use file history, a manual backup and true imaging, i doubt i'll miss anything. I only use about 70 gigs on the SSD, and the 1TB internal HDD won't be wiped (it won't right...)

[dragoon20005]

I tried just copying all files in C drive (except core windows files, because they won't be needed after reinstall) to my backup drive. If i use file history, a manual backup and true imaging, i doubt i'll miss anything. I only use about 70 gigs on the SSD, and the 1TB internal HDD won't be wiped (it won't right...)

my suggestion if you don't want to format the wrong drive

 

unplug the HDD

 

 

 

I have no exp with True Image yet

 

there are areas which I am not good that is software

[thorpj]

If I'm not mistaken (and again here I am not sure since I haven't needed to do so before) if your registry has that storahci directory, you should have AHCI drivers in your machine. Besides, I think Windows 8.1 should automatically come with those drivers

I've found a way to check if my PC has the drivers, and the AHCI drivers for my MOBO are at the link below. How would i install them, and should i? you guys clearly know your stuff, and this is something i need to be 100% about! 

 

Again, i won't be back to my PC till later

 

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4642&dl=1&RWD=0#dl

[thorpj]

If you change  the SSD to AHCI mode after installing Windows, it will BSOD. If you change the mode of the ssd, you need to reinstall Windows to get it to work properly.

If i just go into the BIOS and change to AHCI, yes it will BSOD

[Faruko]

I've found a way to check if my PC has the drivers, and the AHCI drivers for my MOBO are at the link below. How would i install them, and should i? you guys clearly know your stuff, and this is something i need to be 100% about! 

 

Again, i won't be back to my PC till later

 

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4642&dl=1&RWD=0#dl

 

If your motherboard manufacturer's website has the drivers there, it's best if you download and install them.

[thorpj]

If your motherboard manufacturer's website has the drivers there, it's best if you download and install them.

I gather that is not as simple as running the exe, how do i install?

[Faruko]

I gather that is not as simple as running the exe, how do i install?

 

I believe you can copy the file to a usb stick and just boot off that stick in your bios to install the driver. You just have to use the steps to flash a new BIOS but instead of a BIOS update file in your USB its a driver file. It SHOULD be the same principle

[thorpj]

I believe you can copy the file to a usb stick and just boot off that stick in your bios to install the driver. You just have to use the steps to flash a new BIOS but instead of a BIOS update file in your USB its a driver file. It SHOULD be the same principle

Are you using flashing the BIOS as an analogy there, because if it is more similar in that it flashes in anyway, then i don't want to go near that stuff, because i really don't know what i'm doing in that regard!

[Faruko]

Are you using flashing the BIOS as an analogy there, because if it is more similar in that it flashes in anyway, then i don't want to go near that stuff, because i really don't know what i'm doing in that regard!

 

I believe it should be the same concept yes

[thorpj]

I believe it should be the same concept yes

Here goes, i've got the driver on a USB (formatted it to NTFS) and i'll press f6 during startup

[Faruko]

Here goes, i've got the driver on a USB (formatted it to NTFS) and i'll press f6 during startup

 

I think FAT32 would be better...

[Robert Kami]

Hi there, writing this is going to take a while, and fixing has already depleted my patience, willpower for this $1300 AUD Gaming PC, but i will battle on, for it is my first, and only PC.

 

My Specs are in the signature,

 

I've written a few posts on other websites, and have got my local store to have a look at my PC. they replaced the Mobo in the first month of ownership because of a faulty fan header, and the PSU was replaced last week, but problems persist. I would say i'm approximately halfway through fixing this PC. Its a comprehensive problem, and i'll do my best to fill you guys in. The LTT forum is excellent IMHO.

 

* This PC is 3 months and 1 week old. For the first 2 months, it has been "hanging" (stalling). Windows is very unstable, and considering the power of this PC, it shouldn't be happening! 5 minutes ago i copied a file from my HDD to SSD, and it dropped to 0MB/s 5 times in the 12 GB copy, and while it was going the PC did its typical hangs. 

* The SSD is running in IDE mode on the SATA controller for the SSD. I didn't change it on the first POST, and have been stuck with it. Yes speeds are slower, yes i hate it. But changing it to AHCI mode causes a BSOD, so i can't fix the problem.

 

In the past 2 weeks, i started getting Black screens (meaning power cycle) in games. They would occur after 40-60 mins in a game. If i ran Crysis 3 or Furmark it would black screen instantly. My local store replaced the PSU, And the Black Screens stopped. But that isn't the end...

When i first started the PC with the new PSU, the fan in the PSU was clicking very loudly. It stopped the next day. My PC is sitting on carpet with the PSU fan facing down (i used to have it facing up).

 

The next problem, Underperforming: For the first 2 months after i got the PC built. I could play BF4 on near Ultra at 60fps. The situation has deteriorated to playing BF4 on medium to get 60fps. For the fairly beastly and bloody expensive setup that i have, that's really disgusting. The PC underperforms in other games, but BF4 is the most prime example, which suggests an issue with the CPU. Still i ran a CInebench R15, and got 409. Thats the same result as other FX-6300 and OCed Fx-6100s that i've seen online. Now i may have fixed this issue, by disabling GPU overdrive in AMD CCC. I think its always been on, i thought disabling it would disable any form of GPU boost. After finding that my GPU was sitting at 500mhz core and 1500mhz GPU at 0.950v (idle), but when after disabling GPU overdrive and going into BF4, i upped the settings to Ultra without AA and it ran close to 60, so i think thats fixed that. 

 

The next issue: In my headphones, theres a strange but quiet grinding/buzzing/can't describe irritating noise. I could be coil whine, but i don't really know. It doesn't happen through my speakers. Actually. After listening to Coil Whine here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP73edpQwgc, i don't think it is coil whine, i can't hear anything without headphones on, and its a lot quiet than coil whine, and not such a high note.

 

And the final issues: Mail has started running really slowly. Livecomm.exe gets loads of errors in Event viewer (i've linked livecomm.exe with mail)

 

So the main issues now are: Stalling in windows, SSD in IDE mode, and the noise through the headphones. If there are any log files anywhere, or if theres anything in particular i should look for in event viewer.

 

 

 

Heres some things i’ve done

• I have not overclocked

• I have the latest WHQL GPU drivers

• Temperatures: the GPU doesn’t go over 70°C, nor the CPU over 50°C. I can’t monitor the PSU temperature, and i can't see the mobo temps, but i doubt that they are overheating.

• I’ve read on Toms hardware that PSUs will reset the CPU (aka restart the PC) to prevent the PC from catching on fire. The manual for my PSU confirmed this, saying that my “budget class” PSU will do this (so thats what was wrong with the PSU i got RMAd

• I’ve done a chkdisk, and checked the RAM

• I’ve uninstalled all hardware monitors, MSI Kombustor and the like bar one (i found Open Hardware Monitor the other day, its amazing)

* I regularly use CCleaner

• Mobo is version F5

• I’ve gone through device manager, looking for anything thats out of date

• i’ve downloaded the AMD chipset drivers from Gigabyte’s website. It used AMDs Catalyst Software, and told me that the chipset driver was installed, but it installed/repaired a few other things that were included in the driver download.

• I use Windows Defender

Note i haven't had a BSOD in a long time.

 

 

 

 

So there's my Great Wall of Text. There isn't no TL;DR here. If you have any questions, i'm following this thread (of ****ing course cas i want to get this fixed!!!!!!) and i check my emails approximately every 5 seconds.

 

So thanks in advance, i hope someone has an answer, advice, questions or anything!

 

Also. this thread is a page and a half long in word!

 

TL;DR;

 

Do you hear the headphone bg noise in any of the 3.5mm jacks ?

[thorpj]

I think FAT32 would be better...

Hmm i think your right

 

according to: http://imgur.com/aex2deJ  I should press F6 during startup with the USB installed (i assume USB replaces floppy there) pressing f6 does nothing (nor is there an option shown for it)

[thorpj]

TL;DR;

 

Do you hear the headphone bg noise in any of the 3.5mm jacks ?

I hear it in the front headphone jack on my CM storm enforcer, i'm not sure of the size of the jack tho

[Faruko]

Hmm i think your right

 

according to: http://imgur.com/aex2deJ  I should press F6 during startup with the USB installed (i assume USB replaces floppy there) pressing f6 does nothing (nor is there an option shown for it)

 

Try entering your boot menu to choose which device you want to boot from. I think either F12 or go into BIOS and change boot order there

[thorpj]

Try entering your boot menu to choose which device you want to boot from. I think either F12 or go into BIOS and change boot order there

Ok so im on my mac here (PC is in BIOS)

 

So under Boot option priorities, there are 4 Boot Option # 

 

Current order is: 

1: UEFI: Samsung SSD 840 EVO

2: EUFI: Imation Classic PMAP

3: Sata PS: HL-DT-ST (DVD drive)

4: SATA PM: Samsung ssd 840 evo

 

is there anything wrong there, and is just putting the USB as no.1 wrong?

[thorpj]

Also the storage boot option control is set to Legacy first. To me that seems odd, when UEFI seems to be what is being used. But i don't think that affects what im doing

[Faruko]

Ok so im on my mac here (PC is in BIOS)

 

So under Boot option priorities, there are 4 Boot Option # 

 

Current order is: 

1: UEFI: Samsung SSD 840 EVO

2: EUFI: Imation Classic PMAP

3: Sata PS: HL-DT-ST (DVD drive)

4: SATA PM: Samsung ssd 840 evo

 

is there anything wrong there, and is just putting the USB as no.1 wrong?

 

I'm assuming the no.2 is your USB and no that should be fine

[thorpj]

I'm assuming the no.2 is your USB and no that should be fine

Yeh thats the USB .by thats fine do you mean changing it to no.1 is fine ?

[thorpj]

Yeh thats the USB .by thats fine do you mean changing it to no.1 is fine ?

Oh sorry update here

 

on the save an exit page of my gigabyte BIOS. theres boot overide options

 

i guess if i click on the USB, that'll do what i intend

[Faruko]

Yeh thats the USB .by thats fine do you mean changing it to no.1 is fine ?

 

Yeah changing it to no.1 is fine and if the file is corrupted or anything it'll just switch to the device in no. 2 after a delay

[thorpj]

Yeah changing it to no.1 is fine and if the file is corrupted or anything it'll just switch to the device in no. 2 after a delay

Ok i changed it to boot option 1 (boot overide just took me to a screen saying insert media installation, press any key)

 

it booted into windows

 

I have the AMD ahci exe driver on the usb

[Faruko]

Ok i changed it to boot option 1 (boot overide just took me to a screen saying insert media installation, press any key)

 

it booted into windows

 

I have the AMD ahci exe driver on the usb

 

In that case, forgo that USB and just change your port to AHCI and reinstall Windows 8.1

[thorpj]

Yeah changing it to no.1 is fine and if the file is corrupted or anything it'll just switch to the device in no. 2 after a delay

And i've just extracted the exe to the USB (using 7zip)

 

the following files are there http://imgur.com/YyauSxA

 

now should i try booting with the usb, with those files in a folder on the USB?