SO many blue screens that I'm seeing red

[RagePoweredGamer]

Okay, after screaming and spending money, I remembered I have this amazing website at my disposal. I'll keep this as short as possible. 

My computer is bluescreening. Was once per day, now it's averaging once every hour of use (sometimes 3 times in 20 minutes, sometimes after 3 hours)

I'm getting the dreaded "WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR" message, and nothing else, which doesn't help me in Googling around.

This isn't just a bluescreen, like I've had before. EVERYTHING dies. Audio glitches out and freezes, keyboard animations stop, all RGB lighting grinds to a halt, cursor doesn't move, volume won't adjust, LITERALLY everything is inoperable.

It happens most often when I'm opening something, like a new Chrome tab loading a site (I always have a couple in the background with other things)

When I boot my computer, I need to wait for the CPU to go to the idling 1% before I open things. If it crashes, and I start up restoring my Chrome tabs and reopening Steam or whatever else I'm using at the time, it WILL crash while trying to load these things and start the process over.

Sometimes it happens in the middle of just watching YouTube, nothing clicked for several minutes. 

I've tried to trigger it to narrow it down. Ran a RAM stress test, a CPU stress test, tried opening 20 YouTube tabs of 10 hour music loops and dragging them around to have them all displayed. I can max out resources and it won't happen. But when I gave up and closed all the tabs, boom, crash.

I just bought new RAM today, which in ALL tests did nothing to help the issue. 

There's more I could say, but I'll wait if anything else is called into question.

 

 

TL;DR

 

I'm getting a useless error message, here's my specs
Windows 10 (completely up to date on everything)
-OS - 64 bit installation
   -Was Windows 8.1, but been 10 for as long as it was available

-Built in 2014-15
-I do not believe there has been any reinstalls
-CPU- Intel 4790K (4.7 GHz) identical numbers as the overclock guide on the LTT channel
-CPU cooler - Noctua ND-H15

-RAM - 32 GB (16 original, 16 from today) G.skill Ripjaws 1600 MHz DDR3
-GPU - MSI GTX 970
-MOBO - ASUS z97-E
-PSU - Corsair 750 watt
-Desktop (if it wasn't obvious)
THANK YOU ALL IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIME. YOU'RE AWESOME.

SysnativeFileCollectionApp.zip

[Crunchy Dragon]

How much do you care about your data? I would try reinstalling Windows and seeing if it fixes the problem.

[DrMacintosh]

Windows 8-> 10 upgrade is probably the perp. 

 

Try reinstalling Windows.

[RagePoweredGamer]

5 minutes ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

How much do you care about your data? I would try reinstalling Windows and seeing if it fixes the problem.

My data is the main reason I avoid as much as possible that alters it. When I lost all my mouse macros and wallpaper details (wallpaper engine from steam), I just about ripped my hair out. Redoing settings and files would be worse than needing a new computer, just because I know I still have everything but could never have it perfect again.

5 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

Windows 8-> 10 upgrade is probably the perp. 

 

Try reinstalling Windows.

It's been Windows 10 for something like 3 years now. 

[ApolloX75]

Have you tried reducing your overclock or upping your vcore a bit? That'd be my first step in troubleshooting.

[RagePoweredGamer]

Just now, ApolloX75 said:

Have you tried reducing your overclock or upping your vcore a bit? That'd be my first step in troubleshooting.

I have not messed with CPU settings. I tried a CPU stress test or 3, with the youtube videos AND the CPU/RAM tests going, it was maxed out all the way and my computer was running like a 2001 IDE with XP on it, but no crash, so I assumed it was fine.

[ApolloX75]

Just now, ragepoweredgamer said:

I have not messed with CPU settings. I tried a CPU stress test or 3, with the youtube videos AND the CPU/RAM tests going, it was maxed out all the way and my computer was running like a 2001 IDE with XP on it, but no crash, so I assumed it was fine.

What stress test did you try? OCCT, Prime, CPU-Z? How long did you run the test for? It takes more than a few minutes to determine. And sometimes an overclock can be stable in stress tests but not in real world for some reason.

[Windows7ge]

I've been dealing with this exact error code for a long time. WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR means there has been a hardware error that it couldn't correct.

 

My issue was PCI_e/GPU related though this error could mean any component.

[RagePoweredGamer]

9 minutes ago, ApolloX75 said:

What stress test did you try? OCCT, Prime, CPU-Z? How long did you run the test for? It takes more than a few minutes to determine. And sometimes an overclock can be stable in stress tests but not in real world for some reason.

I ran the RAM stress test and the CPU stress test in Intel Xtreme Tuning Utility, and during each one, opened 10 separate tabs playing youtube videos splayed across all my monitors. Ran fine for 5 minutes. Not long, I know. Later that day, just trying to watch Game Grumps, and it crashed in the middle of a video, nothing else going on on the computer, sitting at 20% usage.

[ApolloX75]

12 minutes ago, ragepoweredgamer said:

I ran the RAM stress test and the CPU stress test in Intel Xtreme Tuning Utility, and during each one, opened 10 separate tabs playing youtube videos splayed across all my monitors. Ran fine for 5 minutes. Not long, I know. Later that day, just trying to watch Game Grumps, and it crashed in the middle of a video, nothing else going on on the computer, sitting at 20% usage.

Try using OCCT and Cinebench. Both are hefty loads and work wonders for finding stability issues. I hesitate recommending Prime95 as well, but it does work with it's brute force approach.

[RagePoweredGamer]

1 minute ago, ApolloX75 said:

Try using OCCT and Cinebench. Both are hefty loads and work wonders for finding stability issues. I hesitate recommending Prime95 as well, but it does work with it's brute force approach.

I have Cinebench. Running it now.

[RagePoweredGamer]

11 minutes ago, ApolloX75 said:

Try using OCCT and Cinebench. Both are hefty loads and work wonders for finding stability issues. I hesitate recommending Prime95 as well, but it does work with it's brute force approach.

Okay. Cinebench crashed and BSOD on the first pass, but I had 35% usage with Chrome alone before I started. Ran again after reboot without Chrome open, no issues.

[ApolloX75]

16 minutes ago, ragepoweredgamer said:

Okay. Cinebench crashed and BSOD on the first pass, but I had 35% usage with Chrome alone before I started. Ran again after reboot without Chrome open, no issues.

The randomness is puzzling. Maybe try saving your overclock profile in the BIOS so you can recall the settings and then setting everything back to stock for a test? Or just drop your speed to 4.6. I'm still convinced it's your overclock giving you the errors and crashes at this point until we eliminate it.

[0x1e]

2 hours ago, ApolloX75 said:

The randomness is puzzling. Maybe try saving your overclock profile in the BIOS so you can recall the settings and then setting everything back to stock for a test? Or just drop your speed to 4.6. I'm still convinced it's your overclock giving you the errors and crashes at this point until we eliminate it.

I agree.
I would save the bios setting in a profile and use stock settings and go from there.

When trouble shooting you always use stock settings as it's the quickest and easiest thing to test and eliminate.
Once you find the problem and fix it then you just reload your saved bios and be on with your day.

[RagePoweredGamer]

7 hours ago, 0x1e said:

I agree.
I would save the bios setting in a profile and use stock settings and go from there.

When trouble shooting you always use stock settings as it's the quickest and easiest thing to test and eliminate.
Once you find the problem and fix it then you just reload your saved bios and be on with your day.

 

10 hours ago, ApolloX75 said:

The randomness is puzzling. Maybe try saving your overclock profile in the BIOS so you can recall the settings and then setting everything back to stock for a test? Or just drop your speed to 4.6. I'm still convinced it's your overclock giving you the errors and crashes at this point until we eliminate it.

So, is it common to have instability issues with a CPU that's been running without issue for a few years? Because, as I said, I followed that overclock guide to a T, and when I first built it, I ran every stress test I could find for all my hardware. I ran those things for HOURS, making sure I wouldn't have any issues with it. Would there be a possibility it could be fixed? Say, new thermal paste, or a better cooler (no thermal issues, but still)? Or can I expect to need to reduce overclock settings every couple years?

[ApolloX75]

1 hour ago, ragepoweredgamer said:

 

So, is it common to have instability issues with a CPU that's been running without issue for a few years? Because, as I said, I followed that overclock guide to a T, and when I first built it, I ran every stress test I could find for all my hardware. I ran those things for HOURS, making sure I wouldn't have any issues with it. Would there be a possibility it could be fixed? Say, new thermal paste, or a better cooler (no thermal issues, but still)? Or can I expect to need to reduce overclock settings every couple years?

Yes over time they can degrade. My old 4790k ran comfortably at 5GHz and 1.38v for a long time and eventually couldn't hit 4.8GHz without pushing past 1.4v. They degrade over time just like anything else.

 

Also guides are great but just because someone's settings worked in their case doesn't mean they'll work the exact same for you. Every CPU is different thanks to the silicon lottery effect.

[0x1e]

3 hours ago, ragepoweredgamer said:

 

So, is it common to have instability issues with a CPU that's been running without issue for a few years? Because, as I said, I followed that overclock guide to a T, and when I first built it, I ran every stress test I could find for all my hardware. I ran those things for HOURS, making sure I wouldn't have any issues with it. Would there be a possibility it could be fixed? Say, new thermal paste, or a better cooler (no thermal issues, but still)? Or can I expect to need to reduce overclock settings every couple years?

Yes it can degrade.
My 2500k could hit 5.2Ghz at 1.57V for years.#

It can no longer do 5.2Ghz at any voltage.
It's barely stable at 5.1Ghz, but is now stable at 5Ghz. I've lost 200Mhz over several years. However I expected that. It can happen to any electrical equipment that uses transistors.

[RagePoweredGamer]

8 hours ago, ApolloX75 said:

Yes over time they can degrade. My old 4790k ran comfortably at 5GHz and 1.38v for a long time and eventually couldn't hit 4.8GHz without pushing past 1.4v. They degrade over time just like anything else.

 

Also guides are great but just because someone's settings worked in their case doesn't mean they'll work the exact same for you. Every CPU is different thanks to the silicon lottery effect.

 

7 hours ago, 0x1e said:

Yes it can degrade.
My 2500k could hit 5.2Ghz at 1.57V for years.#

It can no longer do 5.2Ghz at any voltage.
It's barely stable at 5.1Ghz, but is now stable at 5Ghz. I've lost 200Mhz over several years. However I expected that. It can happen to any electrical equipment that uses transistors.

The reason I quote the guide is because I put it through rigorous testing for weeks after getting it, and the video put it within safe boundaries, didn't exactly push the limits of the chip. Considering what I put it through, I'd say it was perfectly fine for 3-4 years. I wasn't aware they could require dialed back settings after a while, though. So far, dropping it to 4.6 hasn't had it crash YET, but I've been on it less the past few days due to a lot of other things happening. (this isn't exactly my top priority when my house's hot water heater just split and needed to be replaced) So I'll monitor it closely whenever I'm on it, and try to hurt it a bit more. See if that helps. 

[aezakmi]

This one might sound weird but I had that exact problem with one of my old PCs, the WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR appeared randomly, after trying everything including DAYS of testing my components from CPU to RAM with even a new PSU and a full format + reinstall I found the culprit: Google MOTHER F Chrome. That was causing all of my BSODs, in a desperate move I bought a new PSU but it wasn't that, I uninstalled it and the errors were gone forever, I bet if I try using the mentioned browser in the same computer right now it'll start doing the same thing, the amount of death screens that computer had made it lose data from the HDD (because of the sudden cuts) all because of the damn browser...

 

so that's my experience with that BSOD

[RagePoweredGamer]

On 8/2/2018 at 12:10 AM, ApolloX75 said:

The randomness is puzzling. Maybe try saving your overclock profile in the BIOS so you can recall the settings and then setting everything back to stock for a test? Or just drop your speed to 4.6. I'm still convinced it's your overclock giving you the errors and crashes at this point until we eliminate it.

I reduced to 4.6 and FINGERS CROSSED, it hasn't given me the UwUindows screen in 2 days. I haven't been hard on it, but I've also not been careful like I have been with waiting to open programs and such. No issues yet!