[Jordster]

Hey guys,

I think my PC is a ticking timebomb. Question is, I don't know what is causing it. Here's what my problem is.

Firstly, my specs are:
E8400 Core 2 Duo 3Ghz
2GB DDR2 667 RAM
8800GTS
250GB Sata HDD.
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-945GCM-S2L

Now it started a few weeks ago, when my PC would get really stressed out while playing CoD4 and my PC would make a clicking noise from inside. It didn't concern me too much until recently it's been acting really bad.
A couple of days ago my BIOS Detected no IDE drives, hence asking me to insert system disk. This was strange, and I immediately thought about the CMOS battery. So I replaced it with a brand new battery and all was fine, and I just put all the CMOS settings back to normal. However, when the PC would freeze up, it had to be turned off at the button, and so I did. And when I booted up my PC, it gave me the same error about inserting a system disk, while detecting no IDE drives. Stumped, I just replaced the battery AGAIN with the OLD one, and the computer booted up fine. Now it's been happening frequently, and I can barely play my COD4 now because it keeps freezing while in-game, all the time, and my PC is clicking inside. However while I look at my Vista Sidebar (32 bit) I notice that even though my PC is freezing (explorer.exe, iexplore.exe, steam.exe, and the rest), my CPU and RAM isn't maxed out - with the CPU only maxing up at about 50% and the RAM maxing at 70%. Then yesterday my whole PC froze, and gave me the BSoD, which lasted on my screen for a second and turned off, but my PC would not boot up for about half a minute, as when I turned it on it would turn off immediately? But after about a minute all was fine, and I did a Windows Memory Diagnostic, with no problems found.

It is still freezing up, and I am about to do some tools and diagnostics with the Ultimate Boot CD, and I'll tell you how it goes. I'm tending to think it's the HDD, as whenever my PC freezes, the HDD Busy Light is on solid. Should I look into buying a new HDD? I am currently doing a backup. Also, just to clarify, the clicking is like 4 different tones of clicking, each repeating. And by the way, the HDDis a Maxtor

Thanks in advance.

[Jordster]

Double Post >.<

Just an update, i just got another BSOD and was able to record the details.

firstly up the top it said KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR

Then the technical details were below

***STOP: 0x0000007A (0xC0443E00, 0xC000000E, 0x77035860, 0x887C0C25)*** dxgkrnl.sys - Address 877C0C25 base at 88743000, DateStamp 489b1df

I'm guessing this could also prove it's the HDD due to krnl reading failure?

[Jordster]

Triple Post >

Anyway, I have just ran some tests with Ultimate Boot CD. According to the tests, the CPU, HDD, and RAM are fine. RAM came up fine, no missing sectors or marks on HDD, and CPU stress test went fine. So what could it be then?

[win2kpro]

Go to the drive manufacturers site and use their diagnostic utility. If you have an option for a short test or a long test, run the long test.

[win2kpro]

Also, if you can directly attribute the sound to the hard drive, no matter what the test may say start backing up data you need to save.

[pvc_]

have you tried re-installing the windows? or perhaps running a linux off of a CD? I'd do that to be sure that the OS or some kind of OS setting is not causing that.

[Jordster]

@ Win2kpro
yes on the ultimate boot cd it has Seatools for DOS, which was for seagate and maxtor drives, and no errors were found on a long test. And yes, I will find the source of the soubd tonight.

I'm currently doing a backup and will prob. Reinstall

[Jordster]

I was talking to my friend about my error today on the BSOD and he thinks it might be the GPU on the way out due to the dxgkrnl.sys file?

[Jordster]

You havnt heard from me because my computer is running better than ever? Ive had no clicking nor freezing and i dunno what i did. All i did was run a cpu test, memtest, and a hdd long test?
i'll keep the problem unsolved for a couple more days incase it comes back
Thanks for your help anyway guys.

[RogueSpear00]

I'm tending to think it's the HDD, as whenever my PC freezes, the HDD Busy Light is on solid. Should I look into buying a new HDD? I am currently doing a backup. Also, just to clarify, the clicking is like 4 different tones of clicking, each repeating.

A clicking noise from a computer can be intermittent so don't be fooled. Win2kpro is right, I would back that data up right away and more than likely replace the hard drive. If it's a consistent clicking noise (when it happened) then it's most likely the HDD. The GPU doesn't have a moving part aside from the GPU fan, and if infact that is what it was then something may have been stuck in the fan or the fan was hitting a wire, etc.

The BSODs you are getting don't directly point to the video card at all, the error is just faulting on that file or at that point - hence it giving you the error. But that is more than likely when it attempts to access the file from the HDD, that it's BSODing.

The noise you're describing will eminate from a moving part, and the GPU doesn't have one.

Replace that HDD.

[Jordster]

Hmm, just an update which I think might of been causing it.

My motherboard has to be overclocked to 1033mhz to support my CPU (An option that enables that in the BIOS). Now, while that option is enabled, my RAM is also overclocked to 800. I noticed that this morning, thinking that might have been the problem. I changed the memory multipier from 2.5 to 2, so that the FSB is at 333, making my CPU run at stock while my RAM is at stock aswell, so my RAM is 667. Could that have been the problem? Note while running a CPU stress test from ultimate boot, at one of the intervals of testing the iterations, something clicks from my PC. I still have to find out where its coming from, but when it clicks, it clicks only once or twice..

Update:

Talking to my IT Guy today, the 4 different clicks mean a power error according to my motherboard manual. I'm going to go out and buy a real decent PSU and see how that goes.

Note: when I mean decent, I mean Thermaltake Toughpower 750W.

[Jordster]

Ok i just bought another PSU and now it is not doing it as often, but still freezes my computer and clicks. I'm now thinking motherboard..?