Computer freezing

Archangelus · Post by **Archangelus** » Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:41 am

Sorry to bother you guys, but I couldnt think about anyone else to help with this, this is a general problem (wich also includes alleg).

My video card is a radeon HD 5600 series (dont remember the exact model), but from sometime ago, I started having some weird problems. First of all once turning on the computer, sometimes the monitor wouldnt start (and making me believe it was the source of the problem) and everytime it happened I need to turn the computer off and turn it on again a few times for it to work. Then I realized the problem wasnt the monitor itself (coz I tested it and it worked normally), and I noticed that everytime it happened I needed to shut off the pc, unplug-replug my svga cable into the video card for it to work. Yesterday (sunday) the computer would suddenly freeze whenever I was playing a game (happened in all games, different times), and if I restarted the pc, the video card wouldnt work (as per first time), and I needed to shut off, unplug-replug the svga connector for it to work again.

Is my video card telling me its oldy, cranky, and needing retirement, or could it be something else?

Post by **aem** » Tue Aug 26, 2014 2:00 am

Sounds like a video card issue. You might try removing it from the motherboard and plugging it back in. Probably won't help but sometimes can fix issues.

If your motherboard has its own video output I'd definitely try switching to that to see if that works.

Archangelus · Post by **Archangelus** » Tue Aug 26, 2014 2:30 am

I was thinking about doing it, might do it later, because right now, its working normally (and I dont wanna risk it not working later).

Ima buy a backup card, ty aem.

Djole88 · Post by **Djole88** » Tue Aug 26, 2014 2:44 am

Cheaper tests:
1) Check the mb for bloated capacitors
2) Take out the gfx card and clean its pins and the slot pins (you are free to use a screwdriver on the gfx gold plated pins)

Post by **aem** » Tue Aug 26, 2014 4:40 am

I would definitely try the suggestions before buying a new card unless you wouldn't mind having a new one anyway. As I said sounds like the video card, but I am not 100% sure that is the actual problem. I mean I figure it is about 80% chance video card so pretty confident, but 20% chance either motherboard or PSU. I suppose it could even be the cable itself. Never seen a video cable go bad personally, but I have heard of it happening.

privateerm · Post by **privateerm** » Tue Aug 26, 2014 7:08 am

Could be one of the heatsinks for your chipset on the MB... I just pulled one off today only to discover that the thermal paste was dried out!

The computer would keep running if it was started, but would not start hot. . . .

privateerm · Post by **privateerm** » Tue Aug 26, 2014 7:12 am

Re-seat you ram. Gold plated contacts sometimes get oxidized by the connecting pins and will act differently based on the temperature and humidity.

dusanc · Post by **dusanc** » Tue Aug 26, 2014 10:27 am

And clean the heatsinks

privateerm · Post by **privateerm** » Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:30 pm

Ill stress the point. Thermal expansion is the #1 cause of computer failure from hard drives to motherboards to video cards. I have seen motherboards that work only when hot or only when cold. An old friend of mine worked on old DND computers on submarines and his reason for existence was to re-soldier components for the old propitiatory computer components that had come undone over time because of the heating and cooling of said components.

A strong #2 would be those pesky caps. They will go even if you have REALLY clean power, but usually fail because of cheap PSUs. A quick and dirty way to tell a good PSU..... It has some weight. I had one GOOD PSU that you could unplug and plug back in quickly without the system turning off!

Unplug everything except RAM and CPU. Check for POST beeps. Then put in the video card. And slowly start adding components.

Archangelus · Post by **Archangelus** » Wed Aug 27, 2014 7:47 pm

I just did everything (except check the mb for bloated capacitors, no clue at how doing that). So far its working ok.

Ok, its something else, it just didnt started today. Same bullcrap as before. It turn on, the mb logo appears and the monitor turns off.

One thing I noticed and totally forgot to mention. The computer seems to be working, because when I turn it off and on again, the windows pops up with the error message saying the computer didnt shut off correctly.