New PowerSpec G434 freezing while playing games

NWSide77

Have a new PowerSpec G434, I have not updated it to overclock or done anything custom to it.  It freezes after a couple minutes of playing any games.  When it freezes nothing works, can't control+alt+delete or anything.   Brand new computer, thinking about taking it back. 

Ian

Greetings. The first thing we would suggest if it is only freezing when playing games is to try a roll back or clean install of your video card drivers. Here is our guide on how to do that: https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/2858/tech-article-how-to-roll-back-or-clean-install-video-card-drivers-in-windows-10 

NWSide77

Thanks for the comment. I did a re-install of the video card drives, but didn't totally clean them out first (still had the problem after re-install).  So I decided to check task manager while games are running.  What is happening is if the game is set to 'Optimized' in GeForce Experience settings the GPU runs at 100%.  This makes the system crash.  I am able to turn down some of the 3D settings in the NVIDIA control panel (tune them down from the out of the box settings), which causes the GPU to run at about 50% and the system runs fine.   So I guess my next question is, if i clean out the video drivers and re-install can the system run with GPU at 100%?  I was disappointed I had to tune down the graphics.

PowerSpec_MichaelB

NWSide77 said:

Thanks for the comment. I did a re-install of the video card drives, but didn't totally clean them out first (still had the problem after re-install).  So I decided to check task manager while games are running.  What is happening is if the game is set to 'Optimized' in GeForce Experience settings the GPU runs at 100%.  This makes the system crash.  I am able to turn down some of the 3D settings in the NVIDIA control panel (tune them down from the out of the box settings), which causes the GPU to run at about 50% and the system runs fine.   So I guess my next question is, if i clean out the video drivers and re-install can the system run with GPU at 100%?  I was disappointed I had to tune down the graphics.

You shouldn't have to tune down the graphics whatsoever. If you reinstall the graphics drivers and still have to compromise on graphical settings to avoid a crash, something is fundamentally wrong. Do you feel comfortable enabling an On Screen Display to monitor your performance while gaming? I am curious to see if the card is reaching high temperatures and is throttling, or if something else at fault.

I have a quick guide here that explains how to setup an OSD using MSI Afterburner: https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/3077/guide-how-to-install-enable-on-screen-display-in-msi-afterburner-rtss#latest. Make sure you read the disclaimer, I'd recommend testing on a single player game to be safe as not all online games play nicely with MSI Afterburner/RTSS.

I would specifically monitor CPU temperature, GPU temperature, CPU usage, GPU usage and memory usage. If everything looks normal during the crash, we know it's not an issue with throttling or usage, but rather something else. From there, we can do some additional troubleshooting to narrow down the culprit.

NWSide77

OK I ran it. These are the numbers at time of crash

CPU Temp: 42
GPU Temp:72
CPU Usage: 15%
GPU Usage: 100%
Memory Usage: 15%

PowerSpec_MichaelB

NWSide77 said:

OK I ran it. These are the numbers at time of crash

CPU Temp: 42
GPU Temp:72
CPU Usage: 15%
GPU Usage: 100%
Memory Usage: 15%

All of that looks completely normal. You will want GPU usage to be 100%, this means nothing is bottlenecking your graphics card. The temperatures are well below the safe limitations, which means you should even be turbo boosting during this time without an issue. 

This may sound a little weird, but can you try disabling the memory XMP profile in your motherboard's BIOS? Here are some instructions on how to do so:
Step 1: Boot into your motherboard BIOS by restarting the system and tapping F2 or DEL.
Step 2: Press F6 to access the Advanced Options.
Step 3: Navigate to the "OC Tweaker" menu using the arrow keys or your mouse, and select "DRAM Configuration".
Step 4: Locate the "Load XMP Setting" option and change this to Auto or Default.
Step 5: Using the arrow keys, navigate to the Exit tab on the top right corner of the BIOS. Save and exit.

Once finished, go back to playing your games as you normally would, and let me know if it crashes. I am curious to see if the motherboard is training your memory timings incorrectly when the XMP is loaded.

NWSide77

Still crashes in the exact same way

NWSide77

OK so i think the problem was the BIOS settings that come with the computer.  I have been following  a reddit thread on this problem:
https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/eint7b/new_gaming_pc_freezes_within_ten_minutes_of/

Here is the text from the thread (seems like the updated bios fixed the problem for me)

"Update: MicroCenter support just sent me an updated BIOS, and it seems to have fixed the instability... 2 hours without crashes, even with RAM at 3600 MHz.

Here is the BIOS update: https://microcenter.zendesk.com/attachments/token/apOvh1Z60vI3U4OtU5gkgJ8vJ/?name=Z39G4SA1.30A

You have to put it onto a USB drive and use the Instant Flash tool in the UEFI to enable it. Then you can re-enable the XMP profile for the RAM and set it back."

PowerSpec_MichaelB

NWSide77 said:

OK so i think the problem was the BIOS settings that come with the computer.  I have been following  a reddit thread on this problem:
https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/eint7b/new_gaming_pc_freezes_within_ten_minutes_of/

Here is the text from the thread (seems like the updated bios fixed the problem for me)

"Update: MicroCenter support just sent me an updated BIOS, and it seems to have fixed the instability... 2 hours without crashes, even with RAM at 3600 MHz.

Here is the BIOS update: https://microcenter.zendesk.com/attachments/token/apOvh1Z60vI3U4OtU5gkgJ8vJ/?name=Z39G4SA1.30A

You have to put it onto a USB drive and use the Instant Flash tool in the UEFI to enable it. Then you can re-enable the XMP profile for the RAM and set it back."

Ah, sounds like you may have been on an older BIOS version, likely 1.10. This makes sense, as 1.30 improved some of the memory timing training. Hopefully your system remains stable. If you have any issues whatsoever, feel free to reach out, we will do what we can to assist. Thank you for sharing the solution for others that may have the same issue.

NWSide77

Just froze again.  Returning it tomorrow.  I'm done with this PC. 

ninja502

i got one of these too and after 1 level in halo it shut off, i goto bios and see temps at 115 C   , checked the fan setting and put them on full. i booted in bios and let it idle and not under any load it hit the same temps after 12min  .  i took it back in and waiting on an answer now 

there is a G435 model now listed so maybe the newer model fix's it

tech also told me when i dropped of mine there was 4 others of the same model G434 in for repairs 

Ph0b054n0m4ly

I experienced the same issue.  I have the latest BIOS 1.30a.  I went ahead and reset the BIOS to it's default settings.  In a majority of cases, it's best practice to reset firmware/BIOS to default settings after a flash.   After doing so, I haven't experiencing any further freezing.  I've left games paused/sitting for hours, turned game video settings to their highest and have played for hours, and I do Nvidia game streaming to my Nvidia Shield, and play for hours (although Nvidia streaming ramps down some of the graphics settings to stream), and have experienced no further issues.  I'm not going to say the system doesn't get hot, but what system wouldn't at this point?  

Give the BIOS reset a try...I hope it works for everyone and saves them a trip back to the store.  It's a great machine!

nathanwn93

I can confirm after months of having this problem that the solution Ph0b054n0m4ly posted worked for me.  Simply go to your start menu, power options, and Shift+Click "Restart".  Go to "Troubleshoot", then "Advanced Options" then go to your UEFI Settings.  Once your PC restarts into the BIOS menu, set your bios options to default with the button at the top of the bios menu.  I also maxed out my cpu fan afterwords as well while i was there too.  Havent had any freeze ups since then.

Disco_Dan1011

I’m having major issues out of the G464 I just got yesterday. It will not play a game that has to push any kind of graphics. I’ve done all the driver updates, bios update, set bios to default, and even done a windows update. Even tech support doesn’t know what to do. Any suggestions?! Other than me having to drive another hour and 15 minutes to the store.. 

TSPhillipT

Hello @Disco_Dan1011

I see you were working with our Technical Support via Chat.  You also went through a full driver uninstall with the GPU as well.  I am also certain it's a hardware issue based off the chat transcript.  Are you getting any error codes for the crash at all or is it just freezing?  

CharlesK

Have a g435 I bought and it just froze requiring a hard reset. I just switched to "auto" profiles in on my 1.30a bios. Hopefully it doesn't happen again while gaming. 

nathanwn93

I can confirm after months of having this problem that the solution Ph0b054n0m4ly posted worked for me.  Simply go to your start menu, power options, and Shift+Click "Restart".  Go to "Troubleshoot", then "Advanced Options" then go to your UEFI Settings.  Once your PC restarts into the BIOS menu, set your bios options to default with the button at the top of the bios menu.  I also maxed out my cpu fan afterwords as well while i was there too.  Havent had any freeze ups since then.

Shawnre

nathanwn93 said:

I can confirm after months of having this problem that the solution Ph0b054n0m4ly posted worked for me.  Simply go to your start menu, power options, and Shift+Click "Restart".  Go to "Troubleshoot", then "Advanced Options" then go to your UEFI Settings.  Once your PC restarts into the BIOS menu, set your bios options to default with the button at the top of the bios menu.  I also maxed out my cpu fan afterwords as well while i was there too.  Havent had any freeze ups since then.

I have the G434 and I'm experiencing the same freezing problems where a hard restart is necessary.  I've had 10 restarts in an hour.  It freezes during editing on Davinci 16 and sometimes before I can open a single program.

Shawnre

Ph0b054n0m4ly said:

I experienced the same issue.  I have the latest BIOS 1.30a.  I went ahead and reset the BIOS to it's default settings.  In a majority of cases, it's best practice to reset firmware/BIOS to default settings after a flash.   

What does "a flash" mean in this situation?  Is it after a freeze?

Shawnre

Ph0b054n0m4ly said:

In a majority of cases, it's best practice to reset firmware/BIOS to default settings after a flash.   

Okay, you mean after using the Instant Flash tool that someone mentioned earlier.

JS_MC

Hello @Shawnre Have you tried the steps that @Ian mentioned.

Ian said:

Greetings. The first thing we would suggest if it is only freezing when playing games is to try a roll back or clean install of your video card drivers. Here is our guide on how to do that: https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/2858/tech-article-how-to-roll-back-or-clean-install-video-card-drivers-in-windows-10 

Another step to try would be to reset your BIOS settings to default as @Ph0b054n0m4ly mentioned.

Typically, you'd want to try other solutions before flashing your BIOS, as you risk bricking your motherboard and other less risky solutions may work for you.

Let us know if the above suggestion works for you!

Shawnre

LandShark said:

Another step to try would be to reset your BIOS settings to default as @Ph0b054n0m4ly mentioned.

Typically, you'd want to try other solutions before flashing your BIOS, as you risk bricking your motherboard and other less risky solutions may work for you. 

NOTE: If you're frustrated with your PowerSpec freezing while editing video and audio, definitely try this.  The person at the MicroCenter support desk might not even have a clue about this possible fix.  The person told me that my computer could be tested but it might take a month.  I couldn't afford to do that amidst my projects.   Check this out.

Thanks for the response @LandShark and others that provided solutions.  Before seeing your response a few days ago, I finally used the BIOS approach.  I downloaded the latest BIOS file and proceeded with the Flash.  It's been about 4 days and I haven't had 1 freeze.  Knock on wood.  I'll reiterate my problem for those that didn't see my earlier post.

My freezing issue wasn't specific to gaming.  I played a couple of games when I first fired up the computer months ago but my issue began while editing and encoding in Adobe Premiere and Davinci 16 in November.  Freezing began to occur immediately before touching the mouse.  Other times, it wouldn't go 2 minutes without freezing.

I tried updating the drivers and separately shutting down the GPU.  Didn't work.  Tried the rollback.  Didn't work. 
Your BIOS might be the key. 

Ian

Shawnre said:

LandShark said:

Another step to try would be to reset your BIOS settings to default as @Ph0b054n0m4ly mentioned.

Typically, you'd want to try other solutions before flashing your BIOS, as you risk bricking your motherboard and other less risky solutions may work for you. 

NOTE: If you're frustrated with your PowerSpec freezing while editing video and audio, definitely try this.  The person at the MicroCenter support desk might not even have a clue about this possible fix.  The person told me that my computer could be tested but it might take a month.  I couldn't afford to do that amidst my projects.   Check this out.

Thanks for the response @LandShark and others that provided solutions.  Before seeing your response a few days ago, I finally used the BIOS approach.  I downloaded the latest BIOS file and proceeded with the Flash.  It's been about 4 days and I haven't had 1 freeze.  Knock on wood.  I'll reiterate my problem for those that didn't see my earlier post.

My freezing issue wasn't specific to gaming.  I played a couple of games when I first fired up the computer months ago but my issue began while editing and encoding in Adobe Premiere and Davinci 16 in November.  Freezing began to occur immediately before touching the mouse.  Other times, it wouldn't go 2 minutes without freezing.

I tried updating the drivers and separately shutting down the GPU.  Didn't work.  Tried the rollback.  Didn't work. 
Your BIOS might be the key. 

We are glad to hear it seems to be working as expected for you now. Please let us know if you have any updates on this