Random crashes and beeps

Lately I've been hearing some beeps from my computer speaker. Usually when playing games.

The beeps are like beep beep beep (3 short beeps) and repeated 3 times. To be clear:

beep beep beep ... beep beep beep ... beep beep beep

Also, after a few hours of playing (Crysis), my computer totally crashes. I mean, it's not the game or the SO that crashes. It's the computer. The game sound keeps looping and I can do nothing but press the restart button.

My PC is 6 months old, I don't think it just can't handle Crysis (2007).

The specs are:

Intel i5-2500
Asus P8P67-M REV 3.0
2x4Gb DD3 1600 Patriot
EVGA GeForce 450 GTS

I've checked the temps while playing the game and, of course, I get high temps but it shouldn't be high enough to crash the system.

CPU Temp: 65-70°C
GPU Temp: 76°C

These temperatures are from nVidia System Monitor.

Any idea what could be the problem? Or how can I diagnose what's the cause of the beeps and the crashes?

Thank you.

UPDATE I've run 1 pass of Memtest86 (took about 40 minutes) with 0 errors. So the RAMs seems to be perfect.

emzero

Posted 2012-02-08T19:13:34.507

Reputation: 573

Is it 3, 3, 3, then nothing at all anymore? Three short beeps is usually a memory problem, so consider running a memory test (Windows 7 has a built-in one) and re-seat the RAM if necessary.

– Synetech – 2012-02-08T19:41:28.163

> I've run 1 pass of Memtest86 (took about 40 minutes) with 0 errors. So the RAMs seems to be perfect. A single successful pass does not perfect make. (I learned that the hard way.) – Synetech – 2012-02-08T23:24:45.053

Will leave it all night long then, but I'm pretty sure the cause it's something else. Maybe the VGA. – emzero – 2012-02-09T00:58:16.997

Does the video flash? some P67s will beep when there is a device disconnect/reconnect like a USB device even? from all the other info already provided, I would probably try the house fan :-) any large fan with the side carefully open, and just wild overall cooling, to see if anything changes. beeps are sometimes like MS errors :-) – Psycogeek – 2012-02-09T03:18:11.020

@Synetech I ran 9 pass of memtest with 0 errors. So definitely the rams are ok. – emzero – 2012-02-09T21:11:46.157

1@Psycogeek I've been playing Crysis with the side of the case opened and a house fan pointing inside and had no crashes or beeps. So it's definitely a temperature problem. What I'm not sure is if CPU or GPU temp. I'll clean and re-apply thermal paste to the CPU to see if that solves the problem. If not, then probably is the VGA and I don't know how to lower its temp. – emzero – 2012-02-09T21:14:01.413

So is it fixed? – Synetech – 2012-02-17T04:07:58.757

Yes, it was the CPU overheating. I did the steps in the accepted answer and now it stopped doing it. Hope it lasts... – emzero – 2012-02-17T16:38:55.727

Answers

9 Short beeps for your motherboard - ASUS (standard award bios) would be considered high frequency beeps while running, which indicates overheating

Reseat the CPU
Reapply thermal paste in a very thin consistent layer (I use the rice method)
Reseat the Heatsink Fan
See if it continues. You may not have adequate cooling. Try opening up the side of the case when playing to allow extra cooling. Check your airflow. Clean off all the dust that accumulates

I might have gotten the BIOS wrong as @Justin Pearce pointed out:

This would indicate bad BIOS. Perhaps you should try reflashing the BIOS. Or, as @synetech mentioned, do a RAMtest.

Raystafarian

Posted 2012-02-08T19:13:34.507

Reputation: 20 384

Where does it says about the 9 beeps? Anyway, you say the problem it's with the CPU. I'll try removing, cleaning and re-applying thermal paste and see if it's solved. Thanks. – emzero – 2012-02-08T19:28:49.230

@emzero 9 beeps is just high frequency. Award doesn't have a 9 beep code. – Raystafarian – 2012-02-08T19:30:22.273

According to the manufacturer website, the motherboard he lists uses an AMI UEFI BIOS, not Award. – Justin Pearce – 2012-02-08T19:36:17.610

@emzero What PSU are you running? – Raystafarian – 2012-02-08T19:36:51.730

@JustinPearce then this means OP needs to reflash to BIOS

– Raystafarian – 2012-02-08T19:37:33.863

I think by high frequency, it means the pitch of the beeps, not the number and speed. Besides, they already listed temperatures, which while high, are not failure high. – Synetech – 2012-02-08T19:38:30.587

@Synetech If the temps were failure high there's no guarantee OP would get accurate readings anyhow. But I've also listed the need to re flash BIOS, which I can change my answer to if that solves OP's problem – Raystafarian – 2012-02-08T19:40:05.863

But does 3x3 count as “nine” (in this context)? – Synetech – 2012-02-08T19:42:03.607

Yes, I also think that high frequency means the pitch of the sound. It's not very high frequency, I mean, they are lower than the POST beep. – emzero – 2012-02-08T19:43:48.933

@Raystafarian I think those beep codes refer to the POST, when you start the PC. I'm not sure they mean the same while running the OS and stuff. I've opened the left side of the case and put a small house fan pointing to it. If it works this way, it's the high temp. I don't want to re-flash the BIOS for nothing. I'll update my question soon. – emzero – 2012-02-08T19:46:50.787

1I don't want to delete this answer because of the relevant discussion, but I've changed it. @Synetech I don't know why it would do 3x3 for memory malfunction, I think it's more likely to be BIOS ROM, but your point is valid. – Raystafarian – 2012-02-08T19:46:55.357

@Raystafarian But if it's a problem with the BIOS ROM, why would it happen during high stress use (playing game)? – emzero – 2012-02-08T19:47:55.403

A BIOS checksum could also mean you need a CMOS battery. Have you run memtest to check RAM or prime95 to check temps?

– Raystafarian – 2012-02-08T19:50:56.100

@emzero, did you try flashing the BIOS? > But if it's a problem with the BIOS ROM, why would it happen during high stress use (playing game)? Heat. Did the fan help? – Synetech – 2012-02-09T21:15:13.473

Yes, opened the case and pointed a house fan to it. Didnt had any beeps or crashes. So I'll clean the CPU and re-apply thermal paste when I have some time. If that doesn't solve the problem, the it's probably the VGA and I don't know how to fix that... – emzero – 2012-02-10T21:31:56.857

I checked several of my texts and none of them have a code of 3,3,3 (well, one of them did, but it was listed as being “Reserved”).

POST beep codes are usually repeated for a while, so I suspect that the 3x3 you are hearing is actually just a 3-short pattern being repeated a few times, then stopping (most motherboards eventually stop making noise after a while).

As such, there are two main causes for a 3-short POST code. One is a keyboard error, but I think the far more likely (and common) explanation is a RAM problem.

Run a memory test to check your RAM. Memtest86+ (figure 1) is popular, and Windows Vista and 7 have a memory test option built into the boot menu (figure 2) and can also be accessed via System Recovery (figure 3). (Press F8 to access boot-menu.)

If you find that you get memory errors. Try re-seating the RAM modules. Also try cleaning the pins on the RAM with a soft eraser so that they can make better contact with the pins in the slot.

Figure 1: Memtest86+

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