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My computer is crashing when the CPU is put under 100% load, but not when it put under 90% load.
The components are:
- CPU: i7-4790K (not overclocked)
- Heatsink: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo
- Motherboard: GA-Z97X-UD5H
- PSU: A gold-rated 450 W Rosewill.
- No graphics card.
- 1 SSD and 1 HDD.
I am on 64-bit Windows 7 Enterprise.
I am controlling the CPU load using Windows Advance Power Plan settings, by changing Maximum processor state under Processor power management.
After setting the maximum power state to 90%, I run Prime95 with the maximum heat torture test. This pushes all 8 threads to 100% usage (actually 90% because I've throttled it), and my CPU temperature goes to 95C with 123.5 W of power (CoreTemp 1.0 RC6). The system appears to be stable indefinitely like this.
If I set the maximum power state to 100% and run Prime95, I immediately get a crash. The computer does a hard reset without any error message, automatically starts again, and Windows warns me about an unexpected shutdown.
Doing the last experiment almost always results in a crash (at least 95% of the time). The crash is very fast: If I start from an idle temp of 35C, there is not enough time for CoreTemp to update the tray icon. Compare to the 90% case: Temperature takes 2 seconds to reach 85C, and then about a minute to reach 95C.
Needless to say, unless I use Power Options to restrict maximum usage to 90%, I end up having the computer crash occasionally, corrupting data and leading to loss of work (besides being very annoying).
How can I determine what causes this problem?
EDIT: After updating my BIOS from F6 to F8 (latest), the issue has not been resolved.
Trial and error is the way to go on such an issue, i doubt your going to get an answer that says THIS is your problem. – Sickest – 2014-09-20T04:44:53.630
1First step; update the firmware UEFI if it's not the current release; problems like this; justify trying this solution – Ramhound – 2014-09-25T00:27:49.667
@Ramhound Thanks for the bounty! Speccy says my firmware version is F6, and there is a more recent one (F8). I'll try updating and post the results. – Superbest – 2014-09-25T00:36:44.240
If you just sit in the UEFI settings what happens? – Ramhound – 2014-09-25T20:30:18.067
It could be that the CPU fan is not attached properly, or that too little or (more likely) much too much thermal paste was used. Kind of a long shot, though. – ChrisInEdmonton – 2014-09-25T20:44:53.837
@ChrisInEdmonton - Since he is using a after market cooler you raise a good point. – Ramhound – 2014-09-25T22:33:27.527
@ChrisInEdmonton I could have admittedly done a better job with the thermal paste, but I don't think the thermal contact is poor. Furthermore, the stock heatsink (which was not installed by me) also exhibited the same problem. – Superbest – 2014-09-26T00:42:48.217
@HansRoehrig Comments are for suggesting changes to the question or asking for clarification. You should post an answer if you have a solution. – Superbest – 2015-04-10T20:10:18.103