Occasional freezing of graphical output

[B Poot]

I have had my computer a few months now and it has been working well, but occasionally I am getting issues with it locking up. It tends to happen when I have been playing a game for a while, but it is not specific to any particular game. It has also happened during a long Zoom call. The image freezes and none of the keyboard buttons get a response (including the windows key or Ctrl+Alt+Delete). Sometimes the mouse continues to move for a bit. The sound generally continues unaffected, but not in response to anything that I am doing, i.e. the background music continues, but if I click on something that would normally generate an audio response, nothing happens. In the case of the Zoom call, I could continue to hear everyone but the video was frozen. There is no 'Blue screen of death' to accompany this issue.

I have tried turning the monitors off and on again. I get the device disconnected sound, but when the monitor turns back on the image is blank. The only way I have found to resolve this issue is to restart my computer using the power button, but I don't feel like this is a good fix! All temperatures are low, so I don't think it is a temperature latching issue, and the hardware that I have should be able to handle the games that I am playing without any issues. I have played Borderlands 3 quite a lot, but not noticed the issue with this game yet. Also, I have got good benchmark scores, so I don't think that any of the components need reseating etc.

Benchmark Results Leaderboard

My desktop, 2 years old today https://www.3dmark.com/3dm/56730179 Just redone this results down to 20269, link here

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

The games I have noticed it happening include Skyrim, Warhammer Quest and XCOM: Enemy Unknown. With the last one, I have noticed it can be triggered if I am using bluetooth headphones and then turn them off.

My PC specs are:
Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERBOX TD500 MESH ARGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (4 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 Ti - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
2TB Samsung 870 QVO 2.5" SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (up to 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive
1TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2500MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Processor Cooling
Corsair H150i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Keyboard & Mouse
Corsair K100 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, CORSAIR OPX Switch
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/QBfTWfQBYj/

 

[Martinr36]

I'd reseat the gpu and ram and check all connections just to double check

 

[ubuysa]

This doesn't sound software related from what you've said, but post your System and Application logs as described here. There might be some clues in there.

 

[SpyderTracks]

@B Poot that previous error has nothing to do with your issue, that's just a standard root certificate check. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[B Poot]

@B Poot that previous error has nothing to do with your issue, that's just a standard root certificate check. Nothing wrong with that.

Thanks and sorry. I don’t know what this stuff is. I was worried about posting logs in case I gave away information that I shouldn’t, but it appears that I got it wrong anyway!
It is odd how that error always happens at the time my computer freezes. Could it be linked, or is it a coincidence.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thanks and sorry. I don’t know what this stuff is. I was worried about posting logs in case I gave away information that I shouldn’t, but it appears that I got it wrong anyway!
It is odd how that error always happens at the time my computer freezes. Could it be linked, or is it a coincidence.

It's just connecting to azure for encryption keys, it's a standard windows call out.

To disable it, you'd have to disable TPM, but then you can't run windows 11.

It's nothing out of the ordinary at all. It's literally just a request to an azure space that isn't there. So just doesn't get a response. Almost all systems will be the same.

 

[ubuysa]

Thanks and sorry. I don’t know what this stuff is. I was worried about posting logs in case I gave away information that I shouldn’t, but it appears that I got it wrong anyway!
It is odd how that error always happens at the time my computer freezes. Could it be linked, or is it a coincidence.

There is nothing personally identifiable or sensitive in the logs, they are just informational and error messages written by applications and Windows services. They may show where things are failing causing your freezes - but equally they may not. It is quite safe to share your logs but if you're uncomfortable doing so then that's fine.

 

[B Poot]

Thanks for the support guys.

I’m a little unclear on how the logs work. The information that I shared previously (but was rightly deleted) was copied from the logs, so if I share all of my logs, will this information be shared again? Or is it anonymised when it’s exported?

Also, I use this machine for work and have to be careful about what Information gets shared. Would the logs contain websites visited or passwords etc?

 

[ubuysa]

Thanks for the support guys.

I’m a little unclear on how the logs work. The information that I shared previously (but was rightly deleted) was copied from the logs, so if I share all of my logs, will this information be shared again? Or is it anonymised when it’s exported?

Also, I use this machine for work and have to be careful about what Information gets shared. Would the logs contain websites visited or passwords etc?

It's not anonymised nor encrypted because there is nothing at all in there that relates to the specific use of the machine or of the users (no passwords etc.). Here for example, is a snapshot of a page on my System log.....

 

[B Poot]

It's not anonymised nor encrypted because there is nothing at all in there that relates to the specific use of the machine or of the users (no passwords etc.). Here for example, is a snapshot of a page on my System log.....

View attachment 30436

Thanks @ubuysa although I am still slightly confused. My post that was copied from the logs was deleted because it had information about a root certificate, and it was considered a security risk for me to post that information. If I post my logs, won’t they contain that same information on the root certificate, which is a security risk?

Apologies if I have misunderstood.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thanks @ubuysa although I am still slightly confused. My post that was copied from the logs was deleted because it had information about a root certificate, and it was considered a security risk for me to post that information. If I post my logs, won’t they contain that same information on the root certificate, which is a security risk?

Apologies if I have misunderstood.

As above you only need to post system and application logs not security which is what you'd posted previously.

 

[ubuysa]

I'm not even sure that the logs will help so since you seem resistant then don't upload them.

 

[B Poot]

As above you only need to post system and application logs not security which is what you'd posted previously.

Thanks for the clarification. However, what I posted came from the Application logs. I have checked and the error that I was talking about in the deleted post doesn't appear in the security logs, but appears several times in the Application logs. Does this mean that something has gone wrong?!

I'm not even sure that the logs will help so since you seem resistant then don't upload them.

Apologies, I am not trying to be difficult and I appreciate your help. I am trying to be a bit cautious as I am unfamiliar with the logs and what they contain. Scanning down the logs at the times when I had issues, the only errors or warnings that were reported were like the one in the post that was deleted. However, there are other instances where that error appears but doesn't tie up with my computer freezing, so you guys were correct (of course) that they are unrelated.

I don't know if there would be any logs of the issue as the computer freezes without going to a BSOD. I am wondering if it is a driver issue. The problem is that I can't remember when this first happened to try to roll back the drivers, or if this freezing has always been an issue (given that I have only had the computer for a few months).

I welcome all advice but appreciate that it's not easy to do with very limited information. I might call the PCS team to see if they can help.

 

[ubuysa]

I welcome all advice but appreciate that it's not easy to do with very limited information.

That's why we're asking for the logs!

I might call the PCS team to see if they can help.

They will almost certainly ask for your logs.......

 

[B Poot]

I understand why the logs would help, but (and sorry to keep coming back to this) you have asked for the Application and System logs. The Application logs contain the root certificate check, which I shouldn’t post because it’s a security issue. So posting the logs on this public forum seems risky. If I need to provide PCS with my logs then it seems a bit safer as they are the system provider.
I appreciate you trying to help and I apologise for my resistance, but I hope that you understand my reasoning.

 

[ubuysa]

It's your call of course but there's nothing more that I can do here.

 

[B Poot]

Update: Shortly after my last post, some new drivers were released, including for my bluetooth card. Since then, I have had zero freezes whilst playing Skyrim (and I had a whole day of playing at one point). I thought that I was free and clear of the freezing issue, but I had a MS Teams video call on Thursday and I was using OneNote. After about 25 minutes, the video of my colleague froze but not mine. Initially I thought that he had a bad connection, but then OneNote froze. I could still move my mouse, and my video was still working, but not keyboard commands or mouse clicks appeared to do anything. Finally, everything froze and I had to do a hard reset of the computer.

I checked the logs. The freeze happened at 3 pm, but I have no logs at all between 14:45 and 15:15. This is very unusual as there is normally something being logged every minute.

It could be that I need new video drivers or camera drivers? But I also wondered if there is an issue/conflict in my power settings. I have not played around with them too much, but since the freezing issue, I have removed the settings that turn off screens, I/O, harddrives etc after set times of 'inactivity'. I don't know if this will do anything, but it's worth a go.

Comments welcome.

 

[Frogbox]

Heya,

I'm having a similar issue to you, and I have a similar spec PC. I'm in the process of trying to diagnose and fix the issue myself, else I'll no doubt end up posting on here too. I have the same motherboard as you, with an AMD 5900X.

From what I've read, it's not unusual for the AMD processor/ASUS motherboard combo to suffer from idle freezes. My issue, for instance, is when I leave a game downloading, I'll return to my PC and discover the whole system has locked up and is unresponsive. I can still see the screen and move my mouse, but no buttons or clicks register. The only way to resolve it is a hard reboot via the power button on the PC.

My PC never locks up during gaming, or an intensive task. (It does crash on Forza Horizon 5, but I think that's a broken mess game problem, rather than my actual PC).

I've been researching the issue for a long time, trawling through Event Viewer, reliability checker, and anything else I can get my hands on, then I came across these:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AMDHelp/comments/qcdg3w

https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/qb80k7

The proposed resolution is to disable Global C-State via the BIOS. I did this yesterday so it's still too soon to say whether it has worked, but given the above threads, people are seeing a lot of success.

It's simple to do. Enter the BIOS during boot, by pressing(furiously spamming) the delete key. Once you're in, go to advanced, or navigate to the search bar. Search for "c-state", and change it from "enabled/auto" to "disabled".

As to what Global C-State does, I can't give you a qualified answer. From what I understand, it parks your unused CPU cores, resulting in slightly reduced power consumption. Disabling this setting will result in your cores remaining active even when not used, so higher power consumption. Good job we're not in the middle of an energy crisis.

It's suggested that the freezes are caused due to CPU cores parking themselves, and when they're reactivated, they've not received the power they want which causes the freeze. It also explains why the whole system doesn't BSOD, and rather freezes up and allows the mouse to move.

It's wayyyy beyond my level of technical understanding, but that's what I took away from it.

If you're as frustrated as I am with it all, it's worth a try.

No doubt one of the lads here will be able to advise you further on what it means, or whether I've butchered the explanation!

Good luck.

 

[Martinr36]

Heya,

I'm having a similar issue to you, and I have a similar spec PC. I'm in the process of trying to diagnose and fix the issue myself, else I'll no doubt end up posting on here too. I have the same motherboard as you, with an AMD 5900X.

From what I've read, it's not unusual for the AMD processor/ASUS motherboard combo to suffer from idle freezes. My issue, for instance, is when I leave a game downloading, I'll return to my PC and discover the whole system has locked up and is unresponsive. I can still see the screen and move my mouse, but no buttons or clicks register. The only way to resolve it is a hard reboot via the power button on the PC.

My PC never locks up during gaming, or an intensive task. (It does crash on Forza Horizon 5, but I think that's a broken mess game problem, rather than my actual PC).

I've been researching the issue for a long time, trawling through Event Viewer, reliability checker, and anything else I can get my hands on, then I came across these:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AMDHelp/comments/qcdg3w

https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/qb80k7

The proposed resolution is to disable Global C-State via the BIOS. I did this yesterday so it's still too soon to say whether it has worked, but given the above threads, people are seeing a lot of success.

It's simple to do. Enter the BIOS during boot, by pressing(furiously spamming) the delete key. Once you're in, go to advanced, or navigate to the search bar. Search for "c-state", and change it from "enabled/auto" to "disabled".

As to what Global C-State does, I can't give you a qualified answer. From what I understand, it parks your unused CPU cores, resulting in slightly reduced power consumption. Disabling this setting will result in your cores remaining active even when not used, so higher power consumption. Good job we're not in the middle of an energy crisis.

It's suggested that the freezes are caused due to CPU cores parking themselves, and when they're reactivated, they've not received the power they want which causes the freeze. It also explains why the whole system doesn't BSOD, and rather freezes up and allows the mouse to move.

It's wayyyy beyond my level of technical understanding, but that's what I took away from it.

If you're as frustrated as I am with it all, it's worth a try.

No doubt one of the lads here will be able to advise you further on what it means, or whether I've butchered the explanation!

Good luck.

Let us know how it goes, as I'm having similar since updating to 11 on the Berserker, which is 5900x & ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F motherboard

 

[Frogbox]

Let us know how it goes, as I'm having similar since updating to 11 on the Berserker, which is 5900x & ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F motherboard

I shall do!

I had a quick trawl through the PCS tech support listings, and I've seen a few people posting with crashes/freezes, and they were all ASUS/AMD combo. Could just be coincidence, of course, but I suspect there's something going on behind the scenes.