BSOD during FNV may have damaged my CPU : Fallout: New Vegas

» Mon Nov 22, 2010 10:22 am

or the Hyper Tranport link right? which connects the cpu to the mobo. Yes I understand that amds don't have a actual northbridge (somewhat), none the less, my experience with asus mobos (I've owned 3) and 1066 memory suggests the that the mobo is already pushing it's limits with the memory running @ 1066.

and to the OP ....

60 degress on the core is too hot, as the cpu will shut down at 61. The 9950 sweet spot is 55 on the core under load.

My CPU has never shutdown at 61C. My temp range is typically 32-65, averaging around 55-65C at constant load (i can ramp up the fan to get it cooler, but its not worth the extra noise). With the stock fan I used to get 70-75C under load. The 9950 shutdown temp (Tjunction Max) is 115.5C. I think you don't know what you are talking about.

» Mon Nov 22, 2010 11:35 am

Every AMD system I have had has been a royal pile of crap. Either the boards die, or the CPU's.... If they work they require special freaking processor drivers, or tweaks, or way more effort then any Intel system I have owned to make them work properly.

On Die memory controller + High Performance memory almost always means early failure.

Run memtest86 on your system, that Corsair Domi. memory tends to svck badly. Remove all but one stick and see if your problem goes away.

edit: removed intel devoted fan AMD bashing. ;o)

I haven't owned and Intel system since my Pentium II-400 and I've never had problems with AMD CPU's crashing or anything, even overclocked.

» Mon Nov 22, 2010 11:04 pm

95% of the time, BSODs are caused by software-related driver issues with your hardware and not faulty hardware itself. If you are computer competant, you can always format drive (even low-level format to be certain) and install a clean copy of Windows 7. Install all your latest drivers for all your hardware based on your system and then go from there. Before doing the install, make sure your OC is removed, and run your BIOS at default settings. Test the PC out once your drivers are in and everything is the way you want it. If there aren't any problems, then re-set your OC and re-test again with different benchmarks. If you are only getting the problem with your OC, then there's your problem. If you aren't getting the problem without OC or with OC after the reinstall, then it was probably a serious driver conflict/issue and your hardware seems fine.

Games don't break your hardware, physical wear and tear due to electrical stress adding heat does.

» Mon Nov 22, 2010 5:12 pm

Out of all the machines machines I have built in the just the last 3 years only 2 have come back for a hardware related failure which was a dead FirePro card, and a dead psu gummed up with dog hair, cigarette nasty, and what appeared to be red clay dust . Obviously I am not counting malware or lightning strikes in this. The point is being a forum warrior and bashing people based on your obvious lack of experience, when they are trying to help another person is pretty lame.

So how much Corsair Domi Memory are running in your system? lol

» Mon Nov 22, 2010 8:03 am

I haven't owned and Intel system since my Pentium II-400 and I've never had problems with AMD CPU's crashing or anything, even overclocked.

I think most of my issues with AMD systems are the result of mostly nVidia chipsets. Hell for that matter Intel systems running nVidia chipsets svck as well. Sure they have great performance, but I would never put a 3 year warranty on any system with an nVidia chipset.

» Mon Nov 22, 2010 6:03 pm

My CPU has never shutdown at 61C. My temp range is typically 32-65, averaging around 55-65C at constant load (i can ramp up the fan to get it cooler, but its not worth the extra noise). With the stock fan I used to get 70-75C under load. The 9950 shutdown temp (Tjunction Max) is 115.5C. I think you don't know what you are talking about.

max cpu temp is 61c, the cpu core can get a little higher, google phenom 9950 max CORE temps and phenom 9950 max cpu temps

heres a link to an article that explains the phenoms 'heat wall' better than I can.

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5988622#post5988622

70-75c is too hot, your doing damage.

» Mon Nov 22, 2010 11:12 am

You do realize the "northbridge" has no memory controller on modern AMD systems... That's all handled by the CPU. The problem isn't even the speed, it's the voltage, most of the time the memory he is running requires 2.1+v to even run stable. The Processor is designed for 1.8v memory.

QFT

Who cares about a 10% oc? Just set you system to default speeds and stress test. Run Prime, Linpack, and memtest (not at the same time) and if all goes well just be happy.

» Mon Nov 22, 2010 9:56 am

Fallout New Vegas did not burn your system out.

Do not over clock. It reduces the life expectancy of system components. Especially when you have a dirty computer, improper heat sinking, ventilation, or hot weather. Proper heat sinks, fans, etc.... only delay the effect.

10 percent OC is alot. You are pushing electrical componets past their rated values.

Even factory OC's can cause issues, shorten life spans.

If you have proper cooling you can OC to your heart's content. Have an AMD X4 955 with a 12.5% overclock and it runs cool as a cucumber - mainly because I have a massive after market heatsink/fan on it. Excessive heat is the enemy that slowly kills components. O.P.'s hardware situation might be different, but I've never had an issue with component longevity due to overclocking, either by my own hand or factory.