Testing the CPU - How?

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  • KingSpade
    Senior Member
    • Aug 2005
    • 538
    • 3.5.x

    Testing the CPU - How?

    Over the course of the past week, my computer has been randomly rebooting and freezing during times of high memory usage. Specifically, more so when Photoshop CS and either Winamp or Windows Media Player is in use, though it has been known to do the same when Photoshop, AIM and Yahoo are using together.

    The blue screen errors include the following:

    INVALID_AFFINITY_SET (only displayed once)
    PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA (most common)


    Now, I've tested the 1.5GB's of DDR Memory in the machine and all seems well enough. When booting, 1.5GB's is shown as being active, when checking the computer the same amount shows. Even within the BIOS, 1.5GB's is show as the active amount of memory.

    I've checked the page file and increased it to 3x that of the memory I have as it was set only to double, though this has not helped in the slightest bit. I have also worked with the GPU, which is a GeForce card. I am aware of the issues nVidia's Drivers' have with Windows XP SP2, however, when doing a Windows Update, Microsoft does not install their own drives for it and without them, my screen jumps when working. The GPU also reports the correct amount of memory, which is 256MB's.

    As for heating, I do not believe it to be a heating issue. I rotate 7 fans across the machine. A Tornado fan blowing between 5.5k and 6.5k RPM's is set to the CPU/Heatsink which keeps it below 90 degrees at all times. To the left of the CPU, there are 2 additional fans, one of which blows air to the CPU Fan and another which blows air to the top of the GPU. Both of these fans pull air from beside a vent blowing 60 degree air into them. There is another dan set behind the hard drives to further cool them, one below the hard drives to further cool the GPU and Wi-Fi card and then 2 fans at the top to blow air out of the machine. Overall, the system tempreture inside the machine is normally the same degree as the CPU itself.

    Additionally, there are 3 fans hitting the PSU, 2 blowing air out and 1 bringing air in, the two blowing air out hit the fans at the top and force the heated air through the top of the machine. So, if there's a heating issue, somethings wrong here .


    My primary question, with the above given, is there a way to test the L2 cache of a CPU and further test the GPU and CPU? I've ran out of options. The motherboard has had the bios updated 4 times, 3 by hand and 1 through the motherboard makers own update flash program.

    I need to find out why this is happening as it's getting inbetween my working and pretty much everything has been tested.
  • Dean C
    Senior Member
    • Mar 2002
    • 4571
    • 3.5.x

    #2
    I've had that PAGE_FAULT error before and it was a failing HDD. I'd back up ASAP to be sure
    Dean Clatworthy - Web Developer/Designer

    Comment

    • Zachery
      Former vBulletin Support
      • Jul 2002
      • 59097

      #3
      Might want to delete and recreate your pagefile file.

      You can remove your page file, reboot, and renenable it.

      Comment

      • Joe Gronlund
        Senior Member
        • Nov 2001
        • 5789
        • 3.8.x

        #4
        INVALID_AFFINITY_SET ?? What where you doing when that happen??
        MCSE, MVP, CCIE
        Microsoft Beta Team

        Comment

        • KingSpade
          Senior Member
          • Aug 2005
          • 538
          • 3.5.x

          #5
          @ Dean - I've checked the HD health and while they are not new drives, they are not showing signs of faults, errors or missing files. In all cases of failing drives I've dealt with before, there was a significant decrease in speed which isn't evident in this case.

          @Zach - Already did that for both drives. I created a page file on both to seperate the load to the single drive.

          @Joe - Photoshop CS, AIM, Yahoo and WinAmp last I recall. WinAmp dropped, Yahoo and AIM froze and then the blue screen shot up. I've never had that error before, first instance for me.

          Comment

          • Scott MacVicar
            Former vBulletin Developer
            • Dec 2000
            • 13286

            #6
            Use Prime95, it has a torture test mode for maxing out CPU and memory.
            Scott MacVicar

            My Blog | Twitter

            Comment

            • Joe Gronlund
              Senior Member
              • Nov 2001
              • 5789
              • 3.8.x

              #7
              Are you sure you havent installed some new hardware in the past while?? The INVALID_AFFINITY error usually only occurs due to a hardware problem, faulty hardware, or incompatible drivers.
              MCSE, MVP, CCIE
              Microsoft Beta Team

              Comment

              • KingSpade
                Senior Member
                • Aug 2005
                • 538
                • 3.5.x

                #8
                @ Joe - The hard drives were formatted about 2-3 months ago and left to set, though the only thing installed new to this computer in the past 8 months was a new sound card (Santa Cruz from Turtle Beach).

                I've never had these errors or problems before, so I am more inclined to believe it is hardware not driver related because with the exception of the nVidia drivers, the others haven't changed in lord knows how long (i.e. no vendor updates).

                Comment

                • Joe Gronlund
                  Senior Member
                  • Nov 2001
                  • 5789
                  • 3.8.x

                  #9
                  So your most recent error was a PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA ??
                  Do you happen to have a printscreen of the message, or can you get one using a digital cam? Or if you have the exact error msg, that would help narrow down the problem also

                  example:
                  Error Message: STOP 0x00000050 (0xffffffe0, 0x00000001, 0xf30da010, 0x00000000) PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA

                  It could very easily be the soundcard, it is definately a hardware problem..
                  MCSE, MVP, CCIE
                  Microsoft Beta Team

                  Comment

                  • KingSpade
                    Senior Member
                    • Aug 2005
                    • 538
                    • 3.5.x

                    #10
                    I don't have the extended bit in parenthesis, however, it is the 50 error.

                    Comment

                    • Joe Gronlund
                      Senior Member
                      • Nov 2001
                      • 5789
                      • 3.8.x

                      #11
                      Ok what do you have that is USB??

                      Does this error look familiar??

                      Microsoft Windows
                      The system has recovered from a serious error.
                      A log of this error has been created.
                      Please tell Microsoft about this problem.

                      We have created an error report that you can send to help us improve Microsoft Windows. We will treat this report as confidential and anonymous.
                      To see what data this error report contains, click here.

                      BCCode : 00000050 BCP1 : 0xffffffe0 BCP2 : 0x00000001 BCP3 : 0xf30da010 BCP4 : 0x00000000 OSVer : 5_1_2600 SP : 0_0 Product : 256_1

                      A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer
                      Technical information:
                      *** STOP: 0x00000050 (0xffffffe0, 0x0x00000001, 0xf30da010, 0x00000000)
                      PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
                      MCSE, MVP, CCIE
                      Microsoft Beta Team

                      Comment

                      • KingSpade
                        Senior Member
                        • Aug 2005
                        • 538
                        • 3.5.x

                        #12
                        There is a Microsoft USB Wireless Mouse (IntelliMouse 2.0 - Navy Blue Model 1007) attached to the USB 2.0 device which is an addition the motherboard.

                        Gigabyte boards come with 2 USB slots, then a 4 port adapter is optional through a PCI slot ands 2 connectors plug into the motherboard.

                        Nothing else is attached via USB, the keyboard is through the standard port on the motherboard.


                        As for the error, slightly so, although when the error (blue) screen pops up, everything quits working so I cannot click on anything to further view into the report. It's a Blue Screen -> Restart scenario.

                        Comment

                        • Scott MacVicar
                          Former vBulletin Developer
                          • Dec 2000
                          • 13286

                          #13
                          The last BSOD error I was getting was a hardware fault in the graphics card, the error was
                          IRQ_NOT_LESS_THAN

                          or something similar.

                          Try swapping out graphics card, memory, cpu if you can to check.
                          Scott MacVicar

                          My Blog | Twitter

                          Comment

                          • KingSpade
                            Senior Member
                            • Aug 2005
                            • 538
                            • 3.5.x

                            #14
                            The memory has been swapped out stick by stick for verification and checking, however nothing has resulted in the switch. The GPU has been switched out for another working model, however, same error.

                            Comment

                            • Joe Gronlund
                              Senior Member
                              • Nov 2001
                              • 5789
                              • 3.8.x

                              #15
                              90% of the time a *** STOP: 0x00000050 (0x0000000, 0x00000000, 0x000000000, 0x00000000) PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA is the result of a faulty USB device, or problem with the USB onboard..

                              Without the full error code i cant say it is 100%, but it's looking that way..
                              I do know 100% that it is not the CPU or RAM, the error code is completely wrong..
                              MCSE, MVP, CCIE
                              Microsoft Beta Team

                              Comment

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