©ASUSTEK COMPUTER INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

torpidbeaver · ‎07-15-2013

Hello,

I've had nothing but problems with my computer almost since the moment I purchased it a couple years ago. Between hard drives failing, power connector pins breaking, batteries dying, and a host of other issues that demanded sending the thing in for repair in California (over and over -- and one time, literally 20 hours after I got it back from the last repair), I'm having an awful time with this computer. "Lemon" comes to mind.

After this latest return from California, I left my computer alone and didn't touch it for almost five months. I came back a couple days ago for this Steam Summer sale, bought a couple games, and tried playing again. I can play something like Out of the Park Baseball or Rogue Legacy without any problems that I can see, but playing Fallout and Civilization seem to cause crashes anywhere between the 20 minute to 60-minute mark. It feels like a heat problem, but this latest crash report gave a BCCode of 124, which I read might signify a RAM problem? Unfortunately, I don't know how to get this BIOS to load from a USB stick to get MemTest86 to work.

Processor: Intel Core i7 i7-740QM / 1.73 GHz ( 2.93 GHz ) ( Quad-Core )
Memory: 6.0 GB
Hard Drive: 750 GB 7200 RPM (I think)
Graphics Processor: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M

I've tried blowing canned air into the fan ports, and that's about all I know how to do. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd be grateful.

torpidbeaver · ‎07-15-2013

Well, maybe it's the video card?

While testing a possible game-related fix, everything turned green and shaky. Computer automatically reset, but on restart, the ASUS welcome screen remained green and shaky. There was minor shaking when the Windows screen popped up, but... now that I'm on the desktop, there's no shakiness.

I'm scared to keep trying to fix this.

Problem Event: BlueScreen
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033

BCCode: 124
BCP1: 000000000000004
BCP2: FFFFFA8006335038
BCP3: 000000000000000
BCP4: 000000000000000
OS Version: 6_1_7601
Service Pack: 1_0
Product: 768_1

fakunchas · ‎07-15-2013

1st, install HWMonitor and watch for your temperatures. If it gets extremelly hot, (in which the system evens shut down) you'll have to repaste the CPU and the GPU. (more than 90ºC is extremely hot)

2nd, download HIREN's BOOT CD, burn it and reboot your pc from the CD. The memtest software should be included in the hiren's boot cd.

3rd. install a fresh copy of win 7 and the latest nvidia driver+chipset driver+audio and would go for a test. I would install one of the games and simply try to run them.

torpidbeaver · ‎07-15-2013

I'm speaking with an ASUS Support rep, who's telling me to revert to the official ASUS-approved graphics card drivers, which haven't been updated since 2012. None of this sounds right, but he wrote:

"our gaming notebooks are tweaked and will work with only the tweaked drivers"

Is this complete bull****?

fakunchas · ‎07-15-2013

torpidbeaver wrote:
I'm speaking with an ASUS Support rep, who's telling me to revert to the official ASUS-approved graphics card drivers, which haven't been updated since 2012. None of this sounds right, but he wrote:

"our gaming notebooks are tweaked and will work with only the tweaked drivers"

Is this complete bull****?

In part it is, in part it isn't. He just want to make sure you are having problems with the OFFICIAL ASUS DRIVERS. He wants to make sure that your problems are not software related.
Try what he says just to make sure your problem is not nvidia related. Once again:

monitor your temps (HW Monitor)
run memtest (burn Hiren's boot cd)

with so many problems you are facing, i really think you have some faulty RAM stick installed.

torpidbeaver · ‎07-15-2013

Okay, thanks very much. I got the HWMonitor, and my GPU spiked at 77 C after about 20 minutes of gaming.

I'll run out tomorrow and buy some blank CDs and see if I can get the RAM test to work.

Depressing situation, man. Gaming's supposed to be fun, not a constant stress-inducing headache. If I could just get this stupid rig to run reliably, I'm sure I'd be happy.

torpidbeaver · ‎07-15-2013

It isn't the memory. Memtest ran with no problems.

I guess I'll try running the game again and watch the heat monitor.

fakunchas · ‎07-16-2013

Again, using the hiren's boot cd make a GPU test, a HD test, test all the hardware crap! lool
If everything is OK, in your case, i would go for a clean windows installation with the nvidia drivers, intel chipset and realtek audio drivers and i would try and run all the games you want with only these 3 drivers..
If everything runs smoothly (or OK depending of the game, of course) i would install the rest of the drivers ONE BY ONE and re run the same games every time a new driver is installed. It is a time consuming troubleshooting but you will sooner or later realize what hardware is giving you some headache.

BTW, do not install any ASUS software except the ATK (for keyboard lighting) and Wireless Console (to toggle between WIFI/BT/OFF).

PS. your temps are normal, i reach 82 C after one hour of left 4 dead 2 and TF2

torpidbeaver · ‎07-22-2013

I turned on Furmark for about two minutes, and turned it off when it hit 82C with no signs of stopping.

The "Fan" percentage was at "0%" so maybe the fan is broken or dead?

This would be the second GPU that's died on me in a little over a year.

I mean, the "Fan" percentage should show something there, shouldn't it? I seem to remember my fan(s) making more noise before.

G53JW-A1 (I think?) tons of crashing while playing CPU-intensive games