I'm running into some frustrating Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors that seem to happen randomly. These issues pop up in a cycle where my PC runs smoothly for about two months, then I get a BSOD, followed by a few days of stability before it crashes again. I think there might be a compatibility issue between my RAM and motherboard, but I'm not sure how to analyze the minidump files to confirm. Here's my setup: I have a Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX motherboard with BIOS version FA2, an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti GPU, a Seasonic Focus PX-750 PSU, and a Corsair Vengeance DDR5 RAM set. So far, I've run Windows Memtest which didn't find anything, and while I had trouble generating minidump files initially, I've got some from my last few crashes. I'd appreciate any recommendations on troubleshooting or if there's a chance I'll need to replace hardware. Thanks for your help!
3 Answers
First things first, make sure you're getting those minidump files sorted out for a proper diagnosis. They contain crash logs from BSODs, which are essential for analysis. You can check for them in C:WindowsMinidump. If you find any, zip the folder and upload them to a file-sharing site like mediafire.com. Also, follow a guide to configure your settings for small memory dumps if needed—this helps prevent overwrites on the files. Good luck!
I notice your BIOS is listed as version FA2, which is outdated. It's a minor detail but updating your BIOS might solve some underlying issues. Also, let’s talk about your system drive—could you provide more info on that? If it's an SSD, make sure you're checking for firmware updates and that it’s properly seated in the motherboard. Sometimes improper seating can cause BSODs too!
Given the patterns of your crashes, it sounds like it could be linked to your storage. If you're not sure which drive holds the page file, you can run a Powershell command to check that: `Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_PageFileUsage -Property *`. This will show you the location. If for some reason it's on an external or older drive, you can consider moving it. Also, ensure your M.2 drive is reseated properly, as we often see issues from poor connections. Lastly, check if your SSD needs a firmware update—issues can happen there too!
Oh, I messed up that detail! The BIOS version is actually FA2. The drive I’m using is a Samsung SSD 980 PRO (2TB). It's the only drive, so everything boots from there.