Hey everyone! I'm really struggling with my prebuilt Asus Rog Strix GL10DH. For the past few months, my PC has been experiencing random freezes and crashes, and I've been left with no choice but to power it off to restart. It started with the infamous BSODs, but now it's gotten so bad that the screen will just freeze or go black, and I can't do anything—mouse is unresponsive, keyboard isn't working, even the caps lock light stays off. The weirdest part? Even when it's frozen, the fans and lights stay on.
This can happen during any activity or even when I'm just idling. Initially, games seemed to trigger the issue more, but now it can freeze at any time, including while I'm in BIOS. There have been moments where I could use the PC without issues for several weeks, and then all of a sudden it freezes multiple times in a day. Once it wouldn't even boot into Windows or the BIOS after a freeze, but a couple of restarts fixed that.
Here's what I've already tried:
- Reinstalling Windows
- Running sfc scannow
- Checking my SSD with CrystalDiskInfo (it says it's 95% good)
- Running Windows Memory Diagnostics (no issues found)
- Virus scans
But there are things I haven't done yet:
- Cleaned the PC (it's almost 5 years old)
- Changed the CMOS battery
- Reseated the RAM
- Checked for any loose connections
- Updated the BIOS (scared it might freeze during the process)
I'm looking for advice from anyone who's had a similar experience or has knowledge about potential hardware failures. What could be going on?
3 Answers
When troubleshooting, also remember to disable anything overclocked or undervolted in your BIOS. That can cause instability and could explain the random freezes you're experiencing. Also, try to find another stick of RAM to test if possible, since one stick limits your testing options.
It sounds like a pretty frustrating situation! From what you've described, it could definitely be related to hardware issues. If your SSD was showing 95% health, I'd reconsider. Sometimes an SSD can fail even if it seems to be in good shape. You could try running a more thorough diagnostic with a tool like Hiren's Boot CD, which includes various utilities that might give you a clearer picture of your SSD's health.
Just a heads up, your issue might actually point towards RAM or memory-related problems. You mentioned you're using just one stick—running Memtest86+ overnight could help check for any faults. Another thing is check if anything is overclocked; if so, revert to default settings in the BIOS and that might stabilize things.
Good call! Sometimes it's easy to overlook RAM issues since they can be tricky. Definitely worth a shot running that Memtest!
Absolutely, CrystalDisk might not catch everything. I had a similar experience where mine showed good stats, but the SSD was still failing. Try booting from the Hiren's USB, and see what other diagnostics show! Good luck!