I've been struggling with a recurring BSOD error, specifically the DPC Watchdog Violation with error code 0x133. This issue appears only when my PC is idle, and I can't seem to figure out what's causing it. I've already done quite a bit to troubleshoot, including:
- Updating and clean installing all drivers and the BIOS to the latest stable version.
- Updating the drivers for my SSD and other storage devices.
- Running health checks on all my storage devices.
- Uninstalling recent drivers, especially since the problem started after I got a Focusrite 2i2 and installed its drivers.
- Reseating hardware components.
- Updating the drivers for my WiFi and Bluetooth dongles.
- Optimizing the CPU power curve and trying a slight over/undervolt.
I also ran LatencyMon and found that the Nvidia drivers (nvlddmkm.sys) are creating significant delays. I've been troubleshooting this for days but haven't had any luck, and given that all the hardware tests come back fine, I'm worried there could be an underlying hardware issue. I can provide crash minidumps if necessary. Any ideas on what I should check next?
Also, just to add more context, these crashes started after I got the Focusrite, and they're happening more frequently now. I also recently upgraded from a Ryzen 5 5600x to a Ryzen 9 5900x about a month ago, but the crashes only began last week.
3 Answers
First off, make sure to gather those dump files for a closer look! You can usually find them in C:WindowsMinidump. If you’re able to boot into Windows normally or through Safe Mode, just zip that folder and upload it to a file sharing site. Multiple dump files would definitely help the analysis.
If you don’t have any zip software, right-click on the folder and select 'Send to' -> 'Compressed (Zipped) folder'. Don't worry if Reddit blacklists some file hosts; try sites like catbox.moe or mediafire.com instead.
Make sure you definitely share those dump files as suggested earlier. We've noticed that higher-end Ryzen 5000 series CPUs like the 5900x can experience DPC Watchdog Violations, and sometimes they don't give clear indications in the dump files. Setting a static voltage can sometimes help with these issues.
You might want to try these:
- First, check if your motherboard allows for voltage offsets. If it does, set the CPU Core and SoC voltage offsets to +0.050v.
- Alternatively, you could set a static voltage of around 1.3v for the Core and 1.1v for the SoC.
Just be sure to try one setting at a time!
It sounds to me like this might be a hardware-related issue, especially since you've already checked the software side pretty thoroughly. If you haven't yet, you might want to try rolling back your BIOS to an earlier version. If that doesn't solve the problem, then it might be worth checking the motherboard for any physical damage.
I had a similar case with one of my clients where the motherboard was the culprit. It's odd that the crashes only occur when idle though—so that does make me wonder if the CPU could be involved, given it's been bought second-hand.
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