Living with Rainbows for now

[Juim2]

I just built my new PC, and I decided this year to go all in on ROG STRIX components because ASUS has always been good to me.
The build...
ASUS:
Intel Core I9-12900K CPU
ROG STRIX Z690 E-Gaming Wifi Mobo
ROG STRIX LLC 360 Cooler
ROG STRIX THOR Platinum 1200 watt PSU
64GB(4 X 16GB) Trident Z5 RGB DDR5 PC5600 RAM
MSI RTX 2080TI Gaming Trio Graphics(I'm waiting for prices to drop before grabbing an ASUS 3080, if I do at all now)
6 TB (3 x 2TB) Samsung SSD 980 PRO M.2 storage
ROG SWIFT PG35VQ Monitor

All running on Win11 with all updates.(Right now, no other programs except Graphics drivers and MSI Lighting software).

I'm almost ready to return it all.

Armoury Crate is ruining my new build joy.

It's bloated, invasive, ineffectual, and buggy as hell.

I've had to re-install Windows twice to get back to a functioning OS.

All because of Armoury Crate.

Running in XMP1 mode, with AI BOOST enabled...No other tweaks.

Between random BSOD (with multiple code issues, most, pointing to drivers),

freezing RGB and complete failure whenever I activate the dashboard feature,

The inability to shut down Win11 using normal methods (With AC installed, I have to re-start the program after every re-boot, then I find I have to power down the PC holding the power button as the Win11 shut down becomes disabled),

7 minute long re-boots,

3 BIOS upgrades since December when I purchased everything and ZERO improvements.

I visit the ASUS website daily looking for updates, which, so far, when they come, do nothing to improve the situation.

Not to mention I originally wanted the Z690 Maximus, which I had to return because of the backwards capacitor issue, and no replacement boards have become available locally since then.

I don't understand how such an accomplished PC component manufacturer such as ASUS could be so inept with the latest gen Tech.

So I've uninstalled AC and re-installed Windows and I guess I'll have to wait for ASUS to get their act together, hopefully soon.

This is the most expensive rig I've ever built, and I haven't even gotten to the GPU yet. I don't want to spend the endless hours re-installing everything knowing I might have to wipe it all again after installing AC. So for now, I leave it off the machine. I'm getting used to Rainbow lighting.

....End of rant. I won't be surprised if this thread gets cancelled, but I hope ASUS is aware of these issues.

[cjmnews]

The blue screens may be caused by old drivers that should be uninstalled. They get install with AC and other RGB software automatically.

AC installs some drivers that are there just in case you have that hardware, some of which are for hardware that is no longer produced.
Patriot Viper M2 SSD RGB software is the current biggest culprit. Try removing that and see if that helps. You can find it in Settings->Apps.

From what I have been reading elsewhere, removing this will help increase stability for most systems. Look at the other apps that are installed for RGB components that you don't have, and you can remove some of them too.

Another alternative is SignalRGB for a free solution that seems to work most of the time. I had issues with waking from sleep.
Another alternative is to disable Aura RGB in the BIOS. That should turn all the lights off.

I know my next build will be as RGB free as possible. I would rather have a dark working PC than deal with the toothpick tower of RGB software we are stuck with using.

[Jimbo93]

Getting everything going correctly on a nice new system like that is certainly possible, with Armoury Crate I mean. Not easy though. I have actually written a thread where I talk about the first Armoury Crate install. This thread was written some months ago and the situation hasn't really changed. I am not sure if you are asking for help. Let me know.

[cjmnews]

I was not asking for help.

I was trying to say to the OP that a fresh Windows install can have Armoury Crate working and based on their BSOD comment, my mind went straight to the Patriot Viper M2 SSD RGB software that upon removal has solved lots of system BSOD issues.

I got my AC ROG working from the 5.0.11.0 update that broke it all by a fresh Windows install (unfortunately I missed getting my photo tag database backed up losing 10 years of tags) which really shouldn't be necessary.

After experiencing the pain of the AC update, SignalRGB and a fresh Windows install that lost data, I will no longer build RGB into my system intentionally. I currently have a rig that is all ASUS or ASUS compatible, so an update should be benign, but it definitely broke everything initially. It only took 2 weeks of trying the ideas in your thread, as well as others. Only the fresh install fixed it.

I am tempted to install FanXpert so I could tweak the fans again, but am a bit paranoid of that breaking the Armoury Crate that is currently working. At the moment everything seems to be using the settings from pre-5.0.11.0 so I don't think I need it yet. This would be the only question I have. When I do it, I will definitely make a restore point before installing so I could return to the working system if needed.

[Jimbo93]

cjmnews wrote:

... When I do it, I will definitely make a restore point before installing so I could return to the working system if needed.

Sorry, that reply was to the OP. Yes, use restore points, but I would also suggest using a drive imaging tool like macrium reflect if you have any other drive you can save it to.

[Juim2]

Jimbo93 wrote:
Getting everything going correctly on a nice new system like that is certainly possible, with Armoury Crate I mean. Not easy though. I have actually written a thread where I talk about the first Armoury Crate install. This thread was written some months ago and the situation hasn't really changed. I am not sure if you are asking for help. Let me know.

"Not easy though".

Therein lies the problem. I'm a vanilla user technically. I don't mess with individual timings, clock speeds, etc. I shouldn't have to search system folders/sub folders to delete small parts of code that render my PC potentially useless in effect. Deleting aspects of any program is just as dangerous as messing with the RAM/CPU speeds if you don't know what you're doing, which I mostly don't. I just assuming that someone at ASUS knows what's wrong and with future updates they may fix this, so that I might just enjoy my rig like I have always before AC became a thing. Hoping anyways.

[Jimbo93]

Juim2 wrote:
"Not easy though".

Therein lies the problem. I'm a vanilla user technically. I don't mess with individual timings, clock speeds, etc. I shouldn't have to search system folders/sub folders to delete small parts of code that render my PC potentially useless in effect. Deleting aspects of any program is just as dangerous as messing with the RAM/CPU speeds if you don't know what you're doing, which I mostly don't. I just assuming that someone at ASUS knows what's wrong and with future updates they may fix this, so that I might just enjoy my rig like I have always before AC became a thing. Hoping anyways.

The parts I would suggest have more to do with what drivers and software to install in what order. It should not be necessary to do any manual deleting or tweaking of things on a new system. In other words, if you can update/flash a bios and spend a little time getting all the latest drivers installed, and then patiently install software one a time and make sure its working before going on to the next, you can get there. Before doing any of that a full memory stability test with memtest86 is something I wouldn't skip either.

[Juim2]

Jimbo93 wrote:
The parts I would suggest have more to do with what drivers and software to install in what order. It should not be necessary to do any manual deleting or tweaking of things on a new system. In other words, if you can update/flash a bios and spend a little time getting all the latest drivers installed, and then patiently install software one a time and make sure its working before going on to the next, you can get there. Before doing any of that a full memory stability test with memtest86 is something I wouldn't skip either.

That's what led me to where I am. I've installed one program after another, slowly and deliberately, both before and after re-installing Windows twice, and AC still seems to be the root of all my problems. It upends the entire system and creates chaos whenever it's installed. My whole point is that I shouldn't have to sacrifice any fully operating programs to find a fine balance of function from a software that ASUS makes semi-mandatory with their own hardware. It just seems ridiculous. I suspect that AC is carrying a lot of excess driver baggage from earlier versions of Windows. They'll get around to sorting it out, just not in a time frame that makes me happy.
I'm too invested in to this rig, so I'll give them more time. Now, without AC installed the system seems stable. No crashes since the last re-install. decent BOOT-REBOOT times, and all games running smoothly.

[Jimbo93]

Juim2 wrote:
That's what led me to where I am. I've installed one program after another, slowly and deliberately, both before and after re-installing Windows twice, and AC still seems to be the root of all my problems. It upends the entire system and creates chaos whenever it's installed. My whole point is that I shouldn't have to sacrifice any fully operating programs to find a fine balance of function from a software that ASUS makes semi-mandatory with their own hardware. It just seems ridiculous. I suspect that AC is carrying a lot of excess driver baggage from earlier versions of Windows. They'll get around to sorting it out, just not in a time frame that makes me happy.
I'm too invested in to this rig, so I'll give them more time. Now, without AC installed the system seems stable. No crashes since the last re-install. decent BOOT-REBOOT times, and all games running smoothly.

Keep an eye on your network performance. Maybe there are some issues. Thats one thing that will really mess with Armoury Crate installs.