Serious problem with CPU after resetting CMOS

[sunshine_and_ga]

Specs if needed:
i7 2600K @ 4.8GHz 1.405v (Overclock before CMOS reset)
EVGA GTX 570
ASUS Maximus IV Extreme P67 (BIOS 3208)
16GB Mushkin Enhanced Redline @ 1600MHz (7-9-8-24 1.65v)
2x OCZ Vertex 4 128GB (one for OS, one for games)
WD Caviar Black 1TB 7200RPM (mass storage)
Corsair AX1200
Corsair H100
Corsair 800D

Hey guys, i've been having a really serious problem lately with my PC. I'll try and make this as short and to the point as possible, i've tried to get help on other forums with no luck so i'm really hoping someone here can shed some light on this for me. I would very much appreciate it, this is my first build and i'm very upset about this.

For about 2 months now, my PC will randomly shut down, restart itself and freeze at the windows logo screen ("starting windows") as it's booting up.

Everytime it does it, the motherboard shows a code "10." It then shuts down then restarts itself, freezes at the windows logo screen (starting windows), then I have to hold the restart button till it shuts down because it won't do anything. I then push the power button to boot it up again and it's fine.

It doesn't happen every time, and it's completely random on when it decides to do this for some reason. It hasn't done it for almost 2 weeks after I did the Windows repair option that showed up when it happened the previous time. I thought to myself "oh I must have fixed it," but I was very wrong. It happened to me again a couple nights ago, I was so dissapointed I didn't fix it. I did the Windows repair option again, and turned off the computer.

And that brings me to why I reset CMOS. I fixed the RAM back to what it's rated for (7-9-8-24 @ 1600MHz 1.65v), disabled all C-States, and fixed boot options and that's all I touched in BIOS.

Well, now I have another problem.... All of a sudden my BCLK is now at 100.3 instead of 100.0 like it was before with my overclock, and with Turbo Mode enabled set to Auto the Core Speed of the CPU won't go above 3500GHz even though the target speed is 3800GHz.

Another weird thing is when I set the AI Overclock Tuner to Manual and Turbo Ratio to All Cores and leave it at Auto, the CPU voltage will skyrocket to 1.47v with no overclock for some reason.
(I'm trying to run the CPU at stock for a while to see if it fixes my problem that made me reset CMOS in the first place.)

Does anyone know what is causing this? Can someone please steer me in the right direction with this? I've been so stressed about this, it would be very much appreciated if I can get an answer to this. I'm so lost, and i've been trying to find an answer for so long.


Here's a picture in CPUID of the 100.3 BCLK and x35 multi:

[sunshine_and_ga]

It's a reboot, no BSOD. When it was on BIOS 1 the code would show up as "10" but it happened way too quick, and wasn't expecting it this time so I couldn't catch what code it was giving when it was happening on BIOS 2. The first reboot on it was literally not even a second after I switched BIOS chips and powered on.

It does it at random, but i'm going to keep an eye on it everytime I boot to see if it's a different code than it was giving me on BIOS 1 while doing it.

Unfortunately, this is the problem that made me try resetting the CMOS in the first place.

I'm going to try booting up in about 20 mins or so, hopefully it just does it again when I boot so I can catch what code it gives when it happens.

[moorhen2]

sunshine and gasoline wrote:
It's a reboot, no BSOD. When it was on BIOS 1 the code would show up as "10" but it happened way too quick, and wasn't expecting it this time so I couldn't catch what code it was giving when it was happening on BIOS 2. The first reboot on it was literally not even a second after I switched BIOS chips and powered on.

It does it at random, but i'm going to keep an eye on it everytime I boot to see if it's a different code than it was giving me on BIOS 1 while doing it.

Unfortunately, this is the problem that made me try resetting the CMOS in the first place.

I'm going to try booting up in about 20 mins or so, hopefully it just does it again when I boot so I can catch what code it gives when it happens.

Ok, but it is sounding more and more like a "Hardware or bios seting problem to me,i could be wrong though,if i dont reply again tonight,it's because i have had enough for the day,lol!!!!, but i will be back in the morning.

[sunshine_and_ga]

Well I just booted, without any reboots. Of course... when I actually want it to happen so I can see the code, it doesn't do it.
I'm afraid to keep rebooting it though just to force it, i'm so upset about this and i'm so lost on what to do.

I guess i'll boot it up every hour and check, and update this post on whether or not I got the code if it decides to do it again.

You can get back to me whenever you get a chance, that's totally fine.

[moorhen2]

sunshine and gasoline wrote:
Well I just booted, without any reboots. Of course... when I actually want it to happen so I can see the code, it doesn't do it.
I'm afraid to keep rebooting it though just to force it, i'm so upset about this and i'm so lost on what to do.

I guess i'll boot it up every hour and check, and update this post on whether or not I got the code if it decides to do it again.

You can get back to me whenever you get a chance, that's totally fine.

Ok,fingers crossed for you anyway,but please get back to me if the problem persists.:)

[sunshine_and_ga]

Just wanted to update this thread and let you know i'm still looking out for that code if it does the reboot again. Luckily it hasn't done it since the BIOS chip switch. *knock on wood*

I did notice something in the BIOS though in boot options if you could possibly clear this up for me.

My C:\ drive I boot Windows from is labeled P2: OCZ Vertex 4 and the drive I use for games is labeled P1: OCZ Vertex 4. Before the BIOS switch it was the other way around. They're both plugged into the Intel 6GB/s port.

Is there a way to re label or re number them or something along those lines?

I unplugged the games SSD to make sure, and for sure my OS drive is now P2 for some reason.

I have severe OCD, and it's just little things like this that get to me haha.

Also, I updated my C:\ drive SSD's firmware yesterday and it deleted all the data. I have my system image on my external HDD, and I went to put in the Windows disc and realized that my WD Caviar Black HDD and my ASUS CD-R drive aren't in the boot options. Seems I can't boot from the Marvell 6GB/s port. I had to switch the CD-R drive to the Intel 3GB/s port to have it in boot options and to restore the system image and get Windows going again. Just thought this was odd

[HiVizMan]

In future please update your bios via the EZflash2 tool which is accessed via the BIOS.

OS flashing is not a good idea. 🙂


And you are in good hands with moorhen2

[HiVizMan]

Moorhen2 well done mate 😄 And you blush I think not.

Sunshine see I told you, you were in good hands. 🙂

[HiVizMan]

I would like to repeat a favorite saying of mine. Not aimed at anything or anyone. But really something to take onboard any who read these threads.

If it ain't broke do not fix it.

[sunshine_and_ga]

Yeah, I suppose it's not too big of a deal. Just as long as I know which one is my OS drive, I suppose it's fine.

Another quick question if anyone can answer this. Since I tested my overclock in BIOS 3208 which was causing problems for SandyBridge CPU's, would you recommend I retest the overclock in Prime95 because i'm on BIOS 2001 now?

My overclock in 3208 was 4.8GHz @ 1.405v. 12 hours stable in prime with 95% RAM 10min FFT's.

Would switching to the BIOS that's optimized for SandyBridge (2001) give me a better overclock capability? Such as 4.8GHz at a lower voltage perhaps, or something along those lines?

[HiVizMan]

When you change bios, you should assume you have to start from scratch. The reason is the changes in the BIOS, and no I am not stating the obvious. And these changes are not the obvious ones you can see, like a different or new setting range or stuff like that. No the changes that matter are the ones which are hidden, the ones which change how the different bits of hardware interact. That is what the BIOS does. And if the way that the CPU and the Dimms interact has changed then we can not assume that the same settings we used before will work. They might. But do not assume. The same goes for the core frequency. Often when their are BIOS changes the way that the VRM's and such respond to the CPU have been reworked.

So start from scratch and you will find based on the knowledge you already have that you should improve the efficiency of your over-clock. As you know far more about your system now than you did then. 🙂