BIT individual video tests seem to run fine, but when running all system reboots

[AntaresC64]

Hi everyone. First post here.

I just installed BIT 8.1 Standard Edition and decided to give it a try on my gaming PC, since I have been experiencing freezes and crashes on games. Not every game crashes, but, when they do, it is random and usually takes anywhere from 1 to 20 hours between crashes.

Anyway, I launched the test and, within seconds, my system rebooted. Tried again, and it rebooted again at the same spot.

I decided to launch separate test to try and isolate the error. CPU / Memory test ran fine. Graphics test caused the system to reboot again.

I tried to launch indivual tests alone (ie - 3D Graphics, 2D Graphics, GPGU and Video Playback) - all of them seemed to run fine (mind you, I didn't wait more than 10 minutes in each case, but still, the reboots always happen after 10 seconds or so...).

I tried to run them in pairs (ie - 3D Graphics + Video, 2D Graphics + GPGPU) for several minutes. No errors. However, launching more than 3 tests at once, especially when video playback test is involved, caused the reboot again (only that a little bit later - maybe 15-20 seconds instead of just 10).

Can I be certain that my GPU has a hardware failure? Or should I keep performing tests just in case it has something to do with, say, Mobo, CPU or RAM?

My specs:
CPU: Intel i7 4770K @ 3.5GHz
GPU: Geforce GTX 780 Ti (it's factory OC, and I'm starting to think it's unstable - although, can an unstable OC'd GPU cause reboots in BIT tests?)
16 GB Ram
OS: Windows 10 Home Edition 64 bit

Thank you very much in advance!

[David (PassMark)]

If the entire system crashes and reboots, then you surely have either a hardware issue or a device driver bug.

So first step is to update the video card device driver.
Second step is to check for overheating.
Third step is to swap out the video card and see if the behaviour improves.

[AntaresC64]

Hi, David, thanks for the reply.

I have followed the first two steps you suggested:

1. I updated my drivers, having previously removed the old ones with DDU.

This seemed to have improved things a bit... now the tests run for about 30 seconds (instead of just 10), but still get a hard reboot.

2. I have been monitoring GPU temps during video tests. At the moment of the reboot, GPU temp was only 48ºC.

I usually play graphically demanding games, and my GPU seldom goes over 75ºC, so I'd say that temps are not an issue.

3. Still pending. I will check if I still have an old Geforce 460 SE lying around, so I use it and repeat the tests.

In any case, I think the culprit is either the GPU or maybe the PCI-Slot - although game lockups (especially demanding games; less demanding ones can be played for dozens of hours without problems), driver crashes and the odd graphical artifact seem to point to the GPU itself...

Well, guess I have never been very lucky with my gaming PCs. The last one I had, some years ago, also had a faulty GPU which died after a couple of years and lots of artifacting.

Again, thank you very much for your help.

Best regards.

[David (PassMark)]

PCs (and computers in general) are a never ending source of problems. And it is a good thing to, as we wouldn't have a job otherwise. Even the professionals often don't know what is going on.

[AntaresC64]

Agreed! And the funny thing is that... I'm a Software Engineer myself! I must confess though that I've always found hardware to be a little intimidating - especially when it's mine, when it's expensive and when I live on a tight budget

Broken software can be fixed. Broken hardware cannot

Thanks!