PC Crashing - GPU?

I got a GTX 970 almost 2 weeks ago. Works great! Since then, I've had several hard PC crashes where it completely locks up and whatever sound was playing at the time becomes sustained until I cut power. Once it flashed a blue screen just before the power went off but it was just a flash. The only other thing I have changed since this started is a new CD drive... doesn't seem that it would be that.

What could be the issue? Temperature, power, connectors? How should I test it further. Crashed mostly during extended play sessions of Resident Evil Remake and Dying Light, so I know it's not the games.

Just to add some frustration, maybe it will bring you some Schadenfreude. I have done 3 knife only, no save runs this week on the PC version. Twice my PC crashed right at the end of the game, and the other time I died against the Tyrant. Also, last night I finished Chris on Hard mode with no saves, and my PC crashed during the credits before getting to save the cleared data or getting achievements. I guess that speaks to my love for this game but I just want to break something.

Well, that could probably be a lot of different things, most of which I have experienced myself in the past several years. :P If you post the BSOD crash dump, I am sure someone could probably help you.

@abentwookie: I don't know who you think you are coming in here with your logic and good advice.

@abentwookie: Also the raw dump is over 2GB so that's not going to happen. Thanks for replying :D

Does your processor have integrated graphics? If so, I would take the GPU out and run off integrated graphics for a while and see if that is the problem. Also, it wouldn't hurt to unplug the CD drive and run the computer for a while. If these problems are recent, and the only change you made is the CD drive, there is a possibility it is a faulty driver with the CD drive.

Other than that, it could be a RAM problem. Try running your system with one stick of RAM, then switch them out. It could also be a PSU problem. There are a lot of different variables. It also wouldn't hurt to install a CPU temperature monitor and see how hot your CPU is getting while gaming. It could be a cooling problem.

Is the 970 a factory overclocked edition, because I have an idea as to what the cause might be (it's a firmware thing that every single card maker didn't take into account).

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nvidia-admits-to-error-in-gtx-970-specs-and-memory/1100-6424915/

^Not sure if that would cause a hard crash like you described. I would try going back to whatever card you had before for a while until new drivers come out.

@brandondryrock: I'm not sure about the integrated graphics. I've never been able to boot without a GPU so I'm guessing no. I'm going to unplug the CD drive as I don't actively use it. There was an error when updating the firmware due to their shitty software so I just left it and it works, maybe that's it? I put them in a week apart so the problems arrived with both of them. I added 8GB of 1600Mhz RAM that I got for christmas. Same exact product as the 8GB I already had installed. Haven't had problems since the past few days and used it since christmas day. Unless something broke somehow.

I have had a LOT of PSU issues in the past. I've thought that there might be something I am doing wrong with either my build, or the PC not being correctly grounded. The case just sits on my carpeted floor (rubber feet). CPU runs hot almost all the time, the recent temps are no different. Just below 70 degrees. I believe my previous overclocked 670 ran much hotter and used more power, but without any issues.

@korwin: Not overclocked. It's a stock 970.

@andrack said:

I looked in to this issue before the crashes, and while I feel mislead, tweakguides did a breakdown on the issue and I am not at all worried. The bridge to the final 512MB of VRAM doesn't seem like it could cause this kind of issue, it just introduces some slightly lower performance. Especially unlikely since I got the crashes mostly on Resident Evil which is a 10 year old game. It can't be using all my VRAM... at least, it shouldn't. Thank you for the consideration though!

@alistercat: I've had a similar issue with my GTX 770 a few months ago. What I did was do a clean install of the drivers (completely uninstall the old ones and install new ones) and flash the GPU's BIOS. That worked for me.

Fair enough, I only ask because overclocked (factory OC or manual) have problems with boost voltage states bottoming out under less than full load.

@korwin: Interesting. I didn't know that. My previous card was a pretty heavily factory overclocked 670 by EVGA.

@alistercat: Run a GPU stress test like Fuzzy Donut if it crashes off something like that you can pretty safely point to the GPU or the PSU, you should also go change the setting that causes the BSOD (Blue screen of Death) to NOT auto restart the system so you can read the error HERE or just go into the logs even the most basic info would help in diagnosing your issue.

@evilsbane: I will disable the reboot since that seems like a great thing to do anyway, but in these cases it was not automatic. I had to hold down the power button. I even gave it 5 - 10 minutes on one crash and the blue screen didn't show. Also, I am completely ignorant when it comes to viewing logs and troubleshooting from them. I went through the event viewer and most of them just seem to be saying windows shutdown unexpectedly (no duh).

Depends on how high binned the chip is, better quality silicon is less hungry.