Is this "normal"?

[Captain Sierra]

I ask the question with normal in quotes because in many ways, the answer is most certainly no.

My computer is blue screening on me. That ain't good. I looked up the error and it said it is often caused by my RAM beginning to corrupt.

I've had the system for almost 3 years now and have pushed it the the razor's edge of what the hardware can take for the duration of that. I know a computer's lifespan is actually measured in cycles (read/write for memory/storage, calculations for processors/GPUs) in that the number a component can do before malfunctioning is finite. The question here actually is have I reached the limit of what my computer hardware can take? I ask because I know a laptop like mine is built to last at least 3-5 years (certainly not as long as they used to) but given thats based on the assumption of 'regular' use and I put my system through what can only be described as hardware hell (I ran some pretty high graphics games on it and pushed the system rather close to the heating limit, though I never got it hot enough to trigger a safety shutdown).

Because i know some people are weird about giving answers that will result in people spending lots of money, note that I just built a desktop by hand with the intent of phasing out my laptop (the one that's now crashing). I already have a contingency plan, I just want to know if my laptop is still good for anything more than a paperweight.

[Nuke]

when something like this happens i usually just run memtest86. 9 times out of 10 simply reseating or wiggling (im quite fond of the wiggle it technique) the ram fixes this. this is especially true with a laptop. sometimes your bios settings get reset, and the memory parameters needs tweaking. ram normally doesn't up and fail on you.

you might also want to eliminate the software side as a point of failure. check for viruses, or backup your files and restore the machine to factory default (usually with a restore disk). if you dont have a restore disk, just pull the iso for your version of windows from ms and reinstall it yourself.

Edited January 23, 2015 by Nuke

[pxi]

Exactly what was said above.

As for overheating, that's also a possibility. Something like that might be as simple as clearing fluff out of the cooling ports, or replacing the heatsink compound on the processor, or gpu.

It's not exactly abnormal for a laptop to just up and die due to a hardware fault, but I've thrown out plenty of equipment that's been over a decade old and still functional, so it's not 100% the norm either.

[Captain Sierra]

As for overheating, that's also a possibility. Something like that might be as simple as clearing fluff out of the cooling ports, or replacing the heatsink compound on the processor, or gpu.

Its a Dell XPS 17. It is damn near impossible to get at the processor on this thing. It is almost easier to take the mobo out than it is to get the heatsink off the CPU. Dell does not like you opening their stuff up and working on it yourself. EDIT: I say this because I tried to do it once and abandoned the idea because I'd have to strip this thing down to what it looked like in the factory to do it.

Now that I think about it, that may have something to do with it, as I only actually BSOD it when I'm running a game (I've gotten Minecraft to do it but thats with max render chunk range, Shader mod, and a 64px texture pack with normal maps, not exactly low-impact default MC). What does RAM overheat at and what exactly would it do?

[Nuke]

its probibly a higher memory address than what your computer would typically use during non-game use.

for the cpu, you might not be able to regrease it, but you can at least blow out the vents with some canned air.

im not sure if this is your model but a quick google serch for 'Dell XPS 17 service manual' turned up this: http://www.insidemylaptop.com/how-to-disassemble-dell-xps-17-l702x/

looks like the memory is accessible from one panel. so you can spray out any dust in the ram compartment and reseat the modules.

Edited January 23, 2015 by Nuke

[problemecium]

...have you considered just replacing the RAM?

I don't mean to sound snarky, but, you know, there's a reason the IT guy always asks if you're computer's plugged in xD

EDIT: HOLY FLIPPING FLAMINGOS I THINK I HAVE BRAIN DAMAGE. Ahem. I meant "if your computer's plugged in."

...srsly, I'm never the one to misspell words like that :C

[pxi]

Yeah, repairing laptops is... well there's a reason I usually recommend buying a desktop for gaming.

I'd download something like HWMonitor and keep an eye on the temperature of the cpu and gpu. If either is going over 60C i'd be extremely concerned.

RAM overheating isn't something I'd be too worried about unless you've been fiddling with the timings in the BIOS. If Memtest86 isn't showing any issue with the RAM I'd assume it's probably good.

If there's more than one RAM module, you could try taking out half of the RAM and seeing if the problem persists, then try the other half as another test.

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I assume the laptop is out of warrenty? You can easily check this on the dell support site with the service tag on the bottom of the laptop.

[Nuke]

laptops are usually moved around and so are subject to more vibration than a desktop would be, and so memory modules do become unseated. replacing or upgrading the ram is possible but id make sure the old stuff is really bad before discarding it.

[Captain Sierra]

...have you considered just replacing the RAM?

I don't mean to sound snarky, but, you know, there's a reason the IT guy always asks if you're computer's plugged in xD

EDIT: HOLY FLIPPING FLAMINGOS I THINK I HAVE BRAIN DAMAGE. Ahem. I meant "if your computer's plugged in."

...srsly, I'm never the one to misspell words like that :C

Yeah, I have considered a RAM replacement. Thing is I'm really just wondering if, given my recent upgrade to a desktop, if its worth it to try and save this thing. This is not its only problem, its just its only serious (read: fatal) problem.

Yeah, repairing laptops is... well there's a reason I usually recommend buying a desktop for gaming.

I'd download something like HWMonitor and keep an eye on the temperature of the cpu and gpu. If either is going over 60C i'd be extremely concerned.

RAM overheating isn't something I'd be too worried about unless you've been fiddling with the timings in the BIOS. If Memtest86 isn't showing any issue with the RAM I'd assume it's probably good.

If there's more than one RAM module, you could try taking out half of the RAM and seeing if the problem persists, then try the other half as another test.

- - - Updated - - -

I assume the laptop is out of warrenty? You can easily check this on the dell support site with the service tag on the bottom of the laptop.

Yeah, its out of warranty by about a year. Far as heat, the thing runs (when I'm pushing Planetside or something high graphics) as hot as 90C on the processor. I wasnt kidding when I said I pushed it to the razor's edge. System safety shutdown kicks in if I hit 100 (thank God I never had).

[pxi]

90C seems absurdly hot to me - far higher than I'd personally be happy with. You likely have some issue with cooling. Either the processor fan isn't spinning as it should, bad connection between the processor and the heatsink, or something's blocking the vents.

If you're not happy disassembling the laptop, you might look into getting a laptop cooling stand. That's about all I can suggest at this point.

[Captain Sierra]

90C seems absurdly hot to me - far higher than I'd personally be happy with. You likely have some issue with cooling. Either the processor fan isn't spinning as it should, bad connection between the processor and the heatsink, or something's blocking the vents.

If you're not happy disassembling the laptop, you might look into getting a laptop cooling stand. That's about all I can suggest at this point.

Done that, had it for a year. What I probably should mention is that this laptop has a hyperthreaded i7 quad core 3rd gen clocking 2.20GHz and a secondary GPU, NVIDIA GeForce GT550M (so no intel HD graphics here!). It was not built for cooling efficiency. The cooling stand helps a good bit with airflow in general, but doesn't improve my running temps much. What is nice about it is when I put the system to sleep or otherwise take the load off the hardware, it cools off much faster when on the cooling pad (which is definitely reassuring).

This system was built when I was younger and stupid about gaming hardware. I basically tried to build a desktop I could carry around. Needless to say, three years later I am paying for that.

- - - Updated - - -

One other thing I should mention is that the cooling system in the laptop works its a** off trying to keep the thing cool. The heatsink itself gets up to at least 65-70C. The small area next to my keyboard (just left of the ~ key) actually gets hot enough that its uncomfortable to touch for more than about 10 seconds when I'm doing a multi-hour op with my planetside outfit or something. Thats the heatsink over there. Its blasting air as fast as it can to rid the heat but the real root of the problem is a dell xps 17 has a TERRIBLE cooling system for dealing with the absurd amounts of heat my hardware generates (again, there's that performance hardware coming back to bite me). The processor is slightly offcenter on the mobo to the right, but the heatsink is on the left. It has to heat pipe it a long way before it reaches the heatsink.

[cantab]

I don't believe overheating per se would cause BSODs or memory corruption, but it's not a good thing. The obvious thing is to clean it. Take the computer apart as far as you are willing and give it a thorough going over with some canned air. I did that to the CPU cooler in my desktop and it went from hitting 100 °C with a single core loaded to staying below 50 with all three loaded - dust buildup makes a huge impact on temperatures.

Then, as said, run some tests. memtest86 will test your memory, prime95 will test your processor - but sort your cooling first because it will heat it up harder than even your games. Other software can test your graphics. If any of these tests give errors, then if you are overclocked roll the speeds back to stock. If you get errors at stock speeds then you need to replace the hardware in question. Ultimately solid state electronics can and do fail.

Edited January 23, 2015 by cantab

[Castille7]

Today just made a second blue screen on a new Dell Alienware Laptop and I am wondering the same thing!..........What is the problem here? The price I paid for this and getting blue screens already within 13 months? I've had a computer run for 6 years without a blue screen and running Windows 95!

[pxi]

Today just made a second blue screen on a new Dell Alienware Laptop and I am wondering the same thing!..........What is the problem here? The price I paid for this and getting blue screens already within 13 months? I've had a computer run for 6 years without a blue screen and running Windows 95!

In simplistic terms, it's either drivers or hardware.

Given the age of the system, it's quite likely covered by the warrenty though. I'd lay the problem at Dell's door, if it were me.

[Castille7]

In simplistic terms, it's either drivers or hardware.

Given the age of the system, it's quite likely covered by the warrenty though. I'd lay the problem at Dell's door, if it were me.

Thanks for the advice pxi I will consider it!

[ChrisSpace]

I looked up the error and it said it is often caused by my RAM beginning to corrupt.

Check your computer to make sure there are no corrupt cores attached to it. If there are any, remove them.