computer freezes repeatedly
Not a computer person AT ALL. attempted to solve the issue with CHATGPT and did a bunch of troubleshooting. any help appreciated. i’ve had this PC for less than a year.
System Specs: - Motherboard: ASUS TUF Gaming Z790-Plus WiFi D4 (Rev 1.xx) - Processor: Intel Core i7 13700kf - GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4070 Super (Desktop) - BIOS Version: 1658 (outdated — current is 1801)
The Issue: - Computer randomly freezes — completely locks up (no mouse movement, no Ctrl+Alt+Del, requires hard power-off). - This freezing issue occurred a month ago, was temporarily solved when I stopped using google chrome. - No CPU/GPU spikes before freeze (checked in Task Manager). - Freezes happen even when no programs are running, shortly after boot. - Safe Mode is stable — the system runs fine indefinitely there. - Freeze timing varies — sometimes a few minutes after boot, sometimes during light use (e.g., just Firefox open). - Turning Wi-Fi on seems to trigger the freeze more quickly, but freezes have also occurred with Wi-Fi off. - First freeze happened after leaving the system asleep overnight. - PC has experienced 2 power outages/flickers in the past (from rainstorms). It’s plugged into a surge protector, but quality is unknown.
Troubleshooting done so far: - Memory test (Windows Memory Diagnostic): No errors - BIOS check: No overheating, voltages normal - DDU removal of NVIDIA drivers: No freezes briefly afterward - Installed NVIDIA laptop driver (GPU-Z showed custom mobile graphics card): Recognized card, but freezes returned - Safe Mode tested: Stable - Clean boot (minimal services): Still freezes - Tried uninstalling network drivers (Intel Wi-Fi): Freeze occurred mid-uninstall - Event Viewer logs reviewed (details below) - SFC scan completed with no issues
Key Event Log Info (Before/After Freeze):
Warning (x5 before freeze): Source: WHEA-Logger "A corrected hardware error has occurred." - Error Type: Internal parity error - Processor APIC ID: 24 - MCABank: 0 - MciStat: 0x8000004000010005 - MciAddr: 0x0 - ErrorType: 12 (CPU parity error)
Critical Error (after freeze): "A fatal hardware error has occurred. A record describing the condition is contained in the data section of this event." GUID: {c26c4f3c-3f66-4e99-8f8a-39405cfed220} RawData available if needed
ChatGPT’s diagnosis: Repeated CPU parity errors point to internal CPU/motherboard faults. Possible causes: BIOS-level microcode instability, power degradation, motherboard issues, or failing CPU. System may have degraded over time from power flickers, frequent hard shutdowns, or PSU/motherboard aging. It recommends updating the BIOS as the next step.
If anyone has any insight to add I would greatly appreciate it.