Runs for 1-4 days, then halts (strangely), with CPU fan continuing to run

Hardware
1

Hi all -

I’ve finally managed to get some “old” PC bits to work, purchased back in 2017/2018. The components are -

  • Intel 6700K CPU + Noctua NH-U14S cooler.
  • Asus Maximus Formula VIII Z170 mobo
  • No GPU (usual GPU on silicon, straight off HDMI from the mobo)
  • Dominator Plats 8GBx4 = 32GB @ 3000MT/s (XMP)
  • Corsair HX1000 PSU.

This system was always plagued with stability issues, which I’ve manage to isolate by replacing the Corsair AX850 (with two units) - This is a side/note issue but I feel there is a an issue with the Corsair AX range. You may or may not end up with overly sensitive units that go into reboot loops but I do not have enough hardware to confirm. What I can say is that I took a VERY unstable system (that goes into reboot loops with PSU relay clicking over and over) to a system that now runs anywhere between 1 - 4 days just by replacing it with a Corsair HX PSU.

So - now with the HX PSU, I’ve got XenServer (CentOS) v7.2 installed on a Samsung SSD.

The way the system crashes (?) or gets stuck is that the case fans stop spinning (all plugged into mobo), but the Noctua CPU fan continues to spin. Apart from that, it’s dead in the water - no power to keyboard (RGB lights go off), no HDMI output either…

Oh, but it runs for anywhere between 1 - 4 days, if not possibly longer…

Any thoughts?? Back to pulling my hair on this one…

Thanks!, Mike.

2

Have you tried a RAM test or test each pair by themselves? I know on my Skylake build it was extremely “picky” about one set of RAM having sloppier XMP timing and it would refuse to turn back on unless I reset the CMOS–was stuck replacing the set and dumping those into a plain DDR4-2133 box. I would recommend checking around about RAM timing on your motherboard, some Z170 boards+6700K would prefer 2666 over 3000.

As far as the motherboard you could try re-flashing the BIOS, if you had lots of stability issues in the past since there is always the possibility the BIOS got glitched–ASUS uses a dual-BIOS like a few other makers and it will revert to the last stable BIOS flash, when you update the BIOS it’ll re-flash the other BIOS chip.

3

Windows yeah? What do the event logs show at the time of the crash?

4

The Dominator Plats (32GB) are from a known-stable build that I’ve run for over 2-years; many many hours of video encoding to gaming etc.

BIOS was reflashed, and it seems to be running for a bit longer now.

@TheGlenlivet mmm one of my favourite single malts there! No, XenServer runs on CentOS (last I checked), but now I’ve replaced it with XCP-ng (an opensource fork).

1 Like
5

This has been fixed - please close, thanks!

6

Closed at OPs request.