[Intermittent] hard freezes when loading game

[dubax]

I am pretty positive this is a hardware issue with my pc, but I experience this relatively frequently when loading factorio, so thought I'd start here to see if anyone has ideas.

Specs (all stock voltages and stock clocks, XMP profile on RAM):
Intel 9900k
Asrock Z390
EVGA 1080ti FTW3 Hybrid
G.Skill 32GB DDR4-3200 CL14
Corsair RM850x PSU

Symptoms: Hard freeze. Sound continues, but video freezes, mouse doesn't move, keyboard inputs do nothing. Only resolution is to hard-reset the computer with the power button. I would say this happens roughly 1/5 times I load up the game. It also happens in other games during load, and sometimes it has happens when I click on something on my second monitor (this is rarer). I always play in borderless fullscreen.

During factorio load, it happens usually during "building prototypes" or "loading sprites." This leads me to believe, if my understanding of what is happening during these stages is correct, that it could be faulty VRAM on my GPU. This is just a hunch and I don't know how to test it. I've tried:

• memtest86 multiple times
• prime95 overnight
• furmark overnight
• wiped and reinstalled all drivers
• full windows reinstall
• swapping out my ram (one stick at a time)
• checked the physical seating of all components
• redone the thermal paste on my CPU

This PC is about 5 years old and these symptoms started about 3 months ago, but it's gotten steadily worse over time. I've taken to running HWMonitor / Task Manager on my other monitor as I've booted the game, and I've "caught" the freeze a few times with these tools open. They show everything normal and within spec - no crazy voltages or temps, no crazy utilization, etc.

Anyone have any ideas here? I'm slowly going crazy. I just wish I could positively identify which component is giving me trouble.

[FuryoftheStars]

Try disabling XMP and see if that helps.

I can't say that the folks that I've seen where that's helped their issues had the same issues as you, but it may be worth a try.

[posila]

I'd try to replace the PSU first. I've had two computers starting to malfunction in similar manner (I think the first one was exactly like you described, the second one was getting random graphics driver resets at first, then random BSODs, then it was freezing like you described except sound "froze" too - as in it looped last sample or something like that, making horrible screatching sound) and in both cases replacing PSU fixed it.

[dubax]

Try disabling XMP and see if that helps.

I have actually tried that, and forgot to mention it in my troubleshooting steps. But thanks!

I'd try to replace the PSU first. I've had two computers starting to malfunction in similar manner (I think the first one was exactly like you described, the second one was getting random graphics driver resets at first, then random BSODs, then it was freezing like you described except sound "froze" too - as in it looped last sample or something like that, making horrible screatching sound) and in both cases replacing PSU fixed it.

Well I've been meaning to upgrade my PSU as part of a larger system upgrade anyway, so you just convinced me to pull the trigger a bit early! Will see if that solves my issue.

[dubax]

Update: new PSU installed, fired up factorio, and it was like it knew I was testing... same exact freeze happened. So PSU is not the issue...

EDIT: I am hesitant to say it's fixed, because it hasn't been very long, but after more googling, a common thread I found for unexplained freezes was to disable RGB software. Lots of posts telling people variously to disable synapse, icue, etc. On my computer I had icue (for my CPU cooler), tridentZ RGB (for my RAM), and alienware command center (for my monitor) all installed. All three of these have posts complaining about instability, so I uninstalled them. So far, I haven't experienced another freeze. I'm not sure which one was the culprit, or if all of them were, but I don't really care enough about the lighting to try and re-enable them one by one. I'll post again in a few days to report if my issue is really fixed or not. If I don't get any freezes for a week, I'll consider it solved.

EDIT EDIT: Nope, another crash.