Evening all.
Ok... Where do I start?
I recently bought a Thermal Take Core P5 case from Amazon.co.uk, it arrived around 2 weeks ago. After a week of waiting to get the computer back from the shop where I had my system all put together, it has been one long round of headaches. I have had the system back at home now for less than a week, and I have already had to install Windows 7 64 bit twice.
Every issue that I have had seems to be related to the GPU, or the Driver. I have never had an issue, in the last decade, where I have had to install Windows 7 so many times in one week. The one difference in this case, is that I have NEVER used a riser cable before. EVERY system that I have ever had, has had the GPU slotted into the motherboard directly, and I have never had a problem.
Now, since using this case, the first problem which I encountered came in the form of a 0x00006B BSOD error, which I had about 3 days ago. Further research seemed to indicate that the cause of the problem was related to the GPU driver. I am currently using an ATI Radeon 7900HD card. I don't know which one specifically, but I have not had a BSOD for a long while now, not until I had this system built.
This morning, I turned my PC on and I received a Black Screen of Death this time, with no error message, and it only displayed a mouse cursor, which I couldn't move, in the middle of the screen. Again, this resulted in my having to re-install Windows. I did try to restore the system but the system wouldn't even boot into safe mode.
The two commonalities in all of this is that this is the first time, and probably the last time, that I have ever used a riser cable in a case. Up to this point, I have never had these issues on any system which I have had built up previously. The second commonality is that the issues all seem to be pointing to the problem being GPU related. Again, it makes me think that it is the riser cable, even though I cannot prove it.
It's gotten to the point now, where I daren't even power the system down for the night, nor play games in case it causes the system to crash, since I don't know if I will have issues booting the system up, resulting in having to reinstall windows again. It's all only started since I had this system built up. Before that, when I had a system built up in a Thermal Take Armour case, I had no problems for over 3 years.
Honestly, I really like the case, but it's getting to the point now, where I'm starting to think that it would just be cheaper to buy a different case than to faf about ordering riser cables here, there and wherever, not knowing if I am going to be any better off in the long run. Is there any temporary, sure fire way of resolving the issue, or permanent solution such as being able to install the card directly into the motherboard rather than through that riser cable, or am I going to wake up to yet another BSOD on Christmas Day?
I mean, seriously, honest to ####, if anyone says "Merry Christmas" to me after this fiasco, I think I'll need a new keyboard, as well as a riser cable, after I stick it up that particular someones ####, side ways.
Specifications;
Motherboard = Skylake Asrock Z170 Extreme4, LGA 1151.
Processor = Intel I5 6600K, LGA 1151.
GPU = ATI Radeon 7900HD Series.
Case Sold by = Amazon EU S.a.r.l.
Description of problem = 0X0006B, Black Screen of Death with Mouse Pointer.
* Solution; Hit with a #### hammer.* Ok, it's not a solution, but it might make me feel a little better.