please help! z68 extreme3 gen 3 random reboot problems!

[matter2003]

I just can't deal with this anymore. I have read and tried just about everything to alleviate this issue but it keeps popping up. I have had runs of 14 hours and 6 hours with no issues but now it is reboting virtually everytime I get into windows 7.

Here is what I have done so far:
Disabled IGP.
Updated all drivers
Change vcore voltage to 1.19 fixed
Change vcore voltage to +.07 offset
Use xmp profile 1 for ram
Set all bios settings to default
Ran windows mem diagnostic and mem test with no errors
Raised and lowered mem voltage from the standrard 1.529 volts
clear cmos
Boot into safe mode
Unplugged all usb cables

I probably have done some more things that I am forgetting about...basically every suggestion I found in this and other forums, I have tried and it hasn't solved the problem.

What happens is you will be doing something in windows and all of a sudden the screen goes black and a few seconds later the computer restarts. Sometimes it gets stuck at the splash screen and restarts 2 or 3 times before booting into windows. No event log from windows, no BSOD, no warning. Sometimes it happens while watching something, sometimes while surfing the net, sometimes while not doing anything. CPU is not overheating, temps never above 44c, GPU not overheating, temps not above 50, I am at a total loss as to how to fix this problem. Also at first bios splash screen was showing A2 in lower right corner but now it shows A3, not sure what that means if anything, since it doesn't affect the booting up usually.

Just built this cmp and have been running it about 5 days now. I7-2600k cpu, 12 gb Gskill Ripjawz DDR3 1600 RAM, Sapphire Radeon 6850 HD video card, Windows 7 ultimate, asrock extreme 3 gen 3 mobo, Enermax 500W PSU...

In hindsight I should have stuck wuth Gigabyte, my previous mobo in my last rig...never had 1 problem out of that board in over 5 years. Imho, there is something seriously wrong with these mobo's to keep having the same issues over and over. I will update bios to 1.10 as soon as I can get in and it stops rebooting but it doesn't appear like it will do much, since the big thing is supposedly improved mouse function. Not a happy camper right now...have never had this many issues with a mobo and I have built many, many computers in my day...

Here is the axtu screen showing PSU should not be the problem as voltages all look good and are stable...

[matter2003]

Re: please help! z68 extreme3 gen 3 random reboot problems!

Hmmm...think I may see the issue...cpu temp spiking to almost 70C under load pointing to potential thermal issue...going to get some arctic silver and will reapply...

Was stable for about 3 hours, then cpu spiked high under load then had multiple reboots in a row...

[matter2003]

Re: please help! z68 extreme3 gen 3 random reboot problems!

Well, after removing the heatsink and looking at the thermal compound on the CPU, it didn't appear to have as much coverage as it should have. I removed all of it and reapplied some Antec Silver Formula 5(aka Arctic Silver 5) and temps are running 10-15C lower, idling in the mid to upper 20s instead of near 40C.

No reboots in over 6 hours now since I first turned it on so far(crossing my fingers). I am wondering if it is possible that some of the cores had enough thermal compound over them to cool properly but perhaps one did not and that is what kept triggering the reboots? If there are no reboots tonite and I wake up tomorrow and still none, I am pretty sure the problem has been solved...

[matter2003]

Re: please help! z68 extreme3 gen 3 random reboot problems!

Well, this problem has been solved! Computer has been running for 18 hours+ so far and not a single reboot. Turned out to be CPU overheating even tho the temperatures looked OK. Would recommend reapplying thermal paste to anyone having similar problems, as this has resolved my issues! Apologize for blaming ASRock for the issue, but I had assumed it was a problem with the mobo after reading all the issues on this...

I believe that one of the cores didn't have enough thermal paste on it and was overheating even though the others showed they were fine...just a theory but I have no other way to explain it..

[onemoar]

Re: please help! z68 extreme3 gen 3 random reboot problems!

cpu not quiet seated correctly perhaps ( to much torq on the heatsink > solved when you reseated it ) I hope this is a oddball problem I am planing on ordering this board ...

iirc sometimes offset mode can cause strange ness

[matter2003]

Re: please help! z68 extreme3 gen 3 random reboot problems!

Well, after removing the heatsink and looking at the thermal compound on the CPU, it didn't appear to have as much coverage as it should have. I removed all of it and reapplied some Antec Silver Formula 5(aka Arctic Silver 5) and temps are running 10-15C lower, idling in the mid to upper 20s instead of near 40C.

No reboots in over 6 hours now since I first turned it on so far(crossing my fingers). I am wondering if it is possible that some of the cores had enough thermal compound over them to cool properly but perhaps one did not and that is what kept triggering the reboots? If there are no reboots tonite and I wake up tomorrow and still none, I am pretty sure the problem has been solved...

Yes, it was quite strange, especially since temps were reading normal. It has now been about 40 hours and not a single reboot, so obviously its fixed. I have had no problems with this board other than this, ehich wasn't even related to the board at all...