Arch Linux

TheD

Member

Registered: 2013-07-30

Posts: 8

CPU related? install/update locking the system up.

Hello,

My system has been hard locking when running

pacman -Syu

or

 pacstrap 

when it reaches the installing stage or the running build hook stage.

It did this when installing it for the first time, but I did managed to install arch by pulling out the SSD I was installing it on and using an other PC (and it worked fine).

Afterwards I did not have the time to do much on the system for a few weeks and thus did not do any installing of software and had only booted into it to see if it worked.
I got time a few days ago and before I was going to install my DE I wanted to make sure the system was up to date by doing a 

pacman -Syu

and in doing so the system hard locked the same way as when I tried to install on that PC(and corrupted the install).

I decided to have a go reinstalling and on a hunch decided to reset my CPU back to stock speeds (it was running at 4Ghz with very stable settings), re enable some of the Intel C-States I disabled and the reset also disabled NX bit support, it then installed without issue.

I doubt it is the overclock due not having this problem when installing in a VM under windows.
I am not sure it is the NX bit that caused this.
So that leaves the C-States.

The problem is that with all the C-States re enabled, Windows 7 (I am dual booting) will hard lock a few seconds after it has loaded up.
The pre reset settings are also fine in Windows (under heavy load like linpack) with good temps.

Has anyone else had this problem/know how to stop the crashing with C-States disabled?

My system specs are:
Intel i5 2500K,
Asrock P67 extreme 4,
16GB of Gskill DDR3 1333Mhz RAM,
Gigabyte HD7970,
2 1TB HDDs, 1 2TB  HDD and 2 128GB SSDs.

Last edited by TheD (2013-10-03 06:06:47)

graysky

Wiki Maintainer

From: :wq

Registered: 2008-12-01

Posts: 10,597

Website

Re: CPU related? install/update locking the system up.

Unstable overclocks can do very weird things.  If your problems go away when you drop down to stock speed/voltages, something ain't right w/ your settings.  Drop your 4.0 GHz down to 3.9 GHz and see if the problem persist.  Failing that, try 3.8 GHz.  Failing that drop down to stock.  Read this article[1] for some stress testing tips.  Note my first sentence.  Even if you're stable under these conditions to medium/high stress programs, even simple things can fail due to a maladjusted system... and it's not just a function of vcore.

1. https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Stress_Test

Last edited by graysky (2013-10-03 08:44:27)

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TheD

Member

Registered: 2013-07-30

Posts: 8

Re: CPU related? install/update locking the system up.

It is stable in windows (running linpack with AVX support and Prime95), I have run it at a minimum of 4Ghz for 2 years and I also ran linpack in Arch (4Ghz, C-States on) for a while and did not get any problems.
I am aware system stability is not just V core, that is why I had C-States disabled.

Last edited by TheD (2013-10-03 12:35:10)