[QUOTE=pasco;427861] If I use /options/Torture Test and set the parameters per instructions on this forum (786K, 8 threads, 120minutes) , the workers look like they are about to start but eventually all stay in "No work to do at the present time. Waiting." status.[/QUOTE]

Did you type 786 or the proper 768?

Since you've read the entire thread, I assume you are using version 27.9.

Hi pasco,

there is no such thing as "the Skylake freezing issue" and it won't have todo with the Prime95 bug, because that is fixed via bios updates by now.

The nearest thing to a "Skylake freezing issue" is the problem of a few early high-end Skylake CPUs with low power states. But as you experience your hard lock during load, this is clearly not your issue.

As one of really many people with the same thing (ASUS mobo with Crucial RAM) I would blindly attest that this is "your" issue (RAM incompatibility). Test this hypothesis with HCI memtest desktop version under Windows:

- run 8 (# of your threads) instances in parallel
- assign ~3500 MB of RAM to each (i.e. >85% of your RAM in total; leave at least ~2 GB for Windows 10)
- let this run AT LEAST until you reach a coverage of 1000%

You'll likely end up reliably in hard locks during this. In case your hard locks are rare, 1500-2000% might be needed to reproduce it. I wasn't able to make it past ~600%.

Then you will get different RAM and live happily ever after. :)

Thank you both for quick answers.

I did use 786 which is the wrong number. :blush: :tu:
I was able to run the test as expected with 768, and now waiting on results

I will be memtesting pegnose's theory soon, and confirm if results point at it.

ASUS, btw, has not had an updated BIOS ver. to address the prime95 issue for this specific motherboard (z170-ws). Their support just sent me a beta 0504 version to test with, which I have not done yet. So this is also pending.

Thank you again for all the help

Some manufacturers initially just went back to an MC which wasn't affected by the bug. MC 39 in most cases, iirc. Others may correct me if I am wrong.

Ok, here's my latest finds. The updated ASUS z170-ws BIOS fixed the errors on Prime95. It did NOT fix "my" freezing issues.

I am now going to test the memory the way pegnose suggested, and I will post any results

Just a little heads-up: this might actually take a day. To bolster your motivation:

[url]http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-2830772/skylake-build-randomly-freezing-crashing/page-15.html#17455667[/url]

I did get 72 errors with MemTest at about 110%.
I was only able to get each instance to test 3000MB only so i opened 9 instances to get more than 75% of RAM being used.

I am on my way to buy some Corsair based on Qualified Vendors List by ASUS.

I will know if this is solved by monday

The errors sound more like actually broken RAM to me.

I did try 2 brand new 4x8GB configs that my vendor supplied me with, to initially test that failing system. All crucial. All failed.

I am now running ~70 hours PROBLEM-FREE on a set of Corsair Vengeance RAM.

Will let it run through the week, but it already has ran more than any time in the past. Pegnose , thank you!

Welcome. Glad that it helped!

56,729 views ... That's kind of cool!