Help me with freezing games?

[Spec]

Wasn't. It never went that high, BUT I did an experiment and let OCCT measure my temps while working in Unreal 4, and it went higher than during the stress test due to the much longer use. Once I actually looked at the temps just prior to the shut down, and one of them (I think it was the CPU) was just exceeding 90 when the system shut down.
That was while building lightmaps.

Maybe it's prolonged use on intensive programs that can't be replicated with a brief test. Maybe the current outdoor temps of 30 degrees also plays a role, this room is very hot right now and I can't open the window without it getting hotter.

(All in Celsius)

[Steeps]

I'm curious too because I have certain games with this problem, namely CS:GO. The game will randomly freeze for about 20-30 seconds and then come back just fine.

It never happens on a lot of games though, just some. I played Civ 5 with a friend last night for 5 hours and not a single freeze.

In contrast I have a Core i5 2500k, GTX 680, and 12 GB RAM.

[Spec]

Okay, I think I found the two reasons for my two problems... I hope.

Firstly: That damn motherboard does not actually support my CPU. It "almost" does, it's AM3+ ready, but alas, the Bulldozer is still too much for it. I only noticed it under excessive use, that probably caused the freezes.

Secondly: That's only been a problem recently; stock cooler did apparently not prevent overheat during very CPU intensive tasks, much more than gaming (working with UE4, lightmapping mainly). This seems to have caused the shutdowns. No idea what caused the shutdown while not in use, but maybe the cooler just couldn't keep up anymore at some point, even under regular use. Dunno. Might've fried something. Hope it's not the CPU itself, but I'll soon find out.

So, I'm currently in the process of replacing both the main board as well as the cooler. Let's see what happens, now. It'll take some time to get this working because I have nowhere to properly store my data and I don't want to lose all that stuff when I format this (remember kids: Backup everything).

I doubt there's a way to avoid reinstalling Windows, right? Like, repairing it or somesuch?

[LITOralis.nMd]

I doubt there's a way to avoid reinstalling Windows, right? Like, repairing it or somesuch?

The answer is: no reason to reinstall Windows, you can use built in utilities to save time.

Spec, what OS are you using?

I'd suggest a full backup, like Acronis TrueIMage Home, Clonezilla, Macreum Free, etc.

If you have windows 7, you might be able to use systemprep and OOBE , utilities built into windows 7 just for this situation.
This is the guide I use:
Windows 7 Installation - Transfer to a New Computer - Windows 7 Help Forums

PM me, and I'll try to jump online on TS or even use Skype over your home WiFi to help you out as you work through it.

[Spec]

I'm on my girlfriends computer and about an hour drive away from my own. Sadly, I'm completely offline right now at home because I already started working on the hardware.

I plan to bring this (or another) computer with me, along with Linux or something on a stick, to make the backup I forgot to make in the first place. But space-wise, I'll have to pick the 50% of my data I'll be able to secure, I guess.

Running Win7 64 Bit Home Premium.

Edit: Due to the fact that the hardware is already installed (and I can't undo the processor/cooler change, no paste), I'm unable to do what your link describes.

The plan right now is to try to somehow get the drivers for the new mainboard onto the system (perhaps via Linux), and then try to let Windows do its repair thing, hopefully finding said drivers.

Any chance that'd work?

[Steeps]

I would personally just do a fresh install and recover the files that you need on your HDD through another computer. You can just redownload all of your programs (which I'm assuming take most of your data). Fresh install always runs better than cloning.

[Spec]

If I have to... That's what I feared I have to do, but any other option is preferable if it doesn't cause unsolvable problems with the computer. What's to expect? And can it be solved?

(I will backup all important data anyway before I touch anything else, so formatting and reinstalling windows is an option, but if I can get the system running without format, I'd quite prefer so)

The thing is that it will be very hard to get some of the old programs on my Computer, such as games that they don't sell anymore. I don't have the keys for many of them anymore, and would prefer not having to crack them (especially those with online capability).

[Spec]

Did a backup of the most precious data. I'm sure I missed something or other, but oh well.

Now. I've got a Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit CD (burned, lost the original, but I still have the key - guess I'll need to do that automatic call thing with Microsoft anyway), a CD with a Linux version to run the computer on (used to save files) and a USB stick with what is hopefully the most recent drivers, as well as the DVD with the drivers on them.

Here's what happened:
- Booted Linux
- Did Data Backups to external Drive
- Restarted PC now using Windows CD
- Added USB-Stick with current drivers
- Did some repair magic and got the new drivers installed
- Booted into my old Windows, worked relatively well, but screen res was 800x600 and I had no Internet, sound and some other stuff.
- Removed the USB-Stick and added the driver DVD that came with the motherboard
- It started installing drivers. Somewhere midway though, I noticed it installing something with "Win8" or "Windows 8" in its name and became alerted
- It demanded a restart. Upon restart not only could I not get into Windows again (BSOD), it also refused to even let me repair it, claiming the Windows CD was from a different Windows version (did the driver make it think it was Win8 now or something?!)
- Some back and forth with Linux and stuff
- Finally somehow got it to accept the Windows CD again
- Installed the USB-Drivers again (that is, the motherboard drivers that I had on USB)
- It's launching now but started repairing itself without being asked. It's in a goddamn loop doing that.

Is there anything I can do once in Windows to make things easier this time?

I'm quite close to saying screw it and formatting it, but that means days upon days of downloads and all the hassle with reinstalling all of my stuff. I was so close to just having it work --- if I manage to boot into Windows once more, is there something I should be doing there? Like... I dunno, delete all drivers so I can install the good ones and nothing else?

Or should I try to delete all drivers via Linux (if it lets me) or something?

(Please don't tell me about how I should've waited with the motherboard replacement. I should have. I fucked up.)

[LITOralis.nMd]

You had to wait.

All you had to do was follow directions from my link, entire process would have taken 20 minutes or so.

.... you're now on an adventure...

use your cellphone to screencap the problem screen, and post pic, I'll try to help, but if you're in German, limited to what I can offer.

[Spec]

Well, in my defense, by the time you had posted I had already changed the hardware. I did rush that, admittedly, but not against your advice but before it. (I had a friend assure me that it'd not be a problem - this forum is not the only place where I asked for assistance, and the friend 'explained' things to me before you had the chance to. I misplaced my trust there, sorry. But I didn't do so knowingly. I should've known however.)

I'm sorry mate. You tried to help and I listened to the wrong person and didn't trust my own understanding of things (as I had posted I WAS aware of the problems that could be caused, but said friend assured me that with a Live Linux Distribution I could restore everything just in case).

But my adventure has pretty much ended. I reformatted the thing now after securing the data, it's not worth your or my time to try to fix it at this point. No big loss, apart from the fact that I have to set it all up again now, but at least I won't be bothering you with it anymore.

I'll leave this open just in case I manage to screw up again somehow. Thanks for trying to help me, in spite of... things.

Edit after everything:

All of my problems have been fixed, it was indeed the CPU cooler and the main board being not fully compatible with the CPU.