XPS 8930, freezes for 3-5 seconds

@mrsyeti- After seeing your mention about the chipset, I checked and had chipset version A08.02 so I downloaded A08.03, and ran as admin. It installed with no probs.

No idea what's different between .02 and .03 since the rest of the version names are the same. Sure wish they'd tell us the what/why when they change numbers like this...

The freeze problem appears to have stopped since I uninstalled the Dell software (SupportAssist, SupportAssist Remediation Service and Dell Update).

I did get a couple of brief glitches when using some audio software with my guitars today, but that might be another problem, so I'll continue to monitor performance over the next few days and let you know if the freeze problem comes back.

I might try updating the chipset again, and this time take a note of versions, messages and logs.

My 8930 has the same issue. One thing I had not seen mentioned earlier is that my unit makes an audible noise (low volume squeal) when the freeze occurs. Once the noise stops (a few seconds) it is back to normal. Hope this helps get to the root cause.

I was getting the frequent 5 second hangups often accompanied by a sound of the HDD spooling up. If I was watching a video when this happened, the audio would go nuts during those 5 seconds. This seemed to trigger if I accessed the drive by opening a folder or saving something after a brief period of inactivity.

I set Support Assist Remediation to manual in services.msc per advice on other threads and also changed my power plan so that my HDD doesn't go to sleep.

However, I have another more annoying problem that has occurred perhaps seven times since I got my system in August.

On occasion I get a total system freeze. The screen goes black for a moment, comes back on, frozen. If I remember rightly it can almost sound like the PC has powered down. So far, hard reboot sorts it and the PC will then be start normally.

The off thing about this is there is no real set pattern to it. All but one time these freezes occurred in an older game that should be less intense. It happened once while playing BFV. Except I have played BFV on ultra countless times since I received it, sometimes for hours at a time without a problem.

I've invested in a new power supply in case there was a spike of sorts but I also now worry about cooling (and the horrendous lengths and costs you have to through to address it somewhat), not to mention learning the CPU cooler I purchased may in fact not be a huge improvement (because of course I learn this after).

I run a small USB fan off a power strip pointed toward the side vent of the tower and have used this for most of the time I've owned the system whenever I'm gaming. It's noisy but I tend to wear headphones, so no real issue there.

I have so little knowledge of computers and with their expense it's soul destroying when they have inexplicable problems that you wonder if they're going to cause serious damage at some point

This is on top of trying to track down the parts Dell should have installed in the first place. I've got an i7-9700 and a GTX 2060 in my system, and it has what appears to be the small diameter fan for the top exhaust. I dunno how they thought that would be adequate if you actually try to use the build for what it was intended.

I've lost a lot of confidence in my comp after a week or two hope spot of no freezes following the small fix. In my two previous Dell computers I never suffered issues quite like these.

I honestly just hope it was the power supply, but knowing my luck it won't be that simple a fix.

@RoHe 

I haven't done the upgrade yet. Was waiting on additional parts. By Monday I'll be able to take it to the shop for the swap. I'm guessing I have a 460W in place (though I'm not certain of this). I'm replacing it with an 850W Corsair. Also adding in the Arctic Freezer 11 LP CPU cooler. 

I grabbed the new Nvidia driver today (oh wait, I got this one from Nvidia, not Dell)

Not sure about the intel driver. Dell updates often says its completed an update, but then always mentions having 5 updates ready for install.

As for the BIOS, I'm always nervous about that, especially with the stories I hear about it killing the motherboard. According to HWiNFO, the BIOS is currently 1.1.6. I could ask the shop to run the update, maybe? 

Is it possible to download it without executing the file, so the shop would have the right one to run?

EDIT: This is what shows up when I checked for the Dell Updates

Is this all required? I noticed in the instructions it mentions something about 'BitLocker'. I did not find this program running in my list of programs, and a check of services.msc showed it was set to 'manual'.

@Moab23 

What size PSU did you have (460W or 850W) originally and what size did you install? I see recommendations that the GTX 2060 needs a >500W PSU...

Got the newest NVidia video card driver for the XPS 8930 which was released earlier this week?

Wouldn't hurt to update the Intel HD Graphics driver too, if you don't already have it.

And what version of BIOS do you have?  The latest is version is 1.1.10.  Hopefully you have at least version 1.1.8 which, quote: "updated the thermal table to enhance the performance of the fan".

NOTE: BIOS updates are supposed to be cumulative so if you have anything earlier than 1.1.8, you should be able to go directly to 1.1.10. Just read/follow the BIOS update instructions carefully.

@RoHe 

Would you recommend doing it manually via a USB stick rather than through Dell's Update program, and is this something I should mention to the guys at the shop, or something they would probably do?

Would I lose fan performance updates if I had the new CPU cooler installed, or does it improve the top exhaust fan?

I apologise for this. I'm not confident at all when dealing with things like and worry about causing more problems  

We won't see your image until the Moderators approve it, even though you can see it now.

I actually got that NVidia driver update automatically via Windows Update, before it was even posted on the support page for the XPS 8930.

So if you're running BIOS 1.1.6, you don't have whatever fan performance improvements they made in 1.1.8.

You can manually download the the BIOS update .exe onto a USB stick from the link I provided. To install the update, plug that USB stick into a USB port on the PC first. Then reboot and immediately press F12 to open the boot menu. Look for the option to update BIOS, and follow the prompts. Worked perfectly on my XPS 8930, going from 1.1.8 to 1.1.10.

I typed a long post and it disappeared....GRRRRR...

Can see your image now and you should do all of them - by manually downloading them from the support site and running one at a time.

Make them do the BIOS update from the USB stick. Why put in all those other unnecessary layers of software in the middle that can mess things up? And tell them directly about the F12 menu option because they probably won't have a clue that even exists.

Don't know which fans that BIOS update affects. But when you replace the CPU fan with a non-Dell fan, there will be a "fan failure" error at every reboot because BIOS won't see that fan anymore. Lots of threads about updating cooling in the XPS 8930 so read those to see how others who replaced the CPU fan dealt with the fan error message. Probably good idea to print those details out and hand them to the shop too.

I don't game so my XPS 8930 never gets hot and I never hear the fans. I think the hottest the i7-9700 CPU ever got here was 50ºC...

Post back and let us know how the upgrade goes...

@RoHe 

that sounds like another point of trouble

I noticed something about the fan replacement, it was mentioned about the boot failure and it was related to the connection placements (I presume).

https://www.dell.com/community/XPS-Desktops/XPS-8930-PSU-fan-question/m-p/7320105/highlight/true#M25107

It was in speedstep's post. 

Should I download each of those updates and put them in a folder for them to access for ease?

I'd print off details but unfortunately my printer was on the blink. 

I can write down details for them.

Put your Service Tag in on the Support page and see which drivers it offers for your specific PC. The shop could use Dell Update, but -IMO- it's easier to download and run them manually.

Here's the Intel Management Engine Interface Driver for the XPS 8930 that I see without entering a Service Tag.

Copy the contents of any USB stick you have into a new folder on your hard drive on this PC and then delete all the files from the USB stick. Copy only the BIOS .exe file update onto that stick. After you get the PC back from the shop you can delete that .exe file and transfer the files back to the USB from the hard drive.

All the other drivers can either be downloaded directly onto the desktop or into a new folder on the desktop. So let's not overthink this!

EDIT: And please watch the language. I'm surprised the censor software didn't **BLEEP** you out!

@RoHe 

I don't have any handy that are completely empty, or two of them. This is going to be complicated relaying the right updates to them.

When I typed in that Intel Management Engine Interface Driver, it brought up one non-compatible with my system instead of the correct one. 

Could they run the updates from the Dell Update program, but uncheck the BIOS one and do that separately?

Or could I download them all, put them in a folder on the desktop for them to then put onto USB sticks they would have available?

You can download the driver updates onto USB. BUT - you'll need 2 separate USB sticks. One for the BIOS update and one for all the other updates.

The BIOS update .exe file has to be in the root directory of the USB stick, not in a folder. And you don't want anything else on that stick with the BIOS update file. 

I have come to the conclusion that the root cause of this issue is the mother board itself. If it were a simple issue of drivers or settings it would have a clear resolution by now. I think that all of the on board components are stepping on each other over a poorly designed buss. 

The next question becomes what aftermarket motherboard will fit in this stupid case? Should I just scrap the case and motherboard and cut my losses? The CPU, RAM, etc. all seem to be good and would easily transfer to a different machine.

Ah great. So everything I'm doing might be for nothing

I was just about to ask about something else regarding the BIOS update.

When you look at it, there's a warning icon next to the current version:

Does this mean I need to get those versions first before 1.1.10 or can I just jump straight from 1.1.6 to 1.1.10?

I'm going to be majorly bummed out if it does turn out to be the motherboard