XPS 8940, intermittent freeze, possible solution

• Amount of RAM? 32GB
• How Many DIMM's? 2
• What physical Slots are they in (easy to see if the case is open or in the BIOS). 1&2 (CPU-Z)
• What are the RANK's of all the DIMM's (CPU-Z will show you this on the SPD tab). Single
• Did you get ALL the RAM with the 8940 or did you add some? ALL
• Make/Manufacturer of the DIMM's (CPU-Z will show this)? Micron
• Have you made ANY BIOS changes over the DEFAULT values? enable WOL, Disable Seep Sleep
• S.E. or Std. 8940? STD
• Did you add any H/W or External drives to the 8940 (this includes changing the keyboard/mouse)? Yubikey

Video card: NVIDIA RTX 3060ti

Monitors: (3) Dell S2721QS

Display Resolution: all monitors set at 3840 x 2160

BIOS: was 2.8 now (today) 2.9

The monitor turned black then back on sometime every minute or so randomly (with random monitor). I have to turn the monitor off via the power button to have it stay on.

Do we all have RTX 3060ti card in the XPS 8940 with this random freeze?

Reliability Monitor shows I have a freeze on 8/1/2022 twice, 8/9/2022, 8/15/2022.

Thanks,

IT

If CPU-Z reports Slot 1 and 2, then is really is DIMM1 and 2 which is in Slot 2 and 4, the white clips which it should be.

"The monitor turned black then back on sometime every minute or so randomly (with random monitor). I have to turn the monitor off via the power button to have it stay on."

Since you have 3 monitors and you say 'random monitor', I'd say it is related to the video card? Sounds like the monitor(s) can't sync? Have you tried different ports and cables? Could also be cable problem so have you tried different one? I've also have GEForce Experience and Nvidia Control Panel installed, but I don't think those need to be installed unless you want/need them.

You could also be having a Driver problem, and you can use DDU (Google it) to remove ALL traces of Nvidia S/W, reboot using the MS Video driver (low resolution) and then install the Nvidia Driver again (D/L it before using DDU which I recall has to be run in Safe Mode?).

Nvidia Drivers from their site can be used. You might want to give those a try if you have the Dell 'verified' one? They are newer and possibly fix your problem. Unless you are a Game Player, Nvidia also has a Studio version, it is basically better tested and may not support later games as well, meant more for productivity apps. If you have GEForce Experience installed, you can use that to switch between the two easily.

No, I've seen reports from RTX1x00, and RX30x0 cards and I have an RTX2060. Different GB RAM values too.

Only BIOS that is stable for most is the V2.3.0 one. Matter of fact, today I just locked up on the V2.9.0 BIOS.

if this works I'll send you a coffee (y)

I've done this now and restarted, let's see how it goes

ok so unfortunately, though it did last 10 days, the crash did occur, however it was NOT necessary for me to go through the repair option dialogue at startup (this may be as I disabled fast boot), though i did still have to force a reboot by holding the power button in. The other errors are just normal windows errrors, its the 'lower' one on 27/08/2022 that was the proper usual 8940 hang, and it did as usual, happen during idle/when the PC was not being used. Memory.dmp gives the following analysis:

*******************************************************************************
* *
* Bugcheck Analysis *
* *
*******************************************************************************

VIDEO_SCHEDULER_INTERNAL_ERROR (119)
The video scheduler has detected that fatal violation has occurred. This resulted
in a condition that video scheduler can no longer progress. Any other values after
parameter 1 must be individually examined according to the subtype.
Arguments:
Arg1: 0000000000000002, The driver failed upon the submission of a command.
Arg2: ffffffffc000000d
Arg3: ffff898a5152f170
Arg4: ffffbe8dcaf4b220

I shall post this in the other thread also to keep them updated

I am now (depressingly) going to go back to trying downgrading the BIOS to 2.30 (for the third time).

Hey!

Its so annoying for it to still fail after so many days. Bios 2.9 hasn’t been any better for me, though currently running for 5 days - I don’t have much hope. I’ve also been running with just 1 4K monitor. It hasn’t fixed it - theoretically I could try the smaller monitor, but would be a pain / impossible for work.

I still haven’t had time to run cpuz for memory related checks, though I don’t really think that’s it anyway as it wouldn’t explain no crash when using on board intel gfx.

Interesting to see you’re also getting a memory.dmp now - different code to my VIDEO_TDR_TIMEOUT, but I think it’s all just a symptom of the same underlying issue. I wonder if a retail NVidia 3060Ti exhibits the same problem as the dell supplied part.

I don’t ever recall this many bios updates in my life…

It’s getting to the point I’m going to have to bin the nvidia and never buy another dell.

My XPS 8940 has the same problem.

I've been sitting on the sidelines, watching this problem for most of this year, trying each new BIOS version, and never posting until now.

I have read every thread more than once. I have changed the BIOS, CPU, SSD, GPU, reinstalled Windows, tried every suggested setting, etc, etc, etc.

BIOS 2.10 just came out and it is no better. BIOS 2.3 still works fine.

There is a bug in the BIOS, and Dell needs to fix it. Period.

Product is basically useless until they do.

Just curious, but have you ever asked Dell to replace your 8940?  

Same issue here, same conclusion here.  Only difference is I use BIOS 2.3 and Nvidia driver 511.79.  

The only reason I use those two particular revisions is because that's what I had before I updated to 517.whatever and BIOS 2.9.0 when all my problems started.  This is why I don't generally update things.

Like inoodle said, I have never seen so many BIOS updates for a machine in my life.  I don't usually buy prebuilt PCs like these, like many of you, it was due to the GPU shortage that I find myself here.  But historically, I generally update the bios right after building the PC, then never again.  Same goes for Nvidia drivers.  Unless I have an issue, I generally never update them.

So that's what I'm going back to.  Turned off capsule updates in UEFI (not sure if this will stave off Windows or not), deleted Geforce Experience.

Still, would sure like this to be rectified with a proper solution rather than relying on old software.

>Just curious, but have you ever asked Dell to replace your 8940?  

With what? Another 8940 that has the same bugged BIOS?

---

@jklmao wrote:

>Just curious, but have you ever asked Dell to replace your 8940?  

With what? Another 8940 that has the same bugged BIOS?

---

Yes!

Why? Because as far as I know (I have no contacts but I've heard) they have NEVER recreated ANY problems with an Nvidia card on any 8940 or BIOS version V2.4.0 up.

Think about it, if they don't know 'why', how can they fix it? 'We' don't even know IF they are trying either. There is a good possibility Dell didn't even write the BIOS code. Usually the motherboard vendor does that, Foxxconn in this case.

Problem is no one wants to exchange the XPS they have for a Refurbished one and also leave all their data on the returned XPS. That is what I was told were the terms.

Otherwise, maybe by magic in some future BIOS this might be really corrected.

Right now, different theories and remedies have been tried. Some might even made the situation worse on the next virus, who knows...

>Yes!

This problem has been around since January of this year. There have been 7 BIOS releases since then. There are many threads on dell.com and reddit.com full of people reporting this problem, and working on it. Dell has had plenty of time to resolve this issue. Therefore, I have no reason to believe that they will resolve the issue now if I give them my machine. They would just send me another 8940 with the same problem, and waste my time. They are incompetent, and they don't care, clearly. Even this stupid website is broken and I have to make multiple attempts to post a reply.

The only way I'm giving Dell my machine is if they send me a completely different (and better) model. There is nothing else in this for me.

@jklmao 

As you wish.

2 points though:

1. Not all users with an Nvidia card have any sort of problems... for reasons unknown, you might get lucky and get one of those. Should it still happen, you might have a very good case to get 'something' different, either one with an AMD card or a different model.
2. If Dell can't recreate the problem, how confident they will be able to fix it if why have not done in 8 months?

Can't 'count' the reports you see, for one, it may not represent to total, not % of the Nvidia Population. Also, there are it appears to be different Nvidia problems. Those with Lock ups, and those with BSOD's and Event Viewer error. From reports here, many more fall into the first set of users.

Only thing all have in common then is BIOS V2.4.0 it seems.

Since you stated you've read through the various threads on this, you know that not everyone with an 8940 that has an Nvidia card has this lockup problem.  (Purchased mine in 07/2021, which has the i7-11700 and 2060 Super card, running Win10 and BIOS 2.10.0, and have not had these lockups.)  If your PC is still under warranty, am not sure what you have to lose if Dell will replace it.

Guess what. I contacted Dell and opened a case. I provided them a description of the problem and MANY links to these forum threads. They ASSURED me that the service center could fix the machine. I got all of my data off of it, and sent it in. They "repaired" it and shipped it back. The paperwork says that the motherboard was replaced. I hoooked it back up. It froze within half a day's use.

HAHAHAHA

They didn't learn anything from having my machine, like you suggested. The don't care, and aren't paying attention, exactly as I said.

XPS 8940 is disaster. A useless product to me. I need a different solution. Basically I will need to buy a different computer. I cannot use a computer that hard freezes even once a WEEK, nevermind multiple times a day.