I’ve recently built a new high-end PC: (GeForce RTX 4070, i9-14900k, z790 aorus elite x wifi7), and it works perfectly and is stable for everything (have been using it for work and for gaming for 12+hours most days without any issues the past couple of months), except that EVERY TIME I attempt to create a new Unity project, I get a blue screen of death (CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT) .
I’ve tried:
Installing all new drivers from GIGABYTE Control Centre
I’ve tried lots of different versions Unity from the latest Unity 6 Preview, through to 2021.3.38f1
I’ve tried both Universal 3D and 3D built-in RP
Basically, at the end of creating the project and opening the editor, my PC freezes, I get the BSOD with the code “CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT”). It happens every time, and I don’t ever get this with anything else on my PC.
Sometimes, instead of the BSoD, I get the message saying the project has failed to build, and I get the option to enter unity safe mode.
Then, in safe mode, I can see the following error:
Fatal error. System.AccessViolationException: Attempted to read or write protected memory. This is often an indication that other memory is corrupt.
at Mono.Cecil.PE.ImageReader.ReadDebugHeader()
at Mono.Cecil.PE.ImageReader.ReadImage()
at Mono.Cecil.PE.ImageReader.ReadImage(Mono.Disposable`1<System.IO.Stream>, System.String)
at Mono.Cecil.ModuleDefinition.ReadModule(Mono.Disposable`1<System.IO.Stream>, System.String, Mono.Cecil.ReaderParameters)
at Mono.Cecil.ModuleDefinition.ReadModule(System.String, Mono.Cecil.ReaderParameters)
at ApiUpdater.MovedFromOptimizer.Program.CollectMovedFromTypeNamesFromAssembly(System.String, System.IO.StreamWriter, APIUpdater.Framework.Log.IAPIUpdaterListener)
at ApiUpdater.MovedFromOptimizer.Program.RealMain(System.String[ ])
at ApiUpdater.MovedFromOptimizer.Program.Main(System.String[ ])
at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(System.Object, System.Span`1<System.Object> ByRef, System.Signature, Boolean, Boolean)
at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(System.Object, System.Reflection.BindingFlags, System.Reflection.Binder, System.Object[ ], System.Globalization.CultureInfo)
at System.Reflection.MethodBase.Invoke(System.Object, System.Object[ ])
at Program.Main(System.String[ ])```
I just re-installed Windows. Then installed Chrome. Then downloaded and installed unity Hub and the latest LTS.
…and the same issue (or variant of it - a different fatal error).
I’m willing to accept that I have a hardware issue that somehow is only triggered by Unity; however, I have no idea how to diagnose it. All diagnostics show my hardware to be fine.
I’ve now spent many hours trying to fix this, and will document all things I’ve tried:
Note that I’m still having 100% stability outside of Unity, and 100% failure to successfully create a fresh Unity project.
Ran ChkDsk - all fine
Ran Intel Processor Diagnostics - all fine
Ran Heaven Benchmark (GPU) - got close to 200 fps - all fine
Tried disabling my on-board GPU - Unity still crashes
Tried disabling C1-E In BIOS - Until still crashes
Tried Cinebench - ran CPU and GPU benchmarks without issue
Installed XTU (intel extremer tuner) noticed that CPU is getting as hot as 100 degrees. Tried undervolting my CPU quite severely. BAM! my first successful Unity project creation on this PC after like 100+ attempts.
So, it seems that CPU temp was the problem, which is odd given that all the benchmarks ran happily. I’ve ordered myself a Noctua NH-D15 cooler. We will see if it works better than the £30 one I have at present.
Okay, final conclusion, as I seem to have fully resolved the issue now:
TL; DR: - disabling Turbo Boost in the BIOS (which is on by default) solved the issue
In the end, I did not need to undervolt the CPU, and I’ve not had to install the new heat sink. Instead I changed the following settings in the BIOS, under Advance CPU Settings:
Intel(R) Turbo Boost Technology : Disabled
Intel(R) Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0: Disabled
CPU Over Temperature Protection: 80C (I suspect this is not needed, as the temp is barely going above 60C now, even during benchmarks)
The PC is still performing great, even in CPU benchmark tests, and as far as I can tell everything is working as fast as before.
Interestingly, after I changed these settings, when creating a new project with Unity, CPU utilisation stays at 3% most of the time, and at the most it spikes to 30% for a second here and there. Temp stays at 38C. Whereas before CPU utl. was going to 80% and temp > 80C.
I’ve included a photo of the BIOS settings, for anyone having similar issues.
This can also be your issue - intel famously has had issues with the 13k and the 14k chips where under right conditions it has been burning itself out, and once damaged it will stay damaged, and there is a bios update out to prevent further problems but if you dont do it like day 1 then theres a high chance there are now cpu inconcistencies and theres nowt you can do unless you replace the chip and i dont believe the new chips have the problem fixed you just can apply the bios and hopefully prevent it
