GPU Issues - Hardlocking Comp - No BSOD

Ok, so I need help. Almost a month ago I installed the Nvidia 290.53 beta drivers and started using them. A few hours later my computer hardlocked and had to be restarted manually, I thought it was a driver issue so I uninstalled them and reverted back to my old drivers, however I am still locking up.

The lock ups seem to be random, thus far I have only noticed them when my nvidia GPU is being used, aka it doesn't lock up when im just browsing the web or anything. I've had it lock up now when running different games, so it's not a program issue.

When it does lockup, there is usually some type of sound issue right before it locks up, like my game sounds become robotic and garbled for a second or two right before it locks up and then bam, I can't do anything. When it does lockup there is a buzzing like noise that comes out of the speakers, it's similar to a BSOD noise but not the same. No BSOD appears, the screen just stays on whatever was up before it locked up and is 100% unresponsive.

I'm planning on reformatting this weekend to see if that would help, but if anyone has any advice/help I would love to hear it before doing so (over 50 gigs of stuff to redownload if I reformat, nothing to back it up on)

My GPU was overclocked when it started locking up, but since then I've turned off the OC'ing and it's still doing it. For OC'ing I was using MSI Afterburner, I've never maxed out the settings, and I've steadily backed it down over the past month or two. Also, I'm not sure if this is related, but I forgot to turn off the Afterburner OC'ing when I uninstalled my old drivers to install the beta drivers, when I restarted my computer MSI Afterburner popped up with a window saying that something wasn't found, but I don't remember what it was; I assumed that this was just because no drivers were installed at the time.


Thanks for your help guys!


Edit: Oh btw, it's not overheating.

 

im going to suggest a fresh install of windows. and after thats done, install dells drivers for the gpu, and run OCCT on all stock clocks and see if you get any artifacts. basicly, what you wanna do is make sure its stable on stock clocks. i noticed with the R1 i used to have is that my gpu would become more and more unstable over time when overclocked, thus having to use a lower clock speed.

 

I've had this happen in LOL (and only LOL so this may not be related other then it being the same type of issue) and the only way I can avoid it is to underclock my comp. Of course I'm not OC so it may not even be related.

 

I'm running OCCT currently, how long am I supposed to let it run for?

And also, how much should i try underclocking my GPU to see if it fixes the problem.

It's still locking up after the reformat