Random BSOD usbxhci.sys DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

Hi,
Over the past month I've been experiencing random BSODs usually with code "DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL." From what I can gather, the faulting driver is usbxhci.sys which of course is the driver for USB3. My system has four USB3 ports with two in use (Logitech G930 headset on front port and TP-Link network adapter on rear). After becoming frustrated with BSODs, I did a clean install of Windows 8 and made sure to download all appropriate drivers (chipset, graphics, flashed BIOS, network adapter etc.). However, the problem still persists. I removed the audio and usb drivers and let Windows install necessary drivers because they don't seem to work properly.

My fear is that this could be a hardware issue as it seemed to start randomly and a clean OS install didn't fix the problem. If I switch to USB 2.0 I probably won't see this problem anymore, but I'd like to be able to use USB3 if possible.

Thanks for your help in advance.View attachment 67399

I suspect the culprit is your TP-Link network adapter, but since there are no network related drivers flagged this could be incorrect.

Are the software/drivers of the TP-Link and headset devices updated? If they are then I would start with removing all USB devices you don't need and move the other devices to a different (unused) USB port and see if that helps.

I also share your suspicions - though I still wonder if it's hardware related. There was one new update for the headset and I had to play around with Windows to get the most recent TP-Link driver installed. Though I doubt this will change anything, I will report back if I get another BSOD or mark as solved if I don't within ~1 week (happens at random).

Got another crash. It seems like this is now a daily occurrence that usually happens shortly after waking up from sleep. I'll provide the latest DMP but I doubt it'll provide any more information than dumps from the past. For now I'll try changing the TP-Link network adapter to another non-USB3 port since I suspect it could be the issue. View attachment 67432

EDIT:
The Logitech software for my headset fails to start unless launched with the USB receiver removed. I tried plugging the receiver into a nearby 2.0 port and the software launched with no issue. Something is really weird with the USB controller for sure...

Do you have the Etron USB driver from your supportpage GIGABYTE - Motherboard - Socket AM3+ - GA-970A-UD3 (rev. 3.0) installed, this is the driver for extensible host controller.

lifetec said:

Do you have the Etron USB driver from your supportpage GIGABYTE - Motherboard - Socket AM3+ - GA-970A-UD3 (rev. 3.0) installed, this is the driver for extensible host controller.

Click to expand...

Sorry, I made an error in my specs - I actually have a GIGABYTE 970A-UD3P board (rev. 1). I have tried downloading and installing the proper VIA drivers but unfortunately neither work properly. The VIA audio driver (even after BIOS flash as mentioned on the site) sometimes won't recognize my rear 1/8" jack speakers or recognize my headset as a communication device. Further, the USB driver just doesn't work. After rebooting it won't recognize anything plugged into a USB3 port.