Computer freezes periodically, please help.

[t0mmyb0y]

1. Overview of the problem
   Computer freezes. Monitor is frozen in place, keyboard and mouse are unresponsive.
   
   
2. Full description of the problem and symptoms
   The overview sums it up. This can happen quite randomly. I'll come down in the morning and it will be frozen from some point during the night. Other times it will be in the middle of a game. Once or twice during the windows loading screen. However, the computer can go for a few days without it happening. But it is certainly annoying when it does happen.
   
3. Did it work normally at one time, or has the problem always existed?
   The computer works right most of the time. I recently upgraded the video card and power supply, but these problems didn't seem to coincide with those upgrades.
   
   
   
4. Is the problem consistent and repeatable, or entirely random, or semi-random?
   Mostly random. I have been able to reproduce the freeze if I run a CPU arithmetic test in SiSoft Sandra, but not 100% of the time. Memory bandwith and graphic benchmarks in Sandra have never produced this problem.
   
5. I already tried these steps:
   Thinking it may have been a heat issue, I tried re-seating the AMD stock heatsink on the processor using some Arctic Silver II I had lying around (old school I know). This did reduce temperatures slightly, (51C down from 57C during routine windows stuff) but the problem has since recurred. I regularly scan my computer with AVG, A-squared free, and Adaware and keep in clean (CCleaner, Diskeeper). I've updated my video drivers (using driver sweeper each time). I'm fairly confident this is a hardware problem.
   
6. My software:
   • Operating System and service-pack level - Windows Vista Home Premium SP1
   • Antivirus - AVG Free
   • Firewall - Windows Firewall
7. My hardware
   • ASRock 939Dual-SATA2 P2.30 Bios
   • Athlon 64 3700+
   • ATI Radeon 4870 1GB
   • 4x 1GB PC3200 running at 400Mhz - 2 sticks of OCZ, 2 sticks of another name brand (forget)
   • BFG Tech LS SERIES LS-550 550W
   • Power supply and video card are recent purchases.
8. Other information that might be relevant
   The only thing I can think is that my CPU is starting to die, but perhaps their is some weird compatibility issue I haven't thought of. I appreciate your help in advance!
   

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[mpilchfamily]

Try reinstalling the video drivers. Especially if you didn't clean out the old drivers before installing the new ones.

 

[t0mmyb0y]

Originally posted by: mpilchfamily
Try reinstalling the video drivers. Especially if you didn't clean out the old drivers before installing the new ones.

Each time I've upgraded I use Driver Sweeper to clean out the old drivers. I'll try it again just to be certain.

 

[mpilchfamily]

Try just 2 gb of RAm and see how it goes. There may be conflicts between the timings on the RAM.

 

[Billb2]

Does Event Viewer have anything to say?

I would also suspect the memory. Try putting the sticks in with the one with the loosest latencies in the slot closest to the memory controller, it's partner, and the others, in the appropriate slots for dual channel.

 

[t0mmyb0y]

I don't see any critical errors in event viewer for the last 7 days.

Would running something like Prime95 overnight tell me if the memory is the problem?

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: t0mmyb0y
I don't see any critical errors in event viewer for the last 7 days.

Would running something like Prime95 overnight tell me if the memory is the problem?

Use Memtest86+. Burn it to a CD, boot to the CD and let it run overnight.

Nice formatting in your OP. Lots of info, and easy to follow :^)

 

[phdchristmas]

ive experienced similar problems with an older system, it turned out that the master harddrive would occasionally "crash." Windows would freeze and all peripherals would be unresponsive. The harddriev was very old, as i used this harddrive for over 3 years before putting it in that system.

I knew it was the harddrive as whenever the lockup would occur, the harddive would repetively shut down and spin again, as if it were trying to reboot itself to correct a problem.

 

[daveybrat]

It definitely sounds like a Ram or Motherboard issue to me. Run the computer with just 1 stick of ram for now and see how stable it is. Also run Memtest on the ram to check for errors.

Inspect your motherboard to see if any of the capacitors look slightly 'puffed' or 'bulging' on top. (a sign of motherboard failure)