Computer Freezing in 3D games, other issues, HELP

[techwanabe]

A little back ground: I built a computer fall of 2003 as follows:

AMD Athlon 2500+ Barton
Epox 8RDA+ motherboard
Buffalo 512mb DDR memory
ASUS Geforce 4 ti-4200 128 mb video card
Western Digital 20 mb 7200rpm hard drive.
Original O/S Windows 2000, installed 3 months ago WIN XP Pro

Nothing is overclocked, all stock speeds and I run the computer with the side of the case off most of the time. Fans all work fine.

During the first year of operation, I had to replace the video card under warranty 2 times as the picture would start corrupting or not displaying. Seems the card would go bad after 3-4 months and give out completely after display problems began happening. After replacing the video card with the same model 2 times, I sent the mother board in and had it replaced.

I've had issues pretty much all along with the computer freezing in 3D games I've been playing. Reboot and I can keep going. After the 2nd replacement, the video card manufacturer, ASUS, replaced my card with a similar type but different model card. That card has lasted well over a year, but in recent months has been occasionally displaying corrupt 3D images. Sometimes I get error when first running a 3D game, and have to re-install the drivers.

I'm getting tired of the once a night 3D game freeze and want to replace whatever hardware is necessary to get a reliable 3D gaming PC for a modest cost. The motherboard has been replace, and the video card 3 times now. Memory once, with a differnt brand too. About all that is left is the power supply - original is an Antec Smart Blue 350W.

Suggestions? Replace the whole damn setup? I was hoping switching to WIN XP Pro a few months back would help, but freeze-ups still happen. Do ASUS Geforce 4 cards just suck? Do I need to switch to ATI like a Radeon 9800XT?

 

[amdskip]

Look at the capacitors on your motherboard and see if they look like this: http://cquirke.mvps.org/badcaps.htm

 

[techwanabe]

I have heard that the Epox 8RDA+ mother board could have problems with the capacitors. Which is why I sent the original back and they replaced it. Now I've replace the motherboard once, and the video card 3 times (last time with a different model from the same company). Even the memory was replaced with a different brand.

About the only thing I haven't replaced is the power supply from the main computer components.

I'm thinking of replacing the power supply and going with a new video card like a Geforce 6800 or Radeon 9800XT (for around $200 for the video card). The symptoms seem to be video card related but the P/S maybe frying the video cards too.