Random lock ups on my system, HELP!

[Nocturnal]

My system is as follows:

Motherboard: ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe BIOSES: 1008, 1011, 1012-003 beta
CPU: AMD 64 3200+ Winchester
Memory: 2x512MB Crucial Ballistix PC3200
Hard Drive 1: 74GB Western Digital Raptor
Hard Drive 2: 300GB Maxtor Maxline 10
PSU: Antec TrueControl 550W
Video Card: eVGA 6800GT PCI-Express
Case: Antec P160 w/1x120mm intake and 1x120mm exhaust
Plextor 716SA SATA DVDRW

My problem:

Ever since I upgraded my BIOS to 1011 final, then to 1012-003 beta, then down to 1011 final again, then finally down to 1008, I have been experiencing lock ups that freeze my entire computer. No BSODs or errors in event viewer. Just freezes my computer up completely. I cannot even ctrl-alt-del either.

When I first started experiencing these lock ups it was when I upgraded to 1011 final BIOS. It would boot into Windows and as soon as I got maybe ten seconds into Windows it would freeze just like how it?s randomly freezing. Removing one stick of memory seemed to stabilize the system. I then upgraded to 1012-003 beta. From there I encountered problems with my Plextor 716SA SATA burner. So I downgraded to 1011 final again and things seemed ok. However I started to experience the same random lock ups. I downgraded to 1008 and still encountered the same lock up. I am now at 1006 and I am wondering what might be causing this lock up? I?m going to go out on a limb and remove one stick of memory if my system locks up once more.

Do any of you have any other ideas as to what might be happening?

 

[ProviaFan]

Memtest86 is a good utility to test if the problem can be isolated to RAM issues.

 

[Nocturnal]

What if it's a BIOS issue? How would I pin point that? Just reflashing until I don't have any issues?

It's very hard to recreate the problem. I can be doing random things such as installing a game to just surfing the web when the computer freezes up.

 

[Nocturnal]

I ran it at one pass and there were no errors. How many passes should I run it at?

 

[furballi]

1/2 a day should be sufficient.

 

[Nocturnal]

I ran it for 30 passes and it came up with 0 errors.

 

[ProviaFan]

The only other thing I could think of would be the PSU, but your does seem quite sufficient for the system you've got.

 

[Nocturnal]

Yeah. It only started happening when I upgraded my BIOS though. I'm currently using 1006 and I did the memtest86 thing over night. While I'm gone I'm going to run Prime95 torture test to see if I can get it to recreate the problem. Otherwise if it doesn't happen I'm going to have to chalk it up to the culprit being my BIOS.