Windows 7 Cursor Discoloration, Screen Freezing, Advice?

[dnorin]

Hello everyone, new to the forums.

Two years ago, I built my first custom PC.
OS: Windows 7 64-bit Professional
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3
PSU: Antec HCG-750 750W
Processor: Intel Core i7 2600K
RAM: Patriot 8GB (4x2) 1600 MHz
GFX: Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti
HD Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB 7200 RPM
Extras: LG Blu-ray Burner
External Sound Card: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
Monitors: RP6G2 KRK Rokit 6 @ 140W each.
Auxiliary-connected Audio: Bose Companion 3

Had no problems up until July. I decided to purchase the external sound card listed, a logitech g510s keyboard, and a logitech g600 mouse. Since then, I've had intermittent PC hanging, screen freezing and cursor discoloration such as:

I've also been having an audio problem, which I've deferred from for now. When using the external sound card, I had a problem with my Rokit 6 speakers where there was an interference in the background that would increase/decrease depending on PC load and when increase when moving my mouse in the Windows UI.

After some research, disconnecting my external soundcard and using the onboard auxiliary port (using the front speaker connected to a bose system), doing health checks on my memory and hard drive, as well as updating all drivers and all programs, I figured I had a motherboard problem.

This past weekend, I purchased an Asus Sabertooth Z77. After connecting it and installing the mobo drivers, everything seemed fine. Then I tried using Google Chrome, and my PC would screen freeze after a few minutes of running it. Afterwards, I installed Firefox, had no problems for a few hours. Then I ran a game, Final Fantasy XIV, as well as Firefox running in the background. Within 1-2 hours, the cursor discoloration came back, and the screen froze...yet again.

Apparently this is not a motherboard problem, and the purchase/installation of the Z77 was a waste.

Can anyone suggest ANY advice whatsoever to aid in this terrible problem? It's preventing me from maintaining schoolwork, music production, gaming, and above all else, my sanity.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. I noticed in the Asus UEFI BIOS that my RAM is not supported in the QVL list, and that my 1600 mhz RAM is being read as 1333 mhz. Would this have anything to do with it? The RAM was never a problem before.

 

[exdeath]

Try another video card.

Backup your partition image and try a clean reference image.

 

[dnorin]

Try another video card.

I removed the 560 Ti and relied on the Intel HD 3000 graphics on the i7 2600K, same conditions/problems applied.

 

[dnorin]

Try another video card.

Backup your partition image and try a clean reference image.

Hmm, was considering to do this as a last resort. When using Windows Backup, does it backup ALL installs, files, and drivers?

 

[readymix]

had this last week and going by the event viewer log I was fairly sure it was a NVidia dll I restored a backup and then install NVidia drivers. be sure to check the clean install box.

 

[dnorin]

had this last week and going by the event viewer log I was fairly sure it was a NVidia dll I restored a backup and then install NVidia drivers. be sure to check the clean install box.

I'll try it out, will post results!

 

[denis280]

Still using the 314.22 driver.all new one don't work on my gts 450.