!(@&*(!@&*( PC freezes

[EliteGM]

My PC is as good as brand new, got 100% revamped like 1 or 2 months ago.

Specs...:

Intel DQ35JO Motherboard
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 @ 2.83GHz
ASUS EAH4890 1GB DDR5
4GB (2x2GB) Kingston DDR2-800 DDR2 SDRAM
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
HuntKey 550W PSU (cant remember if its 500 or 550. fucking sucky brand afaik. but hey, the ppl at the store say they've successfully installed it in PC's that run heavy drawing applications and such...)

Nothing's OC'ed, all just standard. It was completely assembled by a professional at a store.

The first time it froze up, I was playing Counter-Strike, I was like wtf
Stuff that happen:
- Audio loop
- Can't move mouse
- CAN turn monitor off/on without probs
- Keyboard loses all functionality (so turning caps lock on/off doesn't make the light go on/off), can't alt-tab, ctrl-alt-delete, etc.
- Can only be solved by forcing a shutdown (just pressing the button on the front of my PC for a few secs)

They happen completely randomly, without any error messages or stuff like that. It's happened while browsing just on my desktop, MSN, games, firefox, photoshop, etc.
I've recently turned off my page file but I also got freezes before that so that won't be the problem.

I've googled for this issue and I found that I need to do a 'MemTest86' thingy as soon as I get a hold of an empty CD. But I don't suspect problems with my brand new RAM

Temperatures are also fine on my PC, only when heavily gaming my CPU tends to get 70+ C but that's because it has a suckass heatsink. My GPU never overheats and the fan speed just increases when necessary.

I'm completely clueless because this is basically a brand new PC and it already cost my dad a lot of money (at least, I think it's a lot)

I'll be happy to give out information if it's required. This just shouldn't be happening!

[MentaL]

[yjlasher22]

try reseating your RAM or switching the slots. works sometimes. probably a bad seating issue.

[EliteGM]

I'll see in to that, thanks
I've burnt MemTest86 to a CD but when I boot from the CD it does some test real quick and then just reboots...

[yjlasher22]

yep, likely to be a ram issue. if reseating doesn't work, try using only one stick. test both out. see if it is the socket that is faulty or the ram. send it (ram or motherboard if socket spoiled) in for warranty if possible.

[EliteGM]

memtest runs now, i tried an earlier version. Wait for results now..
Posted via Mobile Device

---------- Post added at 02:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:34 PM ----------

fuck damnit!
So I was using an earlier version, it all went well up to the first 'Pass' was at ~67%, Test #8 (modulo 20 -blabla- or something), about 1 hr 2 mins in. It rebooted again T_T, just like it does immediately with the latest version.

EDIT:
So now I took one RAM stick out (it was: 2gb-empty-2gb-empty, now it is: 2gb-empty-empty[removed 2gb from here]-empty. the single RAM stick that is left HAS to be in slot 0, the first RAM slot). Now I wait for it to happen again. if not, I know who to blame :p

[yjlasher22]

if memtest doesn't work, it indicates faulty RAM. test the ram on another system. don't touch this com for now. i recommend changing the PSU to a more respectable brand, hell, you wouldn't know what can get fried with a cheapo lookin/ sounding PSU.

if the RAM works, you motherboard's ram socket's fried i guess. since its relatively new, i suggest sending it down to the shop and then asking him to change to a different PSU (coolermaster, corsair, seasonic) top up a lil if needed. its worth the buck.

of course, my info might not be totally accurate. you may want to either wait for more comments by the more experienced guys around or send it down to the store.

[EliteGM]

i'm first trying the sticks one by one, to see which one's faulty.

[omen]

okay, first of all test the temperatures.
the cpu and the graphics card temperatures.

[EliteGM]

I said in my first post they were just fine :\
I've run 3DMark 06 without issues

[omen]

70 degrees is too hot, and heat has strange and varied effects.
major effect being freezes.

use riva tuner to max out your fanspeed, open the case up and stress test in css or some other game that crashes your computer.
try to recreate the problem in ideal conditions.

[Rishwin]

70 degrees is too hot, and heat has strange and varied effects.
major effect being freezes.

use riva tuner to max out your fanspeed, open the case up and stress test in css or some other game that crashes your computer.
try to recreate the problem in ideal conditions.

I have to agree, 70 is too hot for a CPU.

Either:
1. Get a better CPU cooler
2. Get better thermal paste (ie. Arctic Silver 5) and re-apply
3. Get more case fans

[EliteGM]

70+ degrees even, but only while I like, run Mirror's Edge on max quality 1440x900, or in a heavy MW2 firefight.

If the issue isn't in my RAM sticks, I'm surely replacing my cpu heatsink. Thermal paste has been reapplied very short ago and should be optimal.
Adding a case fan is also a good option perhaps. Any suggestions on placement?

[Rishwin]

70+ degrees even, but only while I like, run Mirror's Edge on max quality 1440x900, or in a heavy MW2 firefight.

If the issue isn't in my RAM sticks, I'm surely replacing my cpu heatsink. Thermal paste has been reapplied very short ago and should be optimal.
Adding a case fan is also a good option perhaps. Any suggestions on placement?

Was it re-applied, or is all this stuff just new? The reason i said to re-apply it is because the "OEM" paste that comes with the Heatsink is horrible.

[EliteGM]

It was reapplied. The stuff that came with it was indeed a piece of crap.

[omen]

if your cpu overheats, and then crashes the computer, then any memory tests will be useless. since any excess stress on the cpu would overheat it and the instability could create false positive bad memory results.

btw how DO YOU KNOW that your graphics card isnt overheating ?
i have had 4850 and 4870 and 4870x2 and all of them are really hot.
i had to go with non standard design, because stock hsf is inadequate.

give us some temperatures.