PC Freezing Issues

A

AceCurby32

n00b
Joined
Feb 19, 2011
Messages
45
Hey all. I've been building PCs for a long time and have trouble shot a ish ton of problems, but this one has me stumped.

First, here's the specs on the PC I built about 6 months ago:

ASUS P8Z77-V LK LGA 1155 Intel Z77
CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 500W ATX12V
Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz Intel HD Graphics 4000
SAMSUNG 840 Series MZ-7TD120BW 2.5" 120GB
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666)
Western Digital WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s
ASUS Black Blu-ray Drive SATA
Rosewill RCR-IC001 40-in-1 USB 2.0 3.5" Internal Card Reader
APEX SK-393-C Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP

So, here's the issue - about 2 months in, I started having video problems. Screen would lock up and the colors would go all crazy or jagged lines would appear. I did some research and found out that the graphics portion of the CPU had gone bad in some processors, but Intel says it's a MB issue, not a chip issue. I went out and bought a Radeon HD 6450 - popped it in and no issues. Now, a few months after that, the PC starts to randomly freeze up on me - no BSOD, just a complete freeze job. If I reboot the thing, the fans start to spin up, then stop, then spin up, then stop, and it gets stuck in that loop. If I completely unplug it and then run it again, it boots just fine and works for 5-15mins, then locks up.

I'm thinking processor, but since Intel won't replace it cause the issue "isn't the chip, it's the MB" and the MB says, "No, it's the chip", I'm looking at having to buy a replacement part...and last time I check, my money tree in the back yard had run out. So, the question of the day is - where would YOU start?

-Ace
 
I would try first to update all the drivers and then run a memory test. I believe you can use Memtest 86 and see if your RAM is good.
 
After you have ruled out software issues, memory, CPU, GPU (doubtful since you recently purchased a new card) I would then recommend trying a different power supply.

I've seen systems lock up due to inadequate power supplies on many occasions, or even generate artifacts (rarely) because the power supply is not able to handle the draw of all the components.

Even though that CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 SHOULD be able to handle your hardware, it could be failing to a degree.
 
Hey guys. Thanks for the advice and the link to that boot CD...

As it turns out both the CPU and the RAM went funky - had to replace both...and then the DVD drive broke and refused to open...I think this PC is cursed. Haha.
 
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