PC Locks up

[FesterShinetop]

Hey guys,

I have a problem with my PC constantly locking up. It is happening at different moments so I have no idea what is causing it... sometimes it happens while I'm playing a game but it can also happen just after start up on the desktop with nothing opened yet.
Sometimes I can play a game for a long time without any problems at all and the other time it locks just after starting something up.
So I don't think it is a heat problem or a problem with my graphics card. I myself am thinking about a problem with my power supply (though I put in a new one not long ago). These problems started since 2 weeks or so, I don't recall installing anything special. It locks up maybe 3-4 times a day now, sometimes two times in a row. So I can still live with it but it is starting to annoy me by now... .

Any idea what may be causing this? Or are there any programs I could run to see if it is any of my hardware giving problems?

I allready ran different Virus, spyware and adware programs and no problems there.

Help is much appreciated!

And of course here are my specs:

Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 @ 2.66GHz
Asus PK5-VM S775
4GB DDR2 PC6400 800MHz
GeForce 8800GTS 320MB (PCI-E)
2X Seagate 250GB 16MB SATAII
Creative SB Audigy SE

The power supply is 350 Watt and I am running Vista Home Premium (Dutch).

[Beskar]

Could be a memory problem.

Use this, you will have to put it on a disk then run it at boot-up.
http://www.memtest.org/

Do the test first to see if there are any problems, if problems do come up, try to isolate which ram stick it is.


(I had basically a similar problem and it was a ram stick, so try it yourself)

[pevergreen]

Thats a low power supply, no?

I'd put a 500 watt in there.

[al Roumi]

Thats a low power supply, no?

I'd put a 500 watt in there.

I'd say so too!

I have an almost identical system, (same mobbo and CPU), have 1 SATA drive, 1 IDE drive and a Radeon 4870 -and I just stuck a 700W PSU in it with Win7.

Even if memory does turn out to be the problem, I'd upgrade your PSU (to a good one mind!) for peace of mind.

[FesterShinetop]

Thanks for the responses guys. Haven't had time to check out that memtest program yet. Gonna try that, but can I also burn that program on a CD? Even though I also suspect it's a problem with my power supply it's good to find out.

You guys think a 400 or 450 watt supply could handle my system?

I didn't have much problems with the PC in the past couple of days luckily. I was even at one point hoping the problem was solved by one of the latest windows updates... but it still locked up after that. Would've been too easy I guess...

[al Roumi]

You guys think a 400 or 450 watt supply could handle my system?

Probably, but it depends on how clean the power it provides is. Cheap PSUs will cope less well under stress and will more likely cause power spikes or other such nasties that can damage your components -as much as the PSU itself.

[Papewaio]

A good oversized PSU is one of the most under-rated upgrades that you can do for your PC.

After RAM, PSUs is hardware that you should invest extra in as the dollar goes further (relatively cheap).

http://www.anandtech.com/casecooling...oc.aspx?i=3413.

[LeftEyeNine]

A good oversized PSU is one of the most under-rated upgrades that you can do for your PC.

After RAM, PSUs is hardware that you should invest extra in as the dollar goes further (relatively cheap).

http://www.anandtech.com/casecooling...oc.aspx?i=3413.

Pape-san, sorry to sound lazy but, I have an Intel Core i7 920, 2 GB DDR3 RAM, 4 hard disk drives and a 9500 GT and I'm thinking of upgrading to a non-SLI/Crossfire DX11 supported video card which will need to be powered additionally from in the inside by the PSU.

I currently have a Thermaltake 500W however I doubt it'll suffice when I make the change. Could you give any ideas about how much watts to go for and, if possible, a particular brand ?

[al Roumi]

This site has reviewed several of the higher tier PSUs:

http://www.trustedreviews.com/periph...-Group-Test/p1

I recently bought the Cooler Master Silent Pro M 700W , but I've not had it long enough to say much on its durability. As I mentioned above, I have a new ATI 8470 which takes 2 power connections all by its self...

[pevergreen]

Pape-san, sorry to sound lazy but, I have an Intel Core i7 920, 2 GB DDR3 RAM, 4 hard disk drives and a 9500 GT and I'm thinking of upgrading to a non-SLI/Crossfire DX11 supported video card which will need to be powered additionally from in the inside by the PSU.

I currently have a Thermaltake 500W however I doubt it'll suffice when I make the change. Could you give any ideas about how much watts to go for and, if possible, a particular brand ?

I'd go 650W, maybe 700. Better higher than lower...

Interesting, just used the Antec Power Supply Calculator, said that system would be around 295W maxed out, with a new video card...don't know.

My current setup apparently drags 341W max. (2 WD Green HDD, 1 DVD RW, 1 Blu-ray Drive, 6 DDR3 sticks, 275 graphics card, i7 860.)

I have a 750W PSU...

http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=679

(I have the TP-750W blue.)

[Papewaio]

a 9500 GT and I'm thinking of upgrading to a non-SLI/Crossfire DX11 supported video card which will need to be powered additionally from in the inside by the PSU.

GPUs eat up the most wattage and have the highest variance. RAM on the other hand typically consumes just 2W per stick at a steady rate.

There is quite a few watt calculators
http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp
http://www.silentmods.com/modding/PS...alculator.html

For instance a 9500 GT might add 40W while a GTX 295 will add about 200W. Also there is a different amounts for normal usage vs high load (games). Then add in efficiency curves of the device and running noise (more energy it is pumping the louder they get).

So say it is 300 W. Add in at least 20% as a buffer (360 W), so that the PSU only hits 75% of its max capacity.

I wont recommend any brands other then to look and read up at least 3 types. Within brands there are better performers (low, middle and high end versions). Antec used to be highly variable (their low end was low, and their high end with the better ones).

[FesterShinetop]

Just as an update, I put in a 500 Watt power supply this afternoon. I hope that solves the problem... wait and see!

Thanks for the help guys!