Problem with RAM or Motherboard?

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jbard

1377 posts

Uber Geek

#71310 8-Nov-2010 18:42

Hi

So i have this vista PC that broke a few months ago, every time i used it, it would freeze the picture would stay as it was and everything kept running in the computer but the OS was frozen and nothign would get it to come on again unless i restarted the PC. Somethimes it would only take 5 mins to freeze other times it would take a couple of hours.

Anyway i didn;t really have time to fix it and thought it must be Vista or maybe the hard drive, so i just bought a new hard drive and put xp on it, everything has been fine for a couple of months until last week when i am now getting the exact same problem in XP.

From this i guess it is not the OS or hard drive so i am guessing at dodgy ram
or maybe even a motheboard error?

Problem is i don't really want to replace either one unless i am sure it is broken. is their any software i can run that will tell me the condition of my ram and motherboard?

Or has anyone else had this and knows what the problem is?

Thanks

richms

28168 posts

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#401810 8-Nov-2010 18:52

So if you had music playing, it would keep playing even tho the screen was unresponsive?

That would be video card IMO, they dont last very long IME, certainly not as long as the rest of the computer. Guess they just make them to last till the next generation come out. Since I have been broke and buying bottom end ones, they have lasted a lot longer than the fast ones.

Richard rich.ms

jbard

1377 posts

Uber Geek

#401812 8-Nov-2010 18:53

richms: So if you had music playing, it would keep playing even tho the screen was unresponsive?

That would be video card IMO, they dont last very long IME, certainly not as long as the rest of the computer. Guess they just make them to last till the next generation come out. Since I have been broke and buying bottom end ones, they have lasted a lot longer than the fast ones.

No music would stop playing as well.

richms

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#401820 8-Nov-2010 19:22

Ok, so everything doesnt keep running then.

Could be anything in that case, have you checked out the power supply? Lots of people seem to use the ones that come in $40 cases and have problems - go figure..

Also, as it has got warmer over the last few weeks, you may be on the edge for cooling of it.

Again, $40 cases dont come with enough cooling in them, and even if you pimp it out with fans the placement of them is crap so chipsets often dont get airflow. I know that when my lousy 780g board was in a crap case it would freeze and the chipset would be finger burning hot.

Richard rich.ms

powerforce

162 posts

Master Geek

#401956 9-Nov-2010 09:11

try a program like prime95 blend test that uses heaps of ram.
will crash you very quickly if its dodgy.