System freezes, could it be motherboard?

[bgskier]

Hi-
i have been having this problem for the last month, trying to narrow down what is wrong wiht my computer.

Computer crashes while doing just normal activites, nothing specific to be able to point to a single thing that is making the computer crash.
The computer does not give any errors or blue screens, just keyboard freezes and eventually mouse stops moving.

Originally thought it was graphics card, so replaced it with known working graphics card, and I thought i fixed the problem, but it turns out now it just crashes less often. So therefore it is somewhat the graphics card, which I'm getting a new one of, but there is more to the problem.

I have pulled all the cards but the graphics card interchangably and computer still crashes. Also swapped both sticks of ram (not too much of a chance that I have to bad sticks of ram) so it dosent look to be the ram.

So my only thought left is that it is the motherboard or perhaps the cpu

Please give me some input on this. I really need my computer working again!

thanks

Brian


Oh one other thing i forgot to mention, my hard drive (IBM) has known bad sectors on it from an IBM test utitlity, but with an FDISK and proper format that should negate the fact that their are a few bad sectors on the hard drive because it pushes them to the end and dosent use them. But drive does format and work fine.

System:
Abit KT7A motherboard
amd 1.2 ghz tbird
512mb pc133 cas 2 ram
64mb ati radeon DDR VIVO graphics card
Soundblaster Live! 5.1
3com 3c905c network card
40gb IBM 70gxp ata100 hd
16x pioneer dvd
16x10x40 Plextor cdrw

 

[DoubleL]

It could be that your computer needs to be reformatted, You have a lot of things on your computer it could be the IRQ's don't like sharing with something, With all the cards out and still freezes it could be in your bios, vcore not set high enough, It could be your power supply getting weak, I worked on one the guy said it has to be the video card cause it only locks up when I run something 3D but it had nothing to do with his video card his vcore was set to low, It is one of them hunt and peck till you find it I know I am going through the same thing with one I built right now

 

[bgskier]

reformatted 15 + times...thinkin its not that...there arent any conflicts..it started happening after i reformatted after having WinXP pro...

no clue

 

[Wind]

Try to run the VGA card at 2x instead of 4X. If ur mobo is a VIA chipset mobo, update the VIA 4in1 drivers.

 

[L00PY]

If you're getting random crashes under a clean install of XP, I'd look to RAM, temps, or PSU.

I know you said you swapped both sticks. Does that mean you tried running with just one stick at a time? In different slots? Is it generic RAM / who made it?

What are your various temperatures? Ambient? Case? At idle? Under full load?

Do you have stable core volts, 3.3V, 5V, and 12V rails? How many Watts? Is your PSU on AMD's approved list for your processor speed?

Finally, when you say you need your computer working again, are you saying that you did have it stable originally but now it's acting flakey?

 

[starwarsdad]

I had this problem a couple of years ago with a K6-2 400. I replaced the processor and everything was fine. (Got warranty from AMD) That computer is still running everyday as my sons play machine.

Find someone that can loan you a processor for a few days or trade out for a short time.

 

[bgskier]

Thanks for the tips guys I will check all those things out, but yes my system was running 100% error free for 6 months before this started happening

 

[bgskier]

OK here's the stats I am taking off my machine right now:

CPU TEMP: 113 degrees F (im thinkin this might be it)
system Temp: 78 degrees

Vcore: 1.76V
3.3 v = 3.38V
5v = 4.92 V
12v = 12.00V


Is 113 degrees enough to be frying my chip and causing my crashes??

 

[DAPUNISHER]

your temps and voltages look exceptable, If your HDD is the 75gxp(is your sig a typo?) then since it's already developed bad sectors, I would try a different drive as your's is probably dying. Read this if you haven't already done so and consider it as a possibilty even if you have the 60gxp. I suggest backing up any data on that drive that you'd like to keep A.S.A.P. as well.