G5 Freeze - new motherboard, still freezing

Question

Hi.
A few months ago my PPC G5 started freezing while I was working. After a lot of tests, with updating OSX, and new RAM, Apple decided the problem was in the motherboard. I bought a new one, and after a looooong time waiting for the board to arrive and them to install it, Apple gave my machine back.
After a week working perfectly, when I used FinalCut Pro to encode a video, BANG! freezes again, and keep freezing even when using TextEdit or lighter applications. Sent back to Apple, and after some weeks they said "you need a new motherboard, but it is our fault, we'll substitute it for you".
Almost a month later, I went there to pick my computer. We tested enconding video in FinalCut togheter with Photoshop instalation and video convertin on Quicktime. Worked very well.
4 days later, the first freeze, and again I cannot work anymore. If I open GMail, this thing goes down. I'm using IStat Widged to monitor hardware, and it freezes even with no memory or processor hard activity.
Does anyone has some clue? Apple doesn't.
Luiz

Answer 1

The hatter,
Will try to be more specific:
I have two identical computers here, PPC G5 Dual 2.0 with 2.5 RAM, same storage devices, same display and same instaled softwares: FinalCutPro, DVDStudioPro, Adobe Photoshop CS2.
One year ago, one computer started reading 1GB RAM instead of 2.5. I restarted it and it came back okay, no more problems. In March it started freezing, but just once in a while. I reinstaled OSX, updated it and keep freezing.
I called Apple here, they said by phone: "maybe it is the memory, try to take it out and put again, maybe is the position in the slots". I did and no more freezes that day. But just that day, so I send it to them to test.
Took some weeks for me to get an answer, and came: "motherboard is the problem, we tested with another processor and it is fine". After a long time the board arrived (I'm in Brazil!), and Apple called me: "came and get it, your computer is okay".
Like I said, in a few days it started freezing again and I sent it to Apple: "wow, the problem is the motherboard again, the one we instaled is not working properly, we need a new one but you don't need to pay for it, was our fault". More waiting for the new motherboard to arrive. Apple called me: "we put your machine to be tested with our hardware test software. It is running since yesterday and it is fine. But if you want come here and we can test together". I went there and installed FinalCutPro with then, so we encoded a video while compressing another one and doing more things at the same time. Worked fine. It was Thursday.
On Monday I took a VIDEO_TS folder of a 8GB DVD I did here and put on Toast to burn in a 4.3GB DVD. This compression process is one of the freezers in the past. It worked fine. Next day I opened HandShake to make a video from a DVD. More than 5 freezes in one hour. I restarted the process 6 times. Since that, more freezes all the time.
I really dont know the tests the made, and the two computers are in the same room here, with the same conditions, same kind of use and same age, and behind 1000VA...
Sometimes I think this machine is placed over a indian graveyard like in Poltergeist movie.
But I'll talt to Apple phone like DaddyPayCheck said, and after that I'll came here again and tell you all about the solution.
Thanks The Hatter.