Random System Lockups

Question

Hello everyone,
A week ago, I ungraded my system RAM to 1.0 GB (2x512 MB modules) DDR400. Since then, the PC has been running non-stop (just an occasional restart sometimes). For around 4 days, everything was normal. Then, the PC got stuck once (mouse pointer stopped working, hard disk LED went off, NUM lock / CAPS lock didn't work). But now, it's become much more regular with the system getting stuck in a similar manner at least 10 times a day. There's no particular place it gets stuck at. Sometimes while playing a game and sometimes while browsing web. It even gets stuck at the disk check, that Windows does after it encounters a bad shutdown. I've gone crazy trying to figure out what's going wrong. I know, it's not software. I've also got Windows 2000 installed and that too hangs similarly. I've tried changing various options from BIOS setup (including restoring defaults) but nothing helps. Here's my system's configuration:
Intel Pentium 4 - 2.4 GHz (533 version)
MSI Mainboard - 875P NEO FIS2R (BIOS 1.7)
1,024 MB DDR400 RAM (2 modules of 512 MB)
ATI Radeon 9800 PRO
80.0 GB Seagate Barracuda UATA HDD
40.0 GB Western Digital UATA HDD
40.0 GB Seagate Barracuda UATA HDD (on Promise RAID)
Creative SoundBlaster Live 5.1
Cambridge SoundWorks 5.1 Surround
Liteon DVD / LG CD-Writer
Windows XP Professional (Service Pack 1A)
DirectX 9.0b
ATI Drivers 3.10 Catalyst
DDR voltage is set to 2.5 V and the system is running in "Low" performance mode.
Setting it to "Fast" or "Ultra" results in display corruption / frozen system. ANy kind of help would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Kamran

Answer 1

Kamran, I have exactly the same problem...my computer was rock solid stable for a year.  I purchased Unreal Tourney 2004 and my video card started to crash... updated the drivers now the game runs great but my computer now randomly hangs.   oh yeah, my systems screen goes blank when it hangs...   I really need to find out what the problem is because it happens any time.  It will be up for a days and when I get home from work it will be blank and hung.  It happens when I'm typing an email it happens anytime.   I haven't found a pattern yet and it has been about a month since this has been going on.
Sequence of events
1) installed UT2k4
2) ATI would crash during game play (ati vpu recovery would kick in)
3) Updated ATI drivers
4) still ATI crashing during game play.
5) found out the poles were switch on the outlet my UPS was plugged into (which should be a problem since it's AC)
6) Switched poles back
7) purchase a new powersupply just incase (replacing antec 300w)
8) system will no longer post
9) replaced the motherboard with the same
10) system still not posting
11) tracked it to memory (btw the diagnostic LEDs are not labled correctly telling me it was the keyboard controler that was failing that's why I replace the motherboard)
12) returned the motherboard
11) So somehow one of my dimms was damaged?  My system would no longer post with both dimms but that "defective" dimm would work on a asus board I have.
12) replaced the dimm on warranty not remembering that they need to be replaces in pairs.  So one was version 1.2 and the new one 3.1.
13) system now hanging randomly
15) yesterday it hung and wouldn't post
16) pulled the ATI and replaced with GeForce
17) system posted and ran
18) 2 hours later it hung again
19) 3 days ago I replace the other dimm on warranty (I remembered about the DDR) both dimms have version 3.1 on them but the serial numbers are out of order (could there be a possiblily of incompatiblity between two sticks of the same version)
20) system still hanging just less often
21) upped the Mem voltage to 2.65
22) disabled ATI VPU recovery
23) no crashes yet but it has only been an hour.
Here is my configuration
Intel Pentium 4 - 3 GHz (800 fsb)
MSI Mainboard - 875P NEO FIS2R (BIOS 2.0)
1,024 MB Corsair XMS DDR400 RAM (2 modules 512 MB) (2-3-2-6) (slow) (2.70V)
ATI Radeon 9700 PRO
2X 120.0 GB Seagate Barracuda UATA HDD (STRIPE on Promise RAID)
Adaptec 29160 card - Ultra160 SCSI
36.9 GB IBM UltraStar Ultra160 SCSI
18.0 GB Seagate Cheata Ultra2 SCSI
Sony DVDR +/- DRU 510a
Yamaha CRW-F1
Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 2ZS
520 Watt Vantec STEALTH (Peak 620W) (installed after this started happening)
Bose Acoustimas 3
Windows XP Professional (Service Pack 1A)
DirectX 9.0b
ATI Drivers 4.4 Catalyst