Help with a broken Laptop

It is not easy to deal with random freeze issues, whatever the reason may be. Here are few things you could try to determine HW vs SW issues. I always think simplest solution is the best for novices.

1. Clean Laptop of dust to minimize heat issues - This may be hard or not so hard depending on how experienced you are with assembly/disassemly of anything. At the least, blow compressed air into the laptop's opening (a few inches away from slot) and blow air out. you can blow into the exhaust, out to the side, or vice versa, but just be careful with air pressure. Don't be too agressive. Sometimes, this is enough to clear some of the dust out of the system. A better, more difficult way, is to remove the keyboard & bottom panel and remove dust built inside & heatsink fans. You can try to google laptop disassembly to get some info. First time is HARD, but it gets easier as you do it.

2. Reinstall OS - Random freezes could be cause by corrupted OS files linked to running games. Reinstall OS, graphics driver, and the game from scratch, and it will eliminated ANY software related problems causing this.

3. Stress Test - Run Memtest to test overall system & memory in NO windows environment, run Prime95 for system & memory in windows, and run a few gaming benchmarks (i.e. Unigine Heaven) to test graphics card stability. This will give you better idea of any hardware issue in your system.

4. What if HW issue is found? - CPU failure is rare, so I would consider it the last possibility. GPU is more likely, and RAM or MOBO is even most likely. Some GPUs have known issues, so search online for known issues with your GPU, or known issues with your Acer model. The problem is costs involved in these components and finding one. Some sellers give you time to return the item after purchase (from Ebay and such), so if you are sure a component is the fault, you can try to repair it yourself to save costs. Just remember, laptop repair is not the same as desktop repair. disassembly (especially the bottom housing or lcd housing, and cable routing) requires experience. If you do have to do it, research it first, and once you have the bottom housing open, take a picture of it before removing any cables or connectors, so that you can assemble it again.