Hitman Absolution Errors

This is NOT a dell/hp etc right? All off the shelf parts?

I don't believe your PSU is the problem but if you're buying a new one to replace it buy bigger as it's usually only $10-20 more for the difference between crap and OK. The PSU is the most underrated component in the box IMHO. That said, if it is power, try lowering the gpu speed which should be a setting in the Catalyst settings (say 80% or something, just move slider down a bit) as that would drop power use.

Are you using the latest drivers from AMD (as in not the vid card makers drivers, but direct AMD drivers)? Again only if off the shelf, most systems from dell etc must use their drivers - like the Dell XPS 8700 w/7570 1GB radeon uses DELL only and fails with AMD driver install. I just experienced this last week while reverting to Win7 from win8 on this box; thought dell card was off the shelf but it's REALLY a dell part only accepting DELL drivers. I had to get one from an XPS 8500 online, they don't show vid driver for Win7 x64 in 8700 xps drivers list...ROFL (guess MS pushing dell to hide it to force you staying win8?). The AMD drivers wouldn't load in win7, but you might have gotten them installed on in Win8 or xp (even though it might be wrong driver), not sure how those OS's would react to wrong drivers in this case as it varies, and i've gotten them on before in xp when incorrect-just trying it on old systems wanting AMD/NV true drivers (YMMV on that it seems, sometimes I've lied to machines to get wrong drivers to work or loaded the wrong drivers on purpose from similar models, you can pull this on DVD/Bluray drives from different makers with better firmware, like loading pioneer firmware on a drive by someone rebadging them...LOL).

You ONLY have problems in games correct? No apps locking up also? Other than games PC is stable? Do you play many games that run perfectly fine or are you having trouble in all the ones you play, as in the ones you mention are ALL you play? You didn't say if you play other games that work fine or the ones you described having issues are ALL you play. Win7 or Win8 (or XP? possible )? Are you using the latest patches for the games in question? Pretty much all games would be crashing if you had a bad GPU or memory was bad on the card. The same would be true for cpu problems and likely apps would be crashing in that case too. I've had a gpu that did 2D fine (desktop crap etc in xp), but the second you fired up a game it locked.

Can you pass 3dmark tests? Or uningine Valley? Furmark? Take your pick.

Can your CPU pass prime95 for at least a few hours? I prefer 12-24 when burning in but whatever, then I throw it into serious sam 2nd encounter or something maxed out running demos (only because Serious Sam games were so stable, work great for this), as I burn in for 3 days on a build always (1d prime95 blend mode (mem/cpu), maybe 1/2 day in small/large fft which pummels CPU only more, 1-2d in a game or two, thoroughly rocking everything). Can memory pass Memtest? Though I think you can set Blend mode to use more ram anyway, but memtest is great for just the ram.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:602_0MZIKA4J:www.pcworld.com/article/2028882/keep-it-stable-stupid-how-to-stress-test-your-pc-hardware.html+&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a
PCworld is down right now, but the article is on google still cached (I'm sure there are others, just a quick google to find a test article for you). Links in here for memtest86, Valley etc etc.

I hope if you're playing in your PC, you are aware of ESD Let us know what you get from some testing. The pcworld article lays out pretty well exactly what I do (just with different games). Your results will give us more hints about the direction we should go, or just plain answer what is wrong with your PC.

Hope this helps

A few more questions coming to me (LOL): Do you have access to another card (or old card before 260x)? Also if you OC the card (again in catalyst), does the problem get even worse? Have you always had these problems since adding 260x or some other part or has it just recently started being a problem? With your CPU I'm assuming this is an updated box that has had 260x added but I may be wrong.

A few notes: Radeon 260x is only a 115w card (IIRC) so your PC isn't likely pulling more than 250w (100w cpu+115w gpu+board etc about 250 probably loaded not idle) which should easily be handled by a 430w psu. I'm not saying the PSU isn't bad, just that yours should be able to handle it. I'm assuming you have the 6pin power connected to the card right? Without that you'd have problems no doubt in games when taxed. I've pretty much been up all night and I'm running out of gas (need caffeine...LOL), so sorry my thoughts are kind of all over the place...ROFL. I hope this isn't confusing you.