Random Freezing - Please Help

[Onslaught]

A month ago my computer started acting funny. I normally leave my computer on 24/7, except when there are electrical storms coming through - then I shutdown and unplug it. Recently when I'd come home or turn my monitor back on my computer would be froze. I'd press the caps lock key to verify.
Now when I play games I notice it happening a lot more. The last time I played Warcraft III I ordered a unit to move and his response kept looping over and over and well as everything else locking up. Again I'd hit the caps lock key to verify that it was locked up.
Today I began by running some tests and I'm pretty sure I know what the problem is but would like some feedback.
I tested my memory today. When I did it would freeze at test 2. So I removed one chip and placed the other chip in it's place to get the same result, freeze at test 2.
Then I try switching dimms and chips and so on.. each time, freeze at test 2. I've never heard of 2 chips of ram going bad at the same time so I'm convinced it's the motherboard.

Thanks in Advance,

Onslaught

 

[Crashman]

Check the capacitors on the motherboard, see if any have brown stuff on or around them, or have bulging tops. I've see a lot of systems get weird memory problems because of the motherboard's capacitors going bad. It could ba a problem with the power supply as well, you'll want to check your voltages and keep an eye on them. Motherboard Monitor 5 is a free program with the ability to create a log of system temps and voltages, I usually have it output as a text file with 5 second intervals, so that when the system crashes I can open the log file and see if one of those things caused the crash.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Onslaught]

Crashman,

Thanks for your advice. I've got MM running right now and the bloody pc wont crash now, go figure. As soon as it does I should have the problem logged. I did noticed when playing games the CPU temp is 127 degrees F and idle it is around 98, is this normal?

Thanks,

Onslaught

 

[marneus]

It depends on your system... what Chassis, CPU & HSF, Mobo & System cooling does your system have ???

Trust me I know what I'm doing... ooops, grab the cat...

 

[Onslaught]

Here is my system specs:
------------------------------------------------------------
2.40 gigahertz Intel Pentium 4
8 kilobyte primary memory cache
512 kilobyte secondary memory cache

Board: Intel Corporation D875PBZ AAC26680-205
Bus Clock: 200 megahertz
BIOS: Intel Corp. BZ87510A.86A.0026.P05.0304231448 04/23/2003
1536 Megabytes Installed Memory

Slot 'J5G1' has 512 MB
Slot 'J5G2' has 512 MB
Slot 'J5H1' has 512 MB
Slot 'J5H2' is Empty

RADEON 9500 PRO / 9700 [Display adapter]
------------------------------------------------------------
Also, here is a readout of motherboard monitor
from when the system crashed.
2395 MHz | 93° F| 96° F| 32° F| 1.50 V| 1.47 V| 3.26 V|5.07 V| 12.04 V|0.00 V| 0.00 V| 5060 RPM| 0 RPM| 0 RPM
------------------------------------------------------------
Additional findings:
-When I play final fantasy 8 for PC, I notice the sound effects will drop out then I'm left with just music. As soon as I exit the game, the PC will crash/halt/freeze.
Also, sometimes while playing ff8, like other things, the system will freeze as well.
-A bunch of my friends suggested it was the ram, so I went out and bought 1 stick of 512 ddr, 400mhz Ram. Same problem.
-Ran memtest to test the ram. Every stick of ram freezes at test 2 on memtest. I even tried putting the ram in different dimms, no sucess.
-Blue screen of death says "BAD_POOL_CALLER", I got this while cycling through mp3s.
After trying to reset from the bad pool caller error, my pc wouldnt do anything. the monitor would flash and the computer wouldn't even beep. I toggled the bios reset and that got it to boot back up.
-now it doesn't seem to be locking while idling at the desktop like it did before.
Thanks again for all your help,

Onslaught

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Onslaught on 06/17/04 07:43 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[Crashman]

Wow, you could have bad RAM, or RAM that's pushed beyond it's capabilities (overrated RAM). What RAM are you using?

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Onslaught]

I'm using 1 Corsair, 1 PNY, and 1 Generic ram from VPC's. All at 400mhz all 512. I'm about to reinstall windows to see if that helps. I know not having matching companys is bad, but I usually buy what I can afford at the time.

 

[Crashman]

Wow, what? You're using 3 modules on an i875P chipset board? On a 2.4C? [/shakes head]

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Onslaught]

What? I dont have enough to fill the 4th slot yet. However as I said before.. no matter what I put in. It can be any sort of combination, I'll still get the problems. Be it 1 chip, 2, or all 3.

 

[Crashman]

Wow, you really shouldn't be getting errors with each of the 3 testing them individually though. It seems as though at least 1 would pass memtest86!

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Onslaught]

Thats exactly what I thought. Hmmm. My guess has been the motherboard, which is still under warrenty I believe. I bought it through Newegg.com. Being from Intel, I would hope they at least have a year warrenty.