Home built system hang

[sachin_pal125]

hello guys, can anybody help me with my PC.
its an intel P-4, with HT technology, 512mb ddr2 ram, 250GB sata (new), sata dvd writer...

it gets hang often when i play games, bt otherwise, works jst fine.....
it is 4 years old home built....

 

[sachin_pal125]

the motherboard i ASUS P5VDCMX

 

[joelmartinez]

do you meet the recommended requirements for every game you play, if not do you play at the lowest possible settings, what's your res? Vid card? do you have a vid card?

 

[greenfinch_73]

is it overheating and locking-up?

 

[servarus]

What games exactly you are playing?

 

[sachin_pal125]

@joelmartinez, greenfinch_73, servarus...

guys i don't have any graphics card, earlier i used to play prince of persia warrior within for hours n hours, and it worked perfectly fine then, i also have used counter strike 1.6, nfs hot pursuit, microsoft flight simulator 2004, freedom fighter all these without any interruption...

it was when i started playing palnts VS zombies last year, when my system started to hang, and after that it now hangs every time i play flight simulator and plants VS zombies...

but it still runs call of duty 1 without any hang...

i tried to clean the dust of cpu heat sink many times, bt it did not work....

 

[sachin_pal125]

is it overheating and locking-up?

dude i really don't know what locking up is, bt i do believe dat it might get overheated,....

bt still not sure

 

[sachin_pal125]

n guys tell me 1 more thing....
what is that substance between cpu heat sink and cpu??
its a sort of white, sticky substance...

 

[tcfraz]

thermal paste

 

[joelmartinez]

dude i really don't know what locking up is, bt i do believe dat it might get overheated,....

bt still not sure

download this: http://download.cnet.com/HWMonitor/3000-2094_4-10793486.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody;1d

report temps

and yes that white and sticky stuff is TIM (thermal interface material) don't remove it unless you have an excessive amount, you need it to keep your temps in check

 

[sachin_pal125]

Best answer selected by sachin_pal125.

 

[sachin_pal125]

guys, i think , the main reason for system hang is that thermal paste, coz i removed it sometime back without having any knowledge about it...
thanx all for your attention..

now, i jst need to know 1 thing....
how to apply thermal paste??

 

[malik99]

Apply just small and spread nicely and evenly.