Screen Keeps Locking Up in Different Ways

Screen Keeps Locking Up, Need Help Please!!

I recently built a new computer with:
Antec 900 case
2x2GB G-Skill RAM
Intel Core2 Quad 2.66 (Q9400)
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P Motherboard Rev. 1.6
EVGA Nvidia GeForce 9800 GTX+
Corsair 650W Power Supply
running Windows 7 64-bit.

Now on to the problem: At seemingly random intervals (sometimes every 30 minutes, sometimes every 2 hours or so), my screen/computer just fails, and I have to reboot. The screen either:

-Freezes with my windows/desktop still there, can't move my mouse or type, and there is a buzzing noise coming from my speakers.
-Goes black, and there is a buzzing noise
-Displays this, no buzzing:

-Displays something like this, no buzzing:



I've yet to overclock, run any games, or anything like that: I'm just listening to music, chatting, and browsing the web. My core temps are all under 45C and my GPU is under 40C. Also, when the screen locks up, I lose connection to my iTunes stream to my laptop and can't connect via TeamViewer, so this may be more than a graphics problem....
My BIOS is version FB for the Gigabyte mobo, but the latest version FD doesn't really address anything i would think is associated with my problem, so I've yet to update that. (Description of the BIOS versions from Gigabyte) http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Support/Motherboard/BIOS_Model.aspx?ProductID=3137


Does anybody know what might be the cause of the problem and any possible solutions to try?

That looks like a badass video card RAM failure. Do you have another card you can test?

It's either that, or your RAM is bad. Google "UBCD" and run Memtest. I'm leaning more towards a dead video card though.

I have to say bad RAM... when i OC my RAM too far, it does stuff like this. When the GPU is pushed to far, it just give me artifacts and restarts the video driver till it bluescreen.

Try a your RAM one stick at a time, and see if you still have the problem. Try to find a different video card too.

Thanks for the input. I found a friend whose setup has the same GeForce 9800 GTX+, so when he's free we're going to trade to see if we can isolate that as the problem, or at least part of the problem.

I'll test the RAM also, and I'm starting to think it might be the culprit.... I can't run memtest86, or memtest 86+ properly: it freezes on the loading page and never starts testing.

I will be sure to let you know how the testing goes.

Thanks again!

So I haven't been able to trade video cards yet, but it turns out many people have issues with the GSkill F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK RAM and the Gigabyte mobo. So I moved applied the voltage and clock settings as listed in a sticky on the gskill forums, and I'm still getting the same issues pretty much. I was able to run Memtest86+, and it turned up 0 errors over 5 passes. Does that mean that the RAM and Gigabyte mobo are working together in harmony fine, or does that just mean there's no issue with the RAM itself (strictly hardware), and that an incompatibility could still be the culprit?

Either VRam is corrupt or, more likely due to the fact that it can boot up, a dodgy connection somewhere.
RMA it if you can.

If you can't? Oven trick! That's what it's for, examples like this.
Just follow the guide VERY carefully and you should be fine =)

bad connection in what, exactly?
i'm still under the 30 day newegg RMA, so i'd like to find the exact culprit within the next 12 days so i can take advantage of the speediness of newegg

jxu101 said:

bad connection in what, exactly?
i'm still under the 30 day newegg RMA, so i'd like to find the exact culprit within the next 12 days so i can take advantage of the speediness of newegg

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If you are having issues with it, they will usually help you past 30 days. They are very good about their support. Talk to them and get a ticket open so they know of the issues.

yes, i've heard. but they'd probably still need to know which part specifically was acting up

This seems more like RAM. In the odd event that it's not, then it's gotta be the video card.

yeah my friend is coming over tomorrow to trade me video cards (we both have the exact same, and his we know works fine) to try and see if we can isolate it as a video card issue. if its not the problem, newegg said it would be possible for me to RMA the gskill RAM for a refund so i can buy RAM listed here http://www.gigabyte.us/FileList/MemorySupport/motherboard_memory_ga-ep45-ud3p.pdf that gigabyte says is tested to work with their motherboard. would that be the best route to go, or should i try to keep troubleshooting with what i have now?

i'm the oddball out in this... but that looks like a short/bad power issue to me. If that GPU requires an extra power connector.... swap it for another connector from your PSU and see if anything different happens.

Are you sure? When I've only had 1 of the 2 power connectors attatched to my GPU it doesn't look like this, it just locks up when you try and do anything.

TollhouseFrank said:

i'm the oddball out in this... but that looks like a short/bad power issue to me. If that GPU requires an extra power connector.... swap it for another connector from your PSU and see if anything different happens.

Click to expand...

my computer started turning itself on so i looked in the power management settings and turned off the wake timers, but i also noticed that my PCI Expres > Link State Power Management was set to "Moderate Power Savings." Would turning this to "Off" help much, if it is as Tollhouse Frank suggested?

update: traded video cards with my friend, and my system failed after 3 hours, and his system has yet to (and I don't expect it to) fail with my card. looks like I'll be doing some RMAing with newegg. Opinions on the matter? RMA both the mobo and RAM? just the mobo? just the RAM? RMA for a refund and buy a different brand of RAM/mobo?

Resolved

Thanks for all the help! I ended up just RMAing the Gigabyte mobo and getting an ASUS, and everything's been working smoothly since.