Hello,

I have a big problem with my computer and it would be great if someone could help!! My computer has worked fine for 2 years, but now, it freezes after about 10 minutes. I think it is worst if a video is playing. After the freezing, it takes a few hours before it can boot again.

I have cleaned the fan of the processor with a compressed gas duster (it was really durty), but it didn't work.

I will be really appreciated if someone can help

It sounds like a part is overheating or the power supply is having issues. Would you be able to list all of the parts in your computer? If it's a consumer computer(Dell, HP, Gateway etc..) what is the model?

It is an assembled computer, but it has good quality pieces and it has always worked very fine.

I can tell that my motherboard is an Asus P5LD2, the processor is an intel pentium D (duo core 3,2 ghz), the video card is an Geforce 7600GT. I have 3 gigs of RAM and I know they are a little above the maximum MHZ of the motherboard , but is is like this since over 1 year and there was never any problem.

If you just turn on the computer and let it sit idle (e.g. not running any major applications, no games, etc.) does it keep going for hours and hours without freezing?


Here are a few relatively simple things you can do to help provide more diagnostic information.

Do you have a way to monitor the temperatures of the CPU and the video card processor (aka GPU)? If so, what are the temperatures when things are working ok, and what are they just before the system "freezes"?

If you don't have any temp monitors yet, there are programs available which will give you that info and some will log the info into a file so you can review the temperatures as they rise/fall over time.

You can also turn on the "Task Manager" CPU activity graph (ctrl+shift+esc, then click on the "Processes" tab) or download and install "Process Explorer" (both Microsoft programs) to monitor your CPU activity. (Note: Process Explorer lets you easily identify which process is causing the activity at any point in the graph)

If the CPU is always running at high levels (e.g. 80% or more), and especially if "kernel" operations are running at high levels, then some program or malware is likely misbehaving and contributing to your CPU running hotter than it normally should.

Lewis B said:

Lewis, is this what you meant?

I think what you are referring to here is that the RAM has a specified speed rating higher than your motherboard. E.G. your RAM is spec'd at DDR2-800 (or higher) and your Asus P5LD2 motherboard is spec'd at DDR2 667/533/400.

That's not a problem. All that means is that your RAM can run at a faster speed. Running at a slower speed, like that provided by your motherboard, doesn't hurt anything at all.

If your overheating, it could be something as simple as replacing the thermal grease, as John said, monitor the CPU temperature, it can take an hour for the CPU to reach its idle temperature, monitor it for strangely high core temps from there - if its high before that point then you may have a real problem

my first guess would be that the cooling fan for your processor isn't working.

James Kroon said:

If the heatsink fan was not working, the CPU would shut down completely. If not fry.

intel processors are made to shut down if their threshold temperature is reached. there's a setting for it in BIOS. so no, the processor wouldn't necessarily "fry". what would happen is exactly as described by the original poster.