PC freeze HELPPPP!!!

[LtShark]

First I am not sure where to post this exactly. but please I need someone's help. Here is the PROBLEMS (well 1 but can't source it)

I bought a PC in June of 2005 since then it has been into Best Buy's Geek Squad 17 times and sent to E-Machines (Gateway) 3 times.

Original setup:
250 watt power supply
MSI MS-7093 motherboard
AMD 64bit 3200+
512 MB ram (Samsung PC3200)
on baord
video (ATI Radeon x700pro)
sound (Raltek)
160 gig HD
Upgraded when first bought:
changed power supply to 350 watt Antec
added ATI Radeon x700pro PCI-E slot video
added Sound Blaster Audigy ZS2 gamer edition sound card
added backup 160 gig HD
added Kingston 400MHZ 512 MB ram

Now the same problem but with each (non-fix). I say non-fix because even after all the assumed fixes this PC still has the same problem since day 1

within 90 days my PC started hard core freezes. and during freezes sound popped thru the speakers. Geek Squad diagnosed as bad power supply fan and replaced it.

30 days later exact same problem and exact same diagnostic. However I asked them to not replace but rather get a larger power supply. I grabbed a 500 watt dynec (Best Buy brand) power supply.

few months later same problem again. Sent into Best Buy several times and each time they had a different answer. So during the roughly 8 times with this I deleted both HD's roughly 7 times. did massive scans of HD's and yet same problems continued to persist.....

Next time in they said my video card fan was failing. So I replaced it with an ATI Radeon x1300pro PCI-E slot video card........again the problems continued.

I sent PC into E-Machines at this time and the motherboard was replaced.

again the same problem occured so I went to Geek Squad some more with no help. Next I went to E-Machines again and they sent back saying thirdy party software and/or hardware. So I deleted all my HD's yet again.

Again same problems occured but I pulled all my upgrades out to test the original equipment. Again same problems so I sent to E-Machines yet again and this time the motherbaord, cpu, and Hard Drive got replaced.(added note the CPU was upgraded to AMD 64bit 3500+)

Now yet again the same exact problem is happening so I bought a clean version of Windows XP and Windows XP X64. I installed the X64 version and tried again and still same problems occur.

Now I ask someone to PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!!!

What the heck is the problem with this PC????

If you need more info e-mail me or ask in post
larrygalford@hotmail.com

[zipulrich]

Couple of things that may help narrow down a solution:
Have you looked in Event Manager? What does it report?

Device Manager - are there any drivers not loaded? Any ! marks or ? marks listed?

How does the PC operate in Safe Mode? OK, or does it still randomly freeze?

What are you doing when it freezes up? Anything particular, or just random whatever?

Have you tried running without that PC3200 stick of RAM (or at least have you had the RAM tested?)?

A few answers & we'll go from there.
And by the way, welcome to CTH. :)

[LtShark]

I did some research and more testing based on your questions. I have narrowed the problem down to my sound card....I think. I ran a test sort of like a science experiment.

I found a way to succesfully crash the PC in under 5 minutes each and every time.
the standard variables were as follows:
Open World of Warcraft and do not login, keep it running and alt tab out
Open a video in windows media player (I used one entitled Lucifron)
and open any form of downloader ( I used BitComet and downloaded 4 torrents at once)
This experiment crashed the PC every single time in under 5 minutes. I also recorded the crashes from start to finish on a video camera.
I then removed the sound card (this being the conditional variable)
There was then no crashes at all.
I am assuming (Computer science major - I dela more with software, lol) that the problem is hardware related....
I went into Best Buy's Geek Squad again with the camera and the proof that I located the problem that has been occurring since day 1.
I had purchased a 3 year warranty with the PC and was told all the upgrades I bought same day and time as long as they (Geek Squad) installed them, then all under warranty. Today I was told the sound card and all upgrades are NOT undewr the warranty and they refuse to help me out even those this is the SAME problem since day one (1 year and about 3 months ago)
Any comments please fell free to email me or add a reply. I do believe though I will be contacting Best Buy headquarters as well as my lawyer over all of this. Also I think I might contact thh Better Business B. but I might be a little hasty who knows, again please reply and help me out