I've got a problem with a randomly freezing computer. I was wondering if it is possible for video cards in general to freeze a computer?

Yes, Video Cards can wreck havoc with system stability but heat is more often the culprit.


Open your case and clean out the dust bunnies.

Make certain your fans are running properly and that no components are excessively hot, especially the Power Supply and CPU.

If all of that looks good, try running a memory test. In the meantime, you could replace your video card with a spare (got any spares? Friends maybe?) and see how that works.

Good luck.

DR

My case is really clean. I gave it a good canned airing. My memory is indeed in ship-shape condition. I actually tested it 5 times before I realized I'd better intervene and stop it. Fans are not running at their best. How about if I open the side and put a normal fan on it, to see if it can stay on for a long time without getting hosed. Will that be enough to establish if it is heat or not?

That would tell you if it was a heat problem, good idea.

Have you looked at the Event Viewer to see what errors are showing up at these times? Each event has its own date and time, so look for the date and time that the computer is freezing.

Start> right click on My Computer> Manage> Event Viewer.

Be sure that you choose System.

The error will appear in the far left column and will appear as a red dot with a white X inside. Each of the columns has a title at the top of them, the column that you want is the Event column. When you see an error follow it to the right across the page to the event column, there will be a set of numbers in there, this is the error code. If you right click on the error code a drop menu will appear, click on Properties, another page will open which will contain a description of the error.

Please post the error codes and descriptions back in this topic.

Well, there aren't any errors occurring that I can see. I'll check next time it freezes just to be sure though. There were errors from a while back from when I changed something, but that is fixed now. It may be some seemingly innocent change though. We'll see. Thanks for the help so far!

No errors. Something strange though. This first thing about the updates was the very last thing that happened.

Event ID: 18 Installation Ready: The following updates are downloaded and ready for installation. This computer is currently scheduled to install these updates on Monday, May 12, 2008 at 2:00 AM:
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB944653)
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB914389)
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB920683)
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB908519)
- Update for Windows XP (KB894391)
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB943055)
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB935839)
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB896428)
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB913580)
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB905749)
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB908531)
- Update for Windows XP (KB930916)
- Update for Windows XP (KB916595)
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB945553)
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB943485)
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB935840)
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB920213)
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB900725)
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB948590)
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB888302)
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB941568)
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB926255)
- Security Update for Windows XP (KB918118)
- Security Up


--These were a few seconds before.--

The IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service service entered the stopped state.

The Computer Browser service entered the stopped state.

The Remote Access Connection Manager service entered the running state.

The Application Layer Gateway Service service entered the running state.

The Application Layer Gateway Service service was successfully sent a start control.

The Network Location Awareness (NLA) service entered the running state.

The IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service service entered the running state.

The Remote Access Connection Manager service was successfully sent a start control.

The Network Location Awareness (NLA) service was successfully sent a start control.

The IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service service was successfully sent a start control.

The Telephony service entered the running state.

The Fast User Switching Compatibility service entered the running state.

The Fast User Switching Compatibility service was successfully sent a start control.

The Terminal Services service entered the running state.

So I've got my fan on my open computer, and it isn't freezing. So does this mean I need to upgrade my fans? Right now I've got seven case fans, The two on the power supply, one on the video card, and one on the processor. The video card fan is the loudest on my computer and I suspect it might have a problem. It doesn't have a sensor so I don't know the exact temperature. Everything else seems within reasonable temps. It is hot to the touch though. I need to do something, because I've got a super loud fan cooling my super quiet computer. So my question is this: Could an over-heating video card cause my computer to freeze?

You said you have 7 case fans, but then you only account for 4, so I'm assuming you have 2 in the front and 1 on the top? Take off the front bezel and make sure the incoming fans are clean. On your video card, is it an open fan or the shrouded type? It might be plugged up and you can't see it.

yah i only read about fans that are installed on things, no exit or entrance air. You may want to get one of these

How many watts is your power supply? I have seen overheating in computers due to power supplies being driven past their recommended use. With that many fans, you should be getting decent airflow.

We had a problem with a Chaintech Motherboard (I personally wouldn't buy a Chaintech board) and found the problem to be a power supply that was overheating. Remember that the weight of a power supply often will mean that it is more robust.


BTW, a case fan is usually a fan that is designed to mount into the case and get the air flowing through the case. So to say you have all of those case fans is incorrect.

Good luck.

DR

2 more things come to mind. The airflow (cfm) should be balanced as much as possible, i.e. inlet matches outlet. Also route the cables for better airflow.
I also stay away from plugging fans into the motherboard as much as possible. I just don't trust the solder traces to carry a big load

I've got four fans on the side, one on top, and two in the back of the case. Then there is another on the back for the power supply, as well as an inside fan. My processor has a mounted fan, and my graphics card has one of those plastic rectangular fans with the multiple outlets. I don't know how to describe it better, but its the Radeon X1950 pro. Its a lot of fans, but they were only 3 dollars each. I guess you get what you pay for. My wattage is... 450. I'm going to check the front of the tower, I haven't taken that part off yet.

The front intake was crazy dirty. Its all clean now. My friend says that Xp Home edition doesn't handle Dual Cores very well. I'm wondering if maybe the company put on a patch or something that I removed when I reinstalled windows the first time. At any rate, it hasn't frozen in two days. I'm going to start running it without the fan. See what happens. Thanks for the help everyone.