BleepingComputer.com: Computer Freezes After Upgrading Motherboard, CPU, and RAM

In order to resolve my problem of having an Intel Q6600 quad core think it is a single core, I decided to upgrade and get
a new CPU (Intel i5 3.1ghz),
motherboard (ASUS P8H67-M LE),
and 4 gigs of DDR3 RAM (Kingston HyperX 1600).

All other parts stayed the same:
320gig hard drive,
nVIDIA GT430 1gig video card,
wireless internet card,
sound card

The problem is now it boots, and goes to Windows XP desktop but freezes after about a minute or so. The CPU fan is still running and the power light is still while the screen is frozen. I haven't reinstalled Windows XP as I want that to be the last resort. I know reinstalling would give me a stable OS platform. I don't think the issue is reinstallation. I went to BIOS and saw that the core temp was about 60 degrees C / 140 degrees F. The CPU cooler is generic and I only have one. Just to test and see if it was getting too hot I put a regular standing swivel fan to blow at the PC and it still froze. Anyone recommend any solution to this problem please?! Thanks.

When you installed all this new equipment did you do a complete reinstall of the operating system?

No I did not. I know I am probably going to have to reinstall to be stable... but I am trying to avoid it. Could the change in hardware be causing this freeze? Wouldn't it not boot to my desktop at all if the upgrade caused a major change?

Another thing I forgot to mention. In installing the CPU cooler fan, two of the four screw prongs broke that secures it to the motherboard. This means there are only two on the same side of the cooler that are holding it to the motherboard over the CPU. The way the cooler is secured, it hardly moves but sometimes there is some play which causes a small gap between the cooler and the CPU. Does the cooler have to be forcefully pushed up against the CPU by all four prongs to truelly cool, or is it cooling enough as it is to not cause the computer to freeze? I am just trying to understand this freeze problem so I can address it before I spend time reinstalling, if its not a reinstall XP problem.

Please purchase another cooler, and stop using your computer. Your PC is not getting the ample cooling it deserves, and that can cause severe hardware damage. Fix that first then reinstall Windows, and on your system I would highly recommend getting Windows 7.

I certainly have to agree with cryptodan, you'd be risking a fried CPU if that heat sink is not fully seated on the heat spreader of your CPU while it is running, believe me a new cooler is cheaper than a new CPU!

Bruce.

Teach Power, on 08 September 2011 - 06:40 PM, said:

Could you unplug your Mainboard from Computer Case and check does you put your CPU Cooler at right position. Sometimes some people just plug CPU Cooler without unplug Mainboard and make that CPU Cooler not at right position or worse broke the foot of that cooler so it will not locking.

I usually use generic CPU Cooler if my client doesn't want spend more money to buy another CPU Cooler and with Thermal Paste I always gets arround 30-47C. If over 50C thats mean I not put that CPU Cooler on right position.

One thing that I really hate from new type of Mainboard for Intel is there will be some IC / Capasitor very near of Processor Socket (the place you put CPU Cooler) and this was very suck as it will be very easy to get burn.

Teach Power, on 08 September 2011 - 09:46 PM, said:

Sometimes it will and sometimes it not. That depends on your luck. I believe there was not logical explanation about this case as no one could explain why sometimes it will be stable and sometimes it will get problem.

MrBruce1959, on 09 September 2011 - 10:16 AM, said:

That depends on what cooler you will buy. As at these days CPU Cooler price is almost or over than a new Processor / Mainboard / Power Supply (Not CPU).

You should get this cpu cooler because it does a very good job at cooling my overclocked x6 1090t and the price is very reasonable. It only includes 1 fan, you can add another 120mm fan to it which even makes your cpu even cooler.