New PC Build problems

[eipnvn]

I just built a new PC and am having some strange problems. I've basically got no software installed which makes me think it has to be a hardware issue. The system looks like this:

Intel core 2 duo e7400 processor
Thermaltake 500w PSU
4gb (2x2gb) corsair ddr2 Ram
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P Motherboard
ATI 4850 Video Card
640GB Western Digital drive

The system starts out fine, boots up fast, and runs great, but eventually slows down to a crawl - finally resulting in a blue screen. The BSOD says that it's dumping the memory and slowly counts it out as it's dumping it.

I've tried removing one of the sticks of Ram thinking that might be the problem, but it did the same thing. My only other thought is that it might be heat? Anyone ever run across anything like this before?

 

[Lexluethar]

Give us the blue screen error message.

Have you tried to reinstall the OS just to ensure it wasn't a bad installation?

 

[eipnvn]

I have not tried reinstalling the OS (it's XP Pro if that matters) that's a good idea.

I just jotted things down real fast the last time, here's what I wrote - next time it crashes I'll get all the info:
The error is 0x000000 7A

I remember win32k.sys was mentioned and the other number I wrote down was BF8C028C

Sorry that's not a lot to go on I know, like I said, I'll write everything down next time it happens. Those seemed pretty generic from what I could tell though..

 

[Lexluethar]

http://www.techist.com/forums/f9/how-troubleshoot-specific-stop-errors-193301/

Here is a great tool to use for troubleshooting windows stop errors.

Most stop errors are either memory related, driver related, or disk related. This one seems to be disk related.

IF you have more than one stick of RAM try running the system w/o the other sticks, trying to replicate the issue. Once you have the issue happen with a particular stick of ram and not with the others - you have your bad ram.

If that isn't helping or the error is still happening on all ram, then look at the hard drive.

 

[eipnvn]

ok, I'll give that a try. What's the best bet for determining / fixing (if possible) disk errors?

Again, thanks for all the help!

Is chkdsk still the best option?

 

[Lexluethar]

You cannot fix disk errors. The only thing that tools and chkdsk will do is mark the sections on the disk as bad and the system won't put data on those sections.

I don't know if this is a new build with all new parts, but usually a bad sector is a sign of a failing hard drive. If it is a new drive you should RMA it.

 

[eipnvn]

It is a brand new drive, thanks again for all the advice I really appreciate it.

 

[Lexluethar]

No worries, glad we could help.

 

[manowar]

eipnvn - you could try downloading and running Memtest to see if its a bad RAM module.