Brand new comp keeps freezing

[Completenoob]

Hello everybody, my first post here, and i'm posting because i need help with a problem.

I recently tried building my first computer. I bought around $1,000 worth of hardware from newegg. I bought an MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum 939 Motherboard. An AMD64 3500+ 939. Antec "true 430" 430 watt psu. 2 sticks of crucial 512mb pc3200 memory. A Maxtor 250 gig 7,200 rpm hard drive. Windows xp home w/sp2. Couldnt afford a video card yet so i used the 64mb Nvidia Geforce 4 420 that came with my 3 year old dell until i could buy better.

Now the problems started when i tried installing windows. The first 2 or 3 times it froze in the middle of installation. Then when i finally installed it, windows would freeze every 5-10 minutes. I downloaded all the drivers for my hardware, but it still kept freezing.

Some things i might have screwed up on:

I might have plugged some things in wrong into the mobo, but if i did, then i dont think they would work at all, not just freeze. I know i have alot of left over wires hanging around.

I forgot to screw in 2 screws in the mobo, to the mobo tray. Maybe the Mobo isnt grounded right now?

The vid card is Intel based (says intel on the bios) maybe thats causing the mobo to crash.


Until i get a vid card i'm going to leave the computer alone. Then when i get the Vid card i will screw in the mobo right, install the new vid card, then try running windows again, if it still doesnt work i will call a computer technician to come take a look at it.

Can i get some oppinions on what you think could be wrong, or what i could do to help the situation?

Thanks in advance.

 

[TheMajor]

Check your fans with speedFAN.
Check your mem with memtest86+ www.memtest.org

 

[Completenoob]

Do you think it could be the Mobo screws? Or the Intel based vid card?

 

[TheMajor]

It shouldn't be grounded. I don't think its your graphics card.

 

[Hinrichisgod]

It could very well be something to do with the mobo not being grounded right. I would go ahead and screw in everything as it should be.

Also see if you can find another video card and then use that one and see what happens. Elimination is the key my friend....

 

[Completenoob]

Yeah, i'm planning on trying everything i can think of to fix it before i call in a professional. But i cant afford the vid card right now. so in about a month when i get it i can try it out. Then if that dont work i'm gonna have to call someone, even though i dont really want to.

 

[Alex81388]

I would also suggest trying to install with only one stick of RAm at a time, and alternate.

Unless there is something wierd with 939 sockets I don't know about that you have to keep both strips in...?

 

[Smokin-A.I.]

i think the best i can post her is that your bios isnt set up right and that is causeing your problem , look there and retry ok?