Ive got a computer I think might be underpowered at full load. Windows 7 will lock up, but if you wait a min or two and it will start responding again, but then it will just lock back up. It took me 10 mins today to get the task manager open to try to close stuff but its so unusable pretty much your only option to hold the power button and shut it off. Once Windows is back up there is nothing in the event log besides the unexpected shutdown.

The PC is an E6400 on an Intel branded 965 board with 4x1GB DDR2 RAM, an 8800GT and 4 hard drives in a 2 raid arrays. This is the PSU it has http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx...N82E16817103937 Im pretty sure Im at the limit for that PSU so thats why Im thinking it might be the culprit.

Normally it runs GPU F@H and today I was rendering files in CS3 when it started locking up.

 

That supply should be fine as long as you're not running SLi video. Which version of 7 are you running? If you try to run X64 on a 32-bit system, you'll have major issues.

 

You're running a RAID 2 array with 4 disks (uncommon), or two RAID 1 or 2 arrays? RAID setup can make a huge difference on performance, for better or worse.

If you have 2 arrays, go here. Set your pagefile so that it's located on the array without your operating system. Either let Windows control it's size, or make it 8GB minimum, 12GB maximum.

If you explain the RAID arrays you're using, I may be able to help more.

 

you cant have two arrays, with four hdd.

i run a raid 0 on two 80 gig ,
and if i wanted i could run another raid to backup.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (iheartmyrd @ Mar 12 2010, 10:30 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>you cant have two arrays, with four hdd.</div>
Right, RAID 2 won't work with 4 disks. RAID 0, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 will, so which is it Joey?

 

sounds like hardware issues to me. Most likely mobo or memory.

 

Well, let me tell you first that I've been running the same computer since 1999 and it's required 3 new power supplies. Now it's none of the original hardware but I keep updating it.

A underpowered computer will:
1. randomly restart
2. blue screen of death (or kill applications in linux)
3. boot up to a black screen
4. hang on hard disk initialization
5... other wierd random problems which could be mistaken for bad memory or mobo.

Last week I replaced my power supply with a LSP 750w http://www.pcworld.com/shopping/detail/prt...er/pricing.html

This bad mamajama has 750 watts of power, and about 20 connectors, only 1/2 of which I use with 3 hard disks, 6 fans and standard connections. I think this power supply cannot be beat. Lifetime warranty.