I don't know what to do...
 

So, around 3 weeks ago, my dad and I built my new computer. For about a day, it worked great.

However, its been 3 weeks, and I don't know what to do.

I've had the computer do the following to me:

1. Black Screen and Restart while running a non intensive program.
2. Had games like Skyrim and Just Cause 2 freeze.
3. Skyrim crashes *Don't know if game issue*

It is really bizarre, cause I'll just be gaming or doing normal tasks and it will just crash.
It is not because of high CPU and GPU loads apparently because, I use BOINC at night and max out both CPU and GPU for MilkyWay@Home and Rosetta@Home computations and never had it crash during that time.

I don't even know where to start on what hardware it could be failing.

Ive updated the BIOS to the latest version for my Motherboard (Specs on side), Catalyst is 12.6 and to my knowledge everything driver related is up to date.

At first I thought it was my Power Supply, then my RAM, but now I am suspecting a Graphics Card Problem. But I can't pin point it.

I was really hoping that this build was going to go smoothly. I talked to my parrents for months about getting the $1800 dollars required for buying the parts to get the build.

All my specs are in my Spec's box...I really don't know what to do...

Stock speeds? Anything that might be an indication of when it happens (audio issues maybe?).

Assuming you've already downclocked the CPU back to stock and thoroughly tested the memory, it should be easy enough to troubleshoot the video card by removing it and using the 3570K's IGP.

It sounds like a memory or unstable overclock issue.

First of all, where do you live?

Second, run Memtest86+

Third run HD long test from manufacturer of your HD.

Fourth, run Prime95 for multiple cores on your machine for 6 hours (while you are out doing something) and see if that makes it reset.

That will clear the RAM, the Processor and the HD from the troubleshooting queue.

I haven't downclocked it yet, so I will go about doing that right after I finish making this post.

Can someone point me to a Memtest86+ iso that will work with Ivy Bridge. When I ran it, it just kept posting the same 4 lines of jibberish for 3 minutes until I turned it off.

Should I run Spinrite to test the drive?

What settings should I run Prime95 at?

Edit#1:
I downclocked back to stock settings using the ASUS Motherboard Normal Setting. When I went back to Windows, I think the Overclock was the problem. When it was overclocked, the memory went to something that I had never seen before, like 1372MHZ, but back at stock, the memory is at 1333MHz. I'll try gaming around today and see if that was the culprit. To be honest, I don't think there is much preformance gain from 3.8GHz at turbo and 4.2GHz at turbo...

Edit#2:
Should I use ADIA64 for a full system stress test, stressing everything?

At stock clocks you need to verify that every component is okay, then you can definitely say that the OC was the issue.

Memtest86+ Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool

Run Prime95 as "just stress testing" and pick the blended test.

If your HD is a Seagate, then use Seatools from their support page.

Downgrade to 12.4. Many a gremlin has been created by buggy amd driver patches. The stock clock then stress test is also a great idea. Good luck and stay positive, you'll get it fixed!

Ive finished up the hard drive test and it came out as a pass.

I will try Prime95 with the blend stress test and post back in 6 hours.

The drivers were 12.4 while it was crashing, I updated to 12.6 to see if it would help and so far it is the same.

try the 12.7 beta??

Ive been running Prime95 for six hours now and it is stable at stock speeds. Should I keep it running for 24 hours, or should I go and do the final test, which is MemTest86+?

Also, what program should I use to stress test the GPU and for how long? The GPU is a Radeon HD 7850.