I recently built a new gaming pc, however I am having a problem where in some of my games I will experience freezing. Every 5 or 10 seconds the games will lock up for maybe a 20th of a second. It doesn't happen in all of my games, but it happens in a lot of them

I really want to fix whatever is causing the problem. I have the latest drivers for everything. One thing I thought might be causing the problem was the motherboard, because one of the customer reviews for it said: "Cons: Not the best gaming board - I experienced periodic freezes in even older games like World of Warcraft."

Is periodic freezes a problem that can be caused by the motherboard, or is the reviewer maybe mistaken?

If it is a problem that can be caused my motherboards, I am fine returning my motherboard and getting a different one, but what I really don't want to have happen is I return it and get a different one, but then have it turn out that it wasn't the motherboard causing the problem.

So, what do you guys think is causing my problem? Do you guys think it is a problem with the motherboard like the reviewer said? Any ideas on things I could do so that I was sure that my problem is being caused by the motherboard? Or do you guys think it is something else causing my problem?

This is the motherboard I have http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131295

Thanks

It's hard to know, but to start with you'll need to tell us the model numbers of EVERY component in your system, including things like the power supply and CPU cooler. Also, what opertaing system are you running? Also, more details on the problem would help. Does it only happen during game playing? Are you running any other programs at the same time? When in the game does it happen: right when you start, after a while, either, both? Which games does it happen in? Which games does it not happen in?
Finally, it never hurts to run some basic tests. Run memtest86+ for at least a couple of complete passes. Run realtemp (assuming you have an Intel CPU) to monitor your CPU temps during idle, normal use, and during games.

Motherboard: Intel p45
CPU: E8400
GPU: HD4850
Ram: 4gb
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W
OS: Vista 64 bit

I only have this problem when playing games. Some games that I have the problem with the most are in Halo 2, Half Life 2: Lost Coast, and Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts. It happens a little bit in the Call of Duty 4 demo. And a game that I don't have this problem at all is Crysis.

The only programs I am running when I play is usually just firefox. But my mem usage is only at 45%. I have the problem all throughout when I play.

And I have PC Wizard 2008 which monitors cpu temp, and it is always about 35-40 degress, even while playing games.

And I tried running memtest86 but it said it wouldn't work with my 64 bit operating system. Anything I can do?

Wow I just realized something. In Half Life 2 Lost Coast and In Company of Heroes Opposing Fronts, the problem seems to be the worst when new things come into view. For example, in HL2: Lost Coast, the game starts you out lying down and looking up so that you can see nothing but the sky. But when you stand up, and the whole game world comes into view, the game freezes for almost a second. And then, if I just stand in that same spot and watch the moving water, the game will not freeze up at all. But if I start moving the character forward so that more of the game world comes into view, the problem starts occurring, freezing for about a 20th of a second every few seconds.

Same with COH: Opposing Fronts. If I turn the camera to look at something in the game I haven't looked at yet, it will almost always freeze for a split second.

The fact that in it is when you go from looking at just the sky to looking at the whole game world that causes half life 2 lock up so much really makes me think... would this be a loading problem or what?

And I messed around in Halo 2 and looking at new areas doesn't seem to cause this problem, it just always happens.

Edit: Sorry I just meant to edit this into my last post.

Ok, I was able to significantly reduce my problem in HL2: Lost Coast by turning on vertical sync and changing my monitor refresh rate to 75 hz. This also improved my problem in halo 2 a little bit, but it is still there.

memtest86+ is used as its own bootable floppy or CD, which you'll have to create from the image file you download.

Although you didn't list your complete specs, my guess would be that your problem is with the ATI drivers and/or 64-bit Vista. As you suggest, it seems that the programs are stalling when they need to load a lot of new objects/textures into the video card memory. I might also consider an issue with your hard drive, but it seems you don't have one.

PS - If you can setup a dual-boot with 32-bit Vista, I'd try that first. Also, make sure Vista (either version) isn't running disk indexing or other disk tasks in the background (watch your disk drive activity light).

I know someone who has the same graphics card as me as well as 64 bit vista and doesn't have any problem.

And I checked and Indexing was turned off.

And my harddrive is a Western Digital 320gb