Please Help: freezing every 4 seconds for about 4-5 seconds at a time.....

[deebingo]

  My computer occasionally freezes for about 4-5 seconds in 4 second intervals; the cursor will not move during freeze and all audio/video loops itself during these freezes.  This typically seems to happen when I am viewing streaming content on the web.  I typically will have a window open while I am working in another program such as Photoshop or Maya 2008.  I have the most up to date graphics card driver and I downloaded the latest flash player.  Sometimes I will be working on unrelated stuff offline and the freezing will kick in randomly even if I haven't even been online for that session.  Other things I notice are on occasional cold days when I boot up my computer the fan inside sounds louder than usuall until windows has loaded and then it quiets down again.

I have Kaspersky Anti-virus 2009 and the latest Spybot Search and Destroy, both fully updated.  I get tracking cookies to pop up in Spybot S&D and I promptly remove them and no viruses or trojans show up in my Kaspersky full scan logs, just some vunerabilities from old program files and such that I kept after upgrading to a new mother board and cpu.  I took my old C: and put in a folder called "Old System" and put it on my second hard drive E:.  Windows got a fresh re-install and I began installing my programs over again into C: after the upgrade.  Keep in mind that the mobo, cpu, and windows install was all professionally done by a shop that built my computer to begin with.  Kaspersky says no active threats and that my computer is protected.....yet still after a reboot after running Spybot and a sweep with Kaspersky this will still happen.

Before spending the money and time (I really need my machine working as I am in a 3D graphics program at school) at this shop I was wondering if anything stands out as a red flag that might be contributing to these freezing problems.  THANK YOU VERY MUCH IN ADVANCE! 

Here are some specs to help out:

XP Pro Service Pack 3
Core 2 Duo E8400 @ 3.00GHz
3.00 GB of RAM
Nvidia GeForce 9800 GTX + with 512 MB of dedicated memory
C: 300 GB available out of 500GB (7200 rpm @ 32MB buffer)
E: 92.8 GB available out of 250 GB (7200 rpm @ 16 MB buffer)

My Speed Fan Readings are as follows:

Sys Fan: 2071 RPM
CPU0Fan: 1918 RPM
GPU: 56 C
System: 41C
CPU: 41C
AUX: -65 C
HD0: 40C
HD1: 48 C
Core 0: 41 C
Core 1: 41 C
Core: 56C

Speed01, 02, 03 are all at 100%, Speed04 at 49%

Vcore: 1.14V
+12V: 12.04V
AVcc: 3.31V

[Broni]

Core 0: 41 C
Core 1: 41 C

Is the above while computer idle?
How old is the computer?
Ever cleaned inside?

[deebingo]

The computer was initially built 3 years ago, I just got the mobo and cpu upgraded about a month ago.  I Myself have never cleaned the inside of it because the shop puts a little foil tab on the case where you would open it that says "if tab is broken or removed warranty becomes void".  I ASSUMED that they take a can of air to dust it out when they put in a new mobo.  When I had the graphics card put in about 4 months ago I asked if there would be overheat issues and they assured me it shouldnt be a problem. 

As for the 41C Core temp the only thing I had open was explorer and Speedfan as I was typing out this message.

[Method_One]

If it's still under warranty, you should take it back to them. They should fix it for free.

[deebingo]

LOL right as I was about to reply the freezing began (I had youtube open in another window  ).

It is not under warranty anymore.  In the past when I thought about cleaning it I was deterred by the sticker and forgot about it after the warranty had expired.  Should I call them to ask them if they had dusted it during the mobo install?

BTW I am trying to avoid going to the shop as I need my computer now and they have a slow turnaround sometimes because there are only 3 of them in a tiny shop that gets a lot of business.....

[Karnac]

Pull the side off it and check to see if they cleaned it out........pets and carpets will  make a mess inside a PC.......make sure the the fan(s) are running.......make sure the heatsink is flush to the motherboard.........memory properly seated.....if all else fails swap in a known good PS.

[deebingo]

Thanks, will do.  So apparently this seems like an overheat issue?  By PS do you mean power supply?  Are there any other red flags?

[Broni]

Then, leave the case open, turn house fan on, blowing toward open case, and see, if the freezing will still occur.

[Karnac]

By PS do you mean power supply? 

That's right.....