PC Problem, keeps freezing, need HELP!

[teriyaki]

SPECS:

AMD Athlon 64 3700+
ASUS A8N-SLI Motherboard (Socket 939)
Twinmos DDR-DIM 1024MB RAM
Radeon X800GT 256MB graphics card
2x HDD's (cant remember)
- HDD Nr. 1: 80GB (Main HDD, Running WinXP)
- HDD Nr. 2: 200GB (4 Partitions, for music, films, programs, games, etc. etc.)

Yesterday my computer froze while I was listening to music (Winamp) and playing World of Warcraft (jea..).
My computer had been running somewhat slower lately, and I figured it was because I had installed a few programs and not defragged or run any anti-virus/spyware removing stuff, so I downloaded a few fix-me-up programs and removed a bunch of stuff that was clogging up (two trojans and a bunch of spyware).
After trying to CTRL+ALT+DEL to see if I could kill the process that had frozen up, with no luck, since the computer didnt respond whatsoever, I just held the power-button in for 5 sec, then turned it back on. When it came on it got to the initial "hi this is your motherboard showoff pic" and froze again. I held the power-button in for 5 sec again and let it stay off for a minute. Next time I started I figured I'd just check the BIOS setup to see if any fans were going berserk, but when I finally (luckily) got into the BIOS the buttons started overlapsing each other, and if I tried to jump between menus (power >> advanced >> boot >> etc) it responded every now and then but I couldnt do anything cause everything was overlapsing everything else.

Thats when I figured maybe my lack of cleaning the comp was the problem, so I took everything out, got all the dust and crap out, and put it all back in. This time when I booted up I got as far as to Windows, where I figured I had fixed the problem, but just incase I CTRL+ALT+DEL'd and killed all the crap processes that were running in the background eating up my memory, but then it froze up after a few minutes, while I was listening to Winamp.
I switched it off and booted it a few times, a few times I barely got past the initial checks, once or twice I got as far as to loading Windows, with the blue dots that show the loading freezing up and new ones appearing overlapsing the other ones.

So, I decided to try to find the problem, first off I disconnected both the HDDs to see if I could just get into the BIOS setup and it wouldnt freeze like it did, but yet again it froze. So the problem wasnt there.. Now I tried to rearrange everything connected to PCI/PCI-E ports, moving everything one down. Still nothing, so I took out my RAM and tried my old Twinmos RAM, exactly the same, only 512MB, and it did the exact same thing, so I doubt the problem is there, so I'm guessing its either the motherboard or the CPU. Incase you might be thinking its the PS (powersupply) which it indeed might be, I just got a new one (400W) a few months ago because I managed to fry my old one somehow. Right now I'm going to try my graphics card in a friends computer, hopefully it'll turn out to be that, but I highly doubt it, seeing as how I can get into the BIOS and occassionaly Windows (for a few seconds).

My question is basically, does anyone have any ideas what I could be forgetting to do/check, what the problem might be whatsoever, or maybe someone has had this problem?

The only thing I have forgotten to mention is that my Chipset fan stopped a few months ago, so I put a cooling-rib (that fit) which I had lying around on instead. When I check the temps on the computer now, the CPU and MB are at around 36 degrees Celsius (96-97 degrees Fahrenheit).


Any ideas/thoughts?

[teriyaki]

I just tried moving my RAM between all the four different slots and now it wont even get as far as into the BIOS, no beep, no nothing.. Poo.

[teriyaki]

I also remembered another detail. Back when I was checking to see if I could find where the problem was, I was looking around in the BIOS and I figured I'd might as well just try clocking my CPU down around 100-150mhz, but the strange thing is, I couldnt adjust anything via BIOS, the processor specs were all grayed out, and I'm sure it has been possible to modify/clock it before when I've been in the BIOS looking around, I mean that atleast the option to modify anything at all wasnt grayed out.

[Shynnie]

Man you have a case on your back. I'm an AMD fan also but what you are goung throu its not your processor at all, thinking in terms what coild be wrong and afte doing all debbuging i think its time for you to test your mainbord it might b damanged.


Are you sure you dont have win32.ata self executable. its a virus that disable all the options. I had it i could not even shut down my PC the options were unavailable.

[teriyaki]

Pretty sure I dont have any viruses at all, I try to do a virus scan every month or so, but thanks for the tip.

Now my comp won't start at all, I mean, I can switch it on, all the fans start spinning, everything looks "normal",  tried booting without any HDD's or RAM in, and I'm not even getting any beeps, same with RAM and HDDs connected, no BIOS startup-beep, no nothing.. I'm quite sure my problem lies somewhere on the motherboard, probably something that has short-circuited.

Guess I'll be ordering a new MB tonight..

[Shynnie]

man my english sucks i'm portugues.
Look i think your mainboard is giving trouble but before you order a new motherboard test for your proccessor on a different mainboard but hey its hard core to find ur mainboard around ne.

[alexfue12]

i dunno, i'm pretty sure it's the mobo. My mom's computer (an HP, if it matters ^^^) died on her and after I switched it out with another HP board, It not only worked fine, but faster than before.

[teriyaki]

Yea, I've ordered a new MB, hopefully it'll be here in 2-3 days, so I can try it out. Wish me luck ^o^