System Crashes via BSOD

[Penncrow19]

I have recently build a desktop system a month ago for my home with windows 7 home 64bit. I work during the day and only get to use it maybe 3-4 hours per night. Last week, while I was watching online videos, suddenly the BSOD came on and restarted my computer. Yesterday, it did it again while I was playing a game. I didn't have time to catch the exact code for the error on either occasions. My wife said she has experienced this one time as well a few days ago.

My initial thinkings:
1) Software, virus (i don't have antivirus), malware issues.
- I downloaded scanners and returned no errors. Being my OS was just installed a few weeks ago with perhaps a dozen or so programs installed since, it is still a pretty new/clean OS.
2) Hardware
- so I started to run RAM checks and they turned out to be ok.
- Harddrive, I really think this might be the reason. All parts I bought to build the system were retail new, except the HD, which was OEM Western Digital. Being OEM doesn't really mean it is defective, but I am just saying.
- Motherboard? I really hope it is not the motherboard, as I have had build systems in the past with faulty motherboard.
- others, graphics card, cpu, power supply? I never had GPU, CPU cause any problems with me. PSU is known to cause problems for my previous systems.
3) Drivers
- As I have stated, I don't have time to spend on my new system, so I never really udpated all the drivers. Basically, I let windows 7 detect all of the parts and drivers automatically. Only exception is my graphics card which I downloaded the driver from Nvidia.


My question to you all would be that there obviously is a problem with my system. Where do I begin to find the culprit, whether it be software or hardware? I would appreciate any help, comments, diagnostic tools from you guys.

Thanks.

System specs,
CPU - i5 760
Mobo - MSI P55 1156, GD65
RAM - 8gb (2dimms of 4gb) GSkill
PSU - OCZ 700W
GPU - Palit, nvidia GTX 460 1gb
HD - Western Digital 1Tb SATA3.0
Windows 7 Home OEM 64bit

Programs I run the most:
Starcraft 2
IE for steaming videos, torrent sites
Vuze for download torrents
Windows media player
Skype

 

[zigzag3143]

I have recently build a desktop system a month ago for my home with windows 7 home 64bit. I work during the day and only get to use it maybe 3-4 hours per night. Last week, while I was watching online videos, suddenly the BSOD came on and restarted my computer. Yesterday, it did it again while I was playing a game. I didn't have time to catch the exact code for the error on either occasions. My wife said she has experienced this one time as well a few days ago.

My initial thinkings:
1) Software, virus (i don't have antivirus), malware issues.
- I downloaded scanners and returned no errors. Being my OS was just installed a few weeks ago with perhaps a dozen or so programs installed since, it is still a pretty new/clean OS.
2) Hardware
- so I started to run RAM checks and they turned out to be ok.
- Harddrive, I really think this might be the reason. All parts I bought to build the system were retail new, except the HD, which was OEM Western Digital. Being OEM doesn't really mean it is defective, but I am just saying.
- Motherboard? I really hope it is not the motherboard, as I have had build systems in the past with faulty motherboard.
- others, graphics card, cpu, power supply? I never had GPU, CPU cause any problems with me. PSU is known to cause problems for my previous systems.
3) Drivers
- As I have stated, I don't have time to spend on my new system, so I never really udpated all the drivers. Basically, I let windows 7 detect all of the parts and drivers automatically. Only exception is my graphics card which I downloaded the driver from Nvidia.


My question to you all would be that there obviously is a problem with my system. Where do I begin to find the culprit, whether it be software or hardware? I would appreciate any help, comments, diagnostic tools from you guys.

Thanks.

System specs,
CPU - i5 760
Mobo - MSI P55 1156, GD65
RAM - 8gb (2dimms of 4gb) GSkill
PSU - OCZ 700W
GPU - Palit, nvidia GTX 460 1gb
HD - Western Digital 1Tb SATA3.0
Windows 7 Home OEM 64bit

Programs I run the most:
Starcraft 2
IE for steaming videos, torrent sites
Vuze for download torrents
Windows media player
Skype

we really need the DMP files

If you wish to have others assist you with your computer's BSOD symptoms, upload the contents of your "\Windows\Minidump" folder. The procedure:

* Copy the contents of \Windows\Minidump to another (temporary) location somewhere on your machine.
* Zip up the copy.
* Start your own thread in the appropriate section of the forum and attach the ZIP archive to your post using the "paperclip" (file attachments) button.
* Briefly describe the problem history and circumstances in the same post. Somebody will attend to your query as soon as possible.