Booting and stability issues

[carstairs]

Motherboard: Gigabyte EP45-UD3R
CPU: Q9550
Video card: EVGA GTX 260 216 Core
RAM: OCZ Reaper 2x2 DDR2 1066
PSU: Corsair 750TX
Windows 7 64 Bit

In the past few months my computer has been having some stability issues. It started out with the computer turning on after sleep mode but the monitors staying blank. Rebooting the computer would be hit or miss. Sometimes it would work after a few tries, sometimes I would have to system restore. My lazy solution was to stop using sleep mode.

This solved nothing. My computer will still sometimes freeze (once every day or two under very heavy usage). If it's of any help, the mouse freezes and the computer stops responding, but the song I have playing will continue until the end. Booting is an utter crapshoot. It POSTs, but sometimes Windows won't load, or sometimes I'll get the Windows logo on the black screen and then a horizontal white line will appear and nothing will happen. Regardless, I either keep trying that until it works or I am forced to do a system restore.

I have no idea where to start with this and will gladly give any more information that's needed. I really want to be able to use my computer again.

 

[soundguruman]

insert the windows 7 disk and select "upgrade"
this will set the OS back to a default state, without erasing the personal files.
After doing the repair, If the same problem continues, you may have a bad motherboard.

 

[Ijack]

I presume that you're not overclocking? If not then certainly you have a hardware fault - motherboard and PSU are the obvious culprits, but that's a pretty good PSU, so it's unlikely that it's that. Or it could even be the video card - I bought a new GTS 260 which produced odd symptoms, a bit like yours. Turned out the card was faulty - a boon really as the retailer let me upgrade it to a GTX 460 (with an appropriate additional payment).

 

[carstairs]

Just finished up the Win7--->Win7 upgrade. Pretty painless. Hopefully that clears up the issue.

But if it doesn't, and it is indeed the hardware, what's the process for troubleshooting? Switch out the video card? (I don't have another lying around but I do have a lifetime warranty). If it's the mobo, am I screwed?

Thanks for the help.