mystikmind2000: I havn't 'built' a system for many years now..... Years ago i used to be able to go to computer fairs/shops and buy each component separately and save thousands of dollars. Then suddenly, almost overnight the computer fairs and shops went mad and i could no longer beat any complete system price that way??

The big problem with complete systems is that the seller is motivated by good looking stats on paper, not how good the system actually is! This is why bare bones systems are what i usually buy these days - less chance for the seller to sneak crap in next to their big ticket components.

jjsimp: I agree, I miss the days of being able to beat the price of a Dell computer. Now I just realize any computer I put together will be better quality, and absolutely no PCchips motherboard garbage. But the days of cheap prices for computer parts is over.

mystikmind2000: My computer has been up to no good lately and then last night something happened which i have never seen before?

I was playing Disciples 2 then the game appeared to crash, all the units vanished from the map but the terrain was still visible and the game was frozen. But the most unusual thing - the mouse and keyboard lost power?? And yet the computer was still running (the humming of cooling fans at least).

I restarted and shortly after restarting i got a blue screen it says "IRQL not less or equal than".... i have seen this same blue screen a number of times before.

I have had trouble in the past as well, but i simply shift the RAM around, pull out and replug cords, pull out and re-install vidio card, then it runs very good for several weeks before starting the same mischief again.

I have suspected the Video card because it seems quite loose in the slot, and whenever i have played around with it, the computer suddenly runs very good (for a time).

I have also suspected the HDD for far longer than the mischief started, because it never let me defrag it -if i tried, the defrag process would run but never complete, i even let it run for 2 whole days when i went away for the weekend. came back and defrag was still going. It is a shame Windows in its infinite wisdom no longer provide the defrag progress bar they used to, because that would be quite useful here!

Here is my system in detail:

Windows Vista™ Home Premium (6.0, Build 6000) (6000.vista_gdr.100218-0019)

Motherboard: Gigabyte P35-DS3L

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz

Memory: 4094MB RAM DDR3

DirectX Version: DirectX 10

Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT

Display Memory: 2798 MB
Dedicated Memory: 1007 MB
Shared Memory: 1791 MB
Current Mode: 800 x 600 (32 bit) (75Hz)

Any suggestions/comments? Especially if anyone knows what that Blue screen error refers too?