Ram or Mobo or PSU = crash?!

[[H]unter]

My old PC (Pent D805 with i945 Gigabyte) is crashing constantly. BSOD's and general windows and non windows freezes.

I have more success while booting with certain RAM placements (I have 4 dimms and 4 ram sticks).

However while trying to run some Memtest on the different ram sticks/dimms combos the comp always freezes.

Haven't tested the RAM I have on other PC's yet.

What do you recommend I test, replace, do further?

In your experience what part is causing the crash? I am thinking of upgrading anyway.

 

[drescherjm]

However while trying to run some Memtest on the different ram sticks/dimms combos the comp always freezes.

That is worse than I have ever seen (and I have worked on > 100 machines at work). I do not recall ever seeing memtest86 freeze without reporting a bad result even on systems with bad ram or bad motherboards.

What do you recommend I test, replace, do further?

Try to reduce the possible points of instability. Remove / disconnect all unnecessary hardware and retest the memory with 1 dimm (or two if the system does not post without pairs).

If there was no other hardware or the ram still fails swap the powersupply with one from a working system.

Could the cpu be overheating?

Is the chipset fan working?

Do any of the capacitors look bad? http://www.badcaps.net/pages.php?vid=5

 

[siliconnerd]

You could tell us what ram and power supply you are using...

 

[amd_ftw]

My old PC (Pent D805 with i945 Gigabyte) is crashing constantly. BSOD's and general windows and non windows freezes.

...I am thinking of upgrading anyway.

my guess: the pentium dual core's high wattage requirements messed up the mobo's voltage reguators.

i have a psu tester that reads out voltages digitally, but that's not under load. as consumers we just don't have access to professional testing equipment.

as a last resort, part it out it on ebay with disclaimers like "mobo posts! no returns."