its got :
cd-rom 52x
intel p4 641 cpu
Ultra 1024MB PC3200 DDR 400MHz Memory
Golden Orb 2 cpu fan
radeon 9200 videocard
belkin wireless network card
seagate 250 gb sata harddrive
floppy drive
PT88BS Pro motherboard from mach speed

500 watt powersupply

anyone got ideas it would be much appreciated

i have already had numerous ideas thrown my way about it and have checked everything i could possibly check
my 1 theory is not a big enough powersupply for the computer everything else has been gone over but i just wanted to know what the rest of you guys thought

The power supply is definately big enough, however if it is malfunctioning & not putting enough power into the components then it can cause system lockups or BSODs. There could be the theory that it isn't putting enough through the rails but with those components I'd say it more than likely is. Still as said it could be malfunctioning & supplying less power...

How old is the PSU? The comp sounds aging aswell, the capacitors wear down during use as does the efficiency of the PSU, it would be worth trying another PSU just to see how things go.

2-3 yrs not extremely old i can get the one originally designed for this system and give it a try and hope that will work um also what do you mean by rails and capacitors are you talking about on the mobo or are you talking about the powersupply

just wanting things cleared up also the other powersupply is only 480 watts

also if burn marks are on the connectors of the powersupply is that a bad sign as well

True, not as old as it could be, although the spec makes it sound a little more so in my opinion.

Well the total wattage of the PSU isn't always the most important part, the 480W (& the 500W) that you have by looks of it can handle the system as a whole, atleast when new, the other part is the amount of amperage the PSU supplies through each of the rails, simply put, if it isn't enough it can cause alot of problems. The Capacitors on both the motherboard wear & the PSU also wears over time which result in less power being supplied, obviously this can cause problems, although usually the only problems occur when there were never sufficient amps in the 1st place. (this likely won't have happened with your comp) however the effects are the same if any other malfunction/defect within the PSU causes less voltage to components.

If there are burn marks about, I would probably deem it unsafe myself, but I don't really know if it really is dangerous, one would assume so. (Logically atleast) As said try another PSU, atleast it'd tell us whether it's the PSU that is the problem or something else.

The other obvious answer for your problem I'd assume you'd have checked internally & externally would be the memory, since memory problems are often the cause of alot of problems. By internally & externally, just to clarify, I mean internally as a memory check with software made to detect defect/bad memory & externally, just to reseat it (take it out, then put it back in)

i had already checked the memory a while back and i did take the psu and exchanged it with another one yet... the system still locks up

if anyone else can think of an idea it would be a great help

i also checked my internet card and plugged into wired connection.

i also checked the vcore to make sure my cpu was getting enough voltage to it to run correctly

i also changed videocards

changed hard drive the old one fried
(installed windows xp)

so if anyone gots an idea of what could be wrong i would really appreciate it or theories or anything at all please let me know thanx

ok so everyone who hasnt replied has no idea on this issue of mine ........ guess ill trash the system then cause aint nothing else to do about it obviously .... guess it was worth the try but there is nothing anyone can do about it

you are going to trash the system because no one here has an answer!
i have one ,take it to a computer repair shop!
it hard to figure out computer problems sometime when
we/us /others, don't have the machine in front of us to actually see/hear what the thing is doing . .i will reread you first post and put on my thinking cap and get back to you with my opinion

that is a very bad sign,passably left after a power surge, that also caused damage to you motherboard .
you are using what is considered a cheap mother! and its my experience that cheap is not good ,and they don't hold up well !

examine motherboard carefully with your trained eye,looking for burn marks and swollen capacitors !swollen caps will have opening in the top with the cooling chemical oozing from within!even the slightest amount on 3 to 5 of them will cause this to happen to a motherboard

using a new or known really good PSU,plug it in to only the motherboard ,and the hard drive ,nothing else ,boot to the bios and set it to default setting save and reboot computer and tell me/us what happens .

Just to add, are you 100% sure it is the hardware? While Software can't actually cause hardware defects or similar it can produce lockups & the OS/Comp to lock up instead.

caperjacks suggestion is also a good one to try. I agree you shouldn't trash the system, as sometimes it's difficult to find out the cause of a problem especially when there is no PC in front of you to actually see what is happening as it happens. (This is in reference to us not being able to actually see ourselves what is happening with your comp)

Acejames1, Caperjack, I know I'm new to posting here, however I do have to say taking to a "Computer Repair Shop" is NOT the best idea in this circumstance. I say this because I have been doing PC Repair now for the last 10 years, and worked in the industry professionally for 4. Your setup is VERY similar to mine. I too have replaced everything, I have run numerous hardware stress tests, completely re-installed the OS (a number of times), and yet I have issues with my system constantly.

Problem 1. sometimes the system will not start - the fans come on, the lights come on, but that's it - No Post, No Beep, Nothing. Power off and on a few times and finally it will post. Now MachSpeeds site only covers problems AFTER post, and it cannot be anything other than hardware to prevent it from posting.

Problem 2. During usage (usually when my son is playing WoW) it will either lock up (hard lock to where the CAPS lock and NUM lock buttons will not light/unlight if the appropriate buttons are pressed), or it will BSOD.

If you have this board it has a Lifetime warranty on it, just call Machspeed and get it swapped. This issue started after the pc had been up and running about 6 months and has been happening ever since, progressively getting worse. I only say not to take it in because I know what shops charge, and if it's anything like my problem they will get a good chunk out of you before you finally give up.