Hell if I know, but the boot up is faster with the new firmware. What I'm experiencing is what the new firmware is supposed to fix. Well not to a T, but something like it. Freezing and slow response and such.

As far as a voltage spike... idk man. I mean at first I was thinking the same thing because I only noticed it when I stopped the test. Then I noticed if I let it run long enough that it would pull the same stunt while running. Running prime blend now to see what it does. I'm thinking my next steps are:

1. Fresh BIOS flash
2. New OS
3. Swapping RAM slots
4. Switch RAM
5. I don't know....

Hardlock?
Hardlocks are usually heat or power related.

Eventually yes but it starts first with me trying to make say realtemp the active window. Then it will "stop responding". After that I will hard lock immediately or just be able to move the mouse but can't open any programs or windows. If it doesn't hard lock I will see the little spinning thing most of the time like it's trying to do something.

Got it. I understand now. That happens to me sometimes if I lean on a system too hard for too long benching. It's a heat issue usually, in my circumstances anyway.

re-timming in a few.

Ok I tried a run at stock clocks for giggles and its doing the same thing. :( I'm guessing there is some software issue?? Guess I will skip down to OS and go ahead with a tim job. This is agrivating as hell!

You on a c300?

Ya two in R0

I am still on firmware 2 and not one problem. Dunno if you can flash back to it though. I had all types of problems with my drive on my 1366 Asus platform but haven't had those problems on 1155, 1156 or AM3 platform. I also had problems getting my 2600k stable. I could get it to pass any stress test I threw at it but then it would crash periodically while cruising the web, burning a dvd and what not. Trying to remember what I did. I messed with some voltage. Think it was the pch or vccio. I do know that I ended up putting it on auto and the problem went away. Let me plug in a USB keyboard and look at the BIOS to see what I jacked with.

EDIT: It was the PCH voltage. Dunno if this will help.

you may already answered this question and i may of just missed it but can you move the mouse or it just 100% locks up dose nothing?

i'd say try jaw down all the settings and just run everything 100% stock and then a new os with just a stander sata hdd if you have one or ide just to see what's up

if that dosn't lock up at all then you start one by one put the settings back
it's gonna take FOREVER but that's the best way doing it to me at least