Random Freezes Regardless of OS and Extensive Hardware Changes -- Please Help!

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I’m experiencing unusual lock ups on a computer that have been going on for quite some time, regardless of the operating system in use.

My original setup was:

MB: Asus B150M-Plus
CPU: Pentium G4500
Cooler: Stock Intel (temps are always low – below 40)
RAM: 8GB Kingston Value Ram
PSU: 500w BeQuiet
HDD: HGST 500GB
OS: Windows7
Keyboard: Microsoft Wired 600
Mouse: Trust

The lockups would occur randomly. There seemed to be no correlation with opening a specific program, doing certain tasks, or any other trigger. The system would suddenly freeze--mouse would not move; keyboard would not register input; if watching a video, image would freeze and audio would endlessly repeat the sound that had been playing in the last tenth of a second before the freeze. A freeze could happen when I wasn't doing anything on the computer, or could occur right in the middle of actually doing something. The only way to resolve the lockup was to press the reset button.

Troubleshooting efforts: A clean reinstallation of the OS did not solve the problem. Changing the usb settings in BIOS did not solve the problem. I checked the RAM using memtest for 4 hours and found no problems. Repeated scans of the HDD found no bad sectors. PSU was less than 6 months old and does not run hot.

I’ve used Ubuntu for years on one of my other computers, so I figured I’d give it a try on this one. The problem persisted.

So, I cobbled together a new setup from parts:

MB: MSI Z170A SLI Plus
CPU: Pentium G4500
Cooler: Noctua Cooler (temps are always low – below 40)
RAM: 8GB Kingston Hyper Ram
PSU: 650w BeQuiet
HDD: HGST 500GB (identical to but not the same as used in original setup)
OS: Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
Keyboard: Microsoft Wired 600 (identical to but not the same as used in original setup)
Mouse: Logitech
GPU: MSI GeForce GT 710

Needless to say the problem is persisting.

I had a bit of luck the other day and one of these lockups occurred during a restart when doing some work in Terminal in Ubuntu. The restart initiated, but never completed and Terminal actually registered what it called a CPU freeze (or similar wording -- but it was definitely the CPU).

The only component that I have retained from the original setup is the processor (Pentium G4500). Could the lockup symptoms I’ve described be consistent with a bad processor?

Before I purchase a new processor, I was wondering if anyone has any further troubleshooting tips I could try?
 
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The only component that I have retained from the original setup is the processor (Pentium G4500). Could the lockup symptoms I’ve described be consistent with a bad processor

Don't see how you can want further evidence if the problem persists, and the only common component is the CPU! Good luck!
 
I'm having similar issues with an i7 5820k whether stock or overclocked. I found a temporary workaround which is to disable C States in the Bios, particularly any beyond C1E i.e. C3 and C6 for both CPU package and CPU core. You could see if this works for you in the meantime.
 
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