We got these new computers at work, and for some reason, mine was crashing.

Being that I made the computer selection, I chose Intel mainboard systems. Sysadmins like Intel, but they are nearly invisible in the marketplace, and not favored by either gamer screwdriver shops or mass manufacturers. They sell some mobos to the mass makers, but you also see other brands like Asus, ECS, and MSI in a lot of boxes. So I went with Bytespeed, a small screwdriver shop servicing school systems, that only uses Intel motherboards.

The problem was, the computer crashed, and in an unusual way. The screen would get "noise" that looked like an old TV not latching onto a signal. It would crash, and there was never a BSOD or a crash log. (That's the price you pay for getting a "fast" computer rather than a midrange one - instability.)

Typically, I like to diagnose the issue rather than get immediate warranty service. For one, by waiting it out, you improve your odds of getting a more debugged product. Send it back immediately, and you're still pulling from a potentially faulty batch of parts. Aside from that, it's entirely possible that it's not the hardware. So I worked slowly to diagnose. (Also, the company's 5-year warranty gives you a lot of leeway.)

The first things tried were easy - replace the keyboard and mouse. Maybe they were flaky. That didn't fix it.

Next, I disconnected my cell phone from the USB. Again, not working.

Finally, the computer was moved, and another computer brought in, and I used Remote Desktop to use the computer. The system went super-stable. It never crashed, and never disconnected. The terminal computer also never failed (another new Bytespeed).

My theory shifted: it could be the monitor. The monitor was an old IBM CRT with very good color. Lots of range. It's also from the late 1990s. Being a decent monitor, it had Plug-and-Play. There's a signal that told the computer it was an E94, and the optimal resolutions.

So, after a couple weeks of Remote Desktop, the computers were re-arranged again, and an older Dell monitor attached to the computer. The system remained stable.

To confirm that it's the monitor that's causing trouble, I'll have to reconnect it at some point, and see if it causes crashes.

A side note - during the computer setup, I had a lot of problems with older USB devices plugged into the USB 3 ports. They caused crashes. So it's possible there was something in the USB 3 ports before causing the crash. However, given that these USB crashes generally resulted in the keyboard or mouse freezing up, I don't think it's the USB ports causing the specific crash I was having before. (Now I understand why computer vendors sell computer systems with peripherals - less trouble.)

Through all this, Bytespeed has been good. They're always contacting me about the status of this computer. They have competent tech support - around as good as the Dell business-class tech support (which is really good imho).

This computer problem, if you consider it, could not have been solved by regular tech support. The problem, I'm assuming, was this old monitor, which nobody is going to have. What it took was a technical person experimenting to discover the problems and quirks of the hardware.

Also, I don't consider switching to another mobo brand, except maybe Asus, to be an option. I've had too much trouble with the other brands. Support is generally nonexistent after the first couple years - the churn of boards and features is impressive, but scary too. They use less 'leet parts. With Intel, you pay more, but get what are considered better parts, and another year or so of driver updates.