It also might not hurt to check for bios updates for your motherboard.

Is your CPU overclocked? One time I set the values too high and had the exact same results you described. Try lower settings.

It sounds like a temperature issue, or power supply issue. But could multitude of things. List specs that you know.

Power supply you can check in bios, there's a 5v, 12 v and 3.3v? rail (I think) they shouldn't be more than 10%. Ideally you want to check under load, but then you need to get like OCCT benchmark tool, so don't try that yet. This might be useful, but you don't want to use it you have a heating issue.

Check CPU temps with this
http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/

Catalyst Control Center Should have tempurate in the Performance-AMD overdrive tab

For Nvidia
http://event.msi.com/vga/afterburner/download.htm

Looks like it may be a temperature issue but not conclusive. Ive never fiddled with any settings AMD drviers are up to date with the CCC. Im just running that http://hcidesign.com/memtest/ RAM test and core temp is showing 100 degrees Celsius which is damn hot

pretty much confirmed its a temperature issue. while running that ram test temp went up to 120 then computer froze again. does this mean I need to re apply more thermal paste. after restarting comp its sitting around 60 degrees Celsius

Yeah, 60 degrees idle for a CPU is way too much. I would look at getting some thermal paste, maybe even a new heatsink and fan... if you want to take this opportunity to overclock you CPU.

I just cleaned out all the dust in the heatsink and fan (quite a bit) chilling at 40 degrees now. But barely any thermal paste. im gonna buy some is there some thats better than others of is all thermal paste the same just a different company selling it.

Get a Scythe or Coolermaster aftermarket cooler and Arctic Silver thermal paste. It's unwise to stick with the HSF that comes with the CPU.

Then that's the culprit. :)

I would buy a better cooler something like the Coolermaster Hyper 212+ which is cheap and would do the job well.
If you want something more exotic (And expensive), Noctua or Corsair Hydro.

the main thing is to not put too much or too little on. Make sure to get all of the old stuff off too. here is a video of how to do it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_331548&feature=iv&src_vid=o7rPqCvCt0g&v=I3gx6c62D7I