I recently received a 460 768mb as a gift and it's having some odd freezing issues. It randomly freezes when web browsing and it froze once about 30 seconds into a Fur Mark run. By freeze, I mean the screen locks up and the computer becomes unresponsive.  

When I restart the computer, often there is no picture / sometimes it freezes at the Gigabyte mobo logo before POST. When I log into Windows XP, during the black screen with the loading bar it flickers a bit. I don't know if that is significant. 

My computer setup is pretty crappy and I'm upgrading soon, but it was fine previously. If the computer crashes and I'm away for a few hours, when I return and reboot an nv infinite loop error displays in the event viewer -- otherwise no errors. I've also tried a few different drivers. My system is not overclocked. This 460 replaces an 8800GT that died on me. 

crappy system: 

e2180
2gb ddr2 800
500w antec earthwatts
ga-p35-ds3l

I forgot to add it did this today about 30 seconds into Furmark, but I'll try disabling that setting. Running 258.96. One thing to note that I just thought of is I tried that free BIOS update for the card that's stickied. I don't remember having the problem before I tried that. Coincidence probably? I also didn't know drivers could prevent a POST -- that's what I wasn't sure about. 

edit: I don't have that option under Manage 3d :/

I've also tried the 260.63 drivers with no luck :(

I'll try Drive Sweeper.

The thing about it working previously is that I only had it 8ish hours before I tried that update, so I'm not really sure.

Just crashed again. Forgot to add that playing audio loops infinitely when this happens. My 8800GT died before I got this card and I am trying to remember if it had the same issue. Do you think this could be possibly PSU-related?

I'm now on an old Macbook because the crashes are starting to piss me off. Drive Sweeper didn't help. After the last crash, it booted all the way into Windows without my monitor receiving any signal -- black screen the last two times. The third time, it hung on the PCI listing boot screen, which it is now continuing to do.

I noticed during the XP load screen when it flickers, a line in the background also flickers and two period-looking dots pop up about 3 inches from the XP logo. PC is now vacillating between booting with no video source and hanging at PCI listing, with no signal being more common. Can't get into Windows now.

On a whim, I downclocked it to what Newegg says are the card's default settings -- what it was prior to the "free BIOS update" and made it through some Furmark and OCCT. I read somewhere on that update thread that newer cards ship with the upgrade, but I never checked the card clocks before I applied it so I don't know if that's valid.

Anyhow, going to leave my PC on overnight since it usually freezes when I'm AFK.

If this turns out to fix this crashing, what does that say about this card? Shouldn't it be able to handle those increased clocks?

Saw that thread and had already tried it :( I really appreciate your  guys' help.

Scaling back the clocks that "free update" gave SEEMS to have helped.

Is that bad?