On Tue, Apr 23, 2013 at 11:44:22AM -0700, Joseph Areeda wrote:
>
> I'm having this strange behavior that I think is a hardware problem ...
> * System freezes, mouse and keyboard dead, sshd unresponsive sometimes
>

First action is to run memtest86 (Q: which one? google finds several. A: all of them).

Run memtest86 for 24 hours at least - if it reports memory errors, hangs, freezes or
machine turns off, you definitely have a hardware problem. Suspect parts
are in this order: RAM, power supply, CPU socket (bent pins), mobo, CPU.

If memtest86 runs fine for 24 hours and more, there *still* could be a hardware
problem. (memtest86 does not test the video, the disk, the network
and the usb interfaces).

>
> disk utility show ... SMART [is] fine.
>

SMART "health report" is useless. I had dead disks report "SMART OK" and perfectly functional disks report "SMART Failure, replace your disk now".

This is free advice. For advice that would actually get your computer
working again, you would want to hire a proper computer repairman.

-- 
Konstantin Olchanski
Data Acquisition Systems: The Bytes Must Flow!
Email: olchansk-at-triumf-dot-ca
Snail mail: 4004 Wesbrook Mall, TRIUMF, Vancouver, B.C., V6T 2A3, Canada