I'm running/specs WINXP 32, Service pack 2, Nvidia 7600GT APG8x 512MB, Althon Xp2000+ proc, 2GB DDR PC3200, Sound Blaster Audigy 4, Western Digital 500GB HD and I have a Razer Copperhead mouse. All drivers are updated.  I've tried installing mini-port agp drivers in hopes to solve this problem without success btw too. DirectX 9c updated too.  I've also just re-installed WinXp so its a "fresh system".

Basically I'm suffering from frequent game freezing that usually/only occurs after the opening movies play and Sins loads into 3d.  The game screen will freeze but the music continues to play.  I can move the mouse but it "jumps" across the screen.  If I click many times my computer makes an internal beep.

Sins crashes A LOT and VERY randomly - but always early on in gameplay and always in "the same way", which I believe has to do with loading 3d images after the game boots.  It NEVER crashes to the desktop or reboots the computer however.  It ALWAYS happens usually within the first 2 minutes of gameplay.  I've it doesn't crash within the first 2 minutes the game plays fine. 

The only way out of this problem, is to hit the reboot button on my tower, as my keyboard appears to freeze too and I cannot return to the desktop.

I've noticed now these game crashes happen when focusing on a new 3D object.  Example: on the setup screen when it goes planet to planet during play settings.  Or early in game when new units, planets, ect appear first appear.  The games graphics just hang but music keeps playing.

At first I thought it had to something to do with the AA setting after a little tinkering, but I'm very uncertain.  It does seem to crash less with it off but only when I load the game.  More on this later... 

I thought maybe it was my graphic card itself so I ran 3DMark2001SE as a benchmark test for any problems at different settings.  All ran fine (no freezing, ect)

Interesting to note AFTER I run 3DMark2001SE, Sins plays fine 70% afterwords.  It usually always loads okay afterwords and doesn't crash oddly enough.  Its like 3dmark2001se fixes the problem some how - sometimes.

So now before I play Sins, I first run 3DMark2001SE then try to play then game.  Sometimes it works and othertimes not.

This is not a new problem however to me.

When Hereos of Might and Magic 5 first game out, it did this too, however (whatever the problem was) was eventually patched and stopped happening.  Heroes 5 plays fine now as long as all patches are applied.

So basically Sins randomly crashes (early on) usually as I'm setting up a new game or just after the game loads into 3d.  I can still hear music and the game is playing but the graphics freeze.  My keyboard locks and my mouse "jumps" across screen.

NOW If it doesn't crash within the first 10minutes I can bump up (or down) all the graphics settings to max and the game still plays without freezing (although it slows at higher settings obviously) but it won't freeze.

Thats my problem, its obviously a 3d software problem and its been fixed before in other software - specifically Heroes of Might and Magic 5 so I know it can be fixed for Sins too.