I recently got a new computer that is able to run Skyrim. I've been playing it completely fine for about a week now, and just today I've had it crash like this twice. The screen blacks out and and flashes to something that looks like blocky, rainbow-colored tv static.

I was still able to hear the game music and sound effects that had been playing when it crashed, but trying to pull up the menu made no sound, so I assume it was unresponsive. The moniter stated that it couldn't pick up a signal and turned blue. Then the hard disk started spinning very fast. Switching to another moniter made no difference. I had to externally power down the computer both times to get it running properly again.

The first crash happened after playing around thirty minutes and the second time happened after another hour or so. Both times it happened while I was in menus, the first while at an item vendor and the second at the crafting menu.

Anyone know what may have caused this or how to prevent it from happening again?

Are you using mods?

Do you play any other games? How do they work? How is the rest of your system stability?

I would check the event viewer. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/open-event-viewer#1TC=windows-7

CHeck app logs and system logs under windows logs.

This sounds like a possible hardware/stability issue. Maybe temperatures possibly. Are you monitoring temperatures? Do you overclock anything? When did you get the PC?

Where did you buy it?

Post a dxdiag: http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1122570-how-to-dxdiag/