Crash After Start-up, Then Fine After Hard Reset (until The Next Time)?

In the past perhaps month or two, my computer has started crashing. It happens on start-up after the computer has been off for more than a few hours- about 3 minutes after launch, it freezes- screen first, and then the audio seems to continue briefly before going silent, or looping the last few seconds of sound. After a hard reset, I can start in normal mode and everything is fine- no more crashes, until the next time I shut down/start up (normally this is happening each morning after I have shut down the night before).I read through some info I was able to find on here and (techsupportforum)- I have checked the action center, and there is an entry for each hard reset, "Kernel-Power Event ID 41 Task Category (63)". I have read that this does not actually indicate anything but that I had to do a hard reset. The recurring issues/suggestions I have seen consist of 3 thoughts: 1. PSU is dying, 2. video card or processor are overheating, or 3. multiple audio drivers. I know my video card does run warm, but it isn't into critical temperatures (I have installed an application to monitor the temperature, which I will run from time to time- especially while running illustrator/photoshop/dreamweaver simultaneously, or while playing graphics-intense games [rift, e.g.]). The PSU could be it but I'd rather check on the audio driver situation first.

[CODE]When I go into Device Manager, there is an entry under "Sound, video and game controllers", called "High Definition Audio Device". Under "System Devices", there is an entry called "High Definition Audio Controller". Is this a conflict? Also, when I go to Volume Control Options from the task bar, "Sound devices" lists:Headphones, Speakers, and then two different entries for "Digital Audio (S/PDIF).I really have no idea what the issue is, but it is getting frustrating, and I feel like the audio scenario is the most likely.