Overclocking can cause that sort of problem, but looking at the specs you listed, you're not overclocking.
Power issues can often cause freezing/locking up. Might be helpful to know more about the power supply you have; how big (in watts), how old, etc.
Another notorious cause of lockups is heat, so you need to consider if the machine's clean and all the fans are working properly. Fans are among the very few moving parts left in computers and thus among the least reliable.
Other things that can cause that sort of issue:
Drivers - have you changed drivers (either manually or because of Windows automatic updates)?
Bad memory - fairly easy to test, at least somewhat: You have 32G which means you probably have 4 modules or "sticks", each being 8G. While 8G isn't a ton of memory, it's more than adequate to boot the machine and run the sim. So, you can try taking the modules out in pairs (2 out/2 in) or even run one at a time. You do have to be careful, and make sure you leave a number of sticks in the machine it will actually support; for example, some don't like 3 modules if there are 4 slots. NEVER install or remove memory with the power supply on. If you don't have a physical switch there, unplug the unit long enough to switch RAM modules. There is also a very good, and free, utility (called MemTest) which runs a very thorough automated test cycle from boot. It's fairly easy to setup and can run the test cycle as many times as you let it - the going rate is usually 3 cycles means the memory's OK. Takes maybe a couple hours for 16G to run 3 cycles.
It is also possible the motherboard or even CPU is going bad, but not as likely in my opinion. One caveat is older motherboards tend to have more "wet" caps (as opposed to the 'solid caps' everyone brags about nowadays). These caps (capacitors, an electronic component) leak over time and can also cause exactly what you see. The power supplies often have wet caps in them, and can fail the same way. We can talk more about that if you provide more detail (see below).
One reasonable approach is to try and associate a change or changes with the beginning of the problems (ie, 'this started happening right after x" whatever x might be.) People often reply "Nothing changed", whereupon I say "Well, something changed, because if nothing changed, you wouldn't be having problems"
So, think hard. Avoid the temptation to say "nothing changed" unless you're sure.
Computers are incredibly reliable, but keep in mind things do fail and often with no warning. People sometimes say to me "But it was working fine just yesterday" as if that changes anything. I'll ask them "Did you expect a letter saying your computer plans to take a dump at such-and-such a date/time?"
If you can provide more specifics about your system, I could probably tell you more. (What exact model/motherboard, RAM, etc).
That's a lot to absorb, sorry but you have a sort of broad symptom at the moment. What you have to do is focus on narrowing it down (like by testing RAM, etc). One benefit of my working on this stuff all the time is I have a mountain of spare parts. If I suspect a power supply, I can swap one out in a few minutes at no cost just to test. I would, however, strongly discourage using retail stores (like Best Buy or MicroCenter) as your parts bin. For example, some people advise others to buy a power supply to use as a test, then return it if it's not the problem. This is dishonest, and it drives up the cost of computer parts, so please don't do that. If you need a part, either borrow it from someone if you can, or be prepared to eat the cost if it's not the problem. You can always sell it to someone else or keep it for a spare.
I hope this helps, and that you're up and running normally soon. I welcome any further questions.
