game stalling, crashing

MRSR1980  Does this happen in a new save as well?  Please test for comparison's sake.  I'm not saying you need to abandon your current save(s), only that it's important to know whether the problem is limited to some saves or is more global.

If the new save is affected too, please provide a dxdiag.  Click Windows key-R, enter dxdiag in the run box, wait for the scan to finish, click "Save all information," and save the file to your desktop.  From there, you can attach it to a reply using the paper clip (Attachment) icon included with the other formatting buttons.