Ubuntu 14.04 semi-random kernel freezes

I have recently switched from Windows 7 to Ubuntu 14.04 and have encountered a problem that,after a week of searching I have yet to find a solution to so I figured I would ask here if someone could point me down the right track.

The problem started when I first tried to install Ubuntu. Using a bootable usb stick i attempt to erase the earlier ubuntu installation, that had since been corrupted. After about a minute the system became completely unresponsive requiring a hard reset (ctrl-alt-f1 and similar solutions do not work). I repartitioned the drive and attempted to reinstall this time closing out all other windows. The installation suceeded, however as soon as I reopened Firefox the system froze (note, on the previous session Firefox had been running for 3 hours with no issues up until the installation ).

Once on the installed ubuntu, the problem began to get worse. Any attempts at installing (either via the software store or using apt-get) resulted in a freeze, usually five minutes into the installation process, sooner if other programs were open. This is also the case when using the ctrl-alt-f1 terminal.
When not installing programs the system remains functional for around 20 minutes regardless of whether it is under heavy load or just sitting idle. The actual length of time can vary by several minutes, however it will always freeze sooner if something is being installed and will freeze almost immediately if something is being installed while Firefox is open.

I am using:

Asus Sabertooth z97 mark 1 with fast boot disabled and secure boot enabled (it cannot be disabled)

An intel i7 4790K (no overclock)

An Asus R9 270X (no overclock)

I have checked the RAM, GPU, and done cursory checks on the HDD, no errors were reported.

The Windows drive has also been removed so as not to interfere with the Ubuntu drive (they are on separate hard drives)

I have no personal data on the system so a full reinstall would be ok.

Of note: My windows system has also experienced this issue, however it is only present when using Skype and playing certain games simultaneously (ubuntu has none of these programs installed). Additionally, 90% of the timr Grub does not display any text on boot, i don't know if this is a related problem.

Any help would be appreciated, apologies for the horrible formatting as I am writing this on a mobile device.

Edit: using the REISUB method does not restart the compute. Restarting from REISUB does not prevent the system from freezing.

Edit 2: After the most recent freeze my secondary monitor (a repurposed tv) glitched out and is now displaying the Ubuntu booting splash screen in the top half of the monitor, and a series of fragmented rainbow patterns, white lines and black bars on the bottom.