Don't turn off the power strip. there is no need for that. And if u use ur power strip to turn off ur comp then that is a BAD thing. Another thing about turning on/off is that its worst than leaving a comp on 24/7. If the placemant of the PC allows try to minimize the turning it on/off.

If it locks up than the problem is not with the monitor, but the monitor could still be a seperate problem. I would try a different vga card