I had the same problem, after a few minutes the graphics would glitch out (most floor textures turned white) and the game would eventually freeze and crash. Per a suggestion in the forum, I tried bumping Video Memory to Low, in Graphics Options -> Advanced. After doing so, I haven't had any graphical issues and the game has remained stable. This may not work for everyone, but it's worth a try.
Also, if needed
2.4ghz E6600
2gb ram
8800gts 320mb ram (Nvidia driver ver 182.50)