OpenSUSE Hardware :: Memory Swapping Causes System Failure?

We have a four socket amd machine, running barcelona processors, with 64gb ram.The system runs for extended periods just fine when the system is running up to or below the 64gb memory limit. A typical load on the machine has short periods where the machine uses heavy amounts of swap space (30+ Gb). We have a swap partition of around 96Gb. When we push the machine into heavy swapping, the machine will fail within 24hrs. Has anyone experienced this problem and is there a solution other than buying more physical memory? Or am I wrong and maybe the physical memory is the issue? I thought maybe it was the memory itself, and after stripping the memory down, I get the same problem...failure upon heavy swapping