I can confirm this happens almost daily on a HP system

cat /etc/lsb-release 
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=10.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=lucid
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 10.04.3 LTS"

uname -a
Linux <hostname_removed> 2.6.32-33-generic #72-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jul 29 21:07:13 UTC 2011 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Part of dmesg output:

[ 7395.714262] render error detected, EIR: 0x00000000
[ 7395.714292] [drm:i915_do_wait_request] *ERROR* i915_do_wait_request returns -5 (awaiting 58002 at 47538)
[ 7396.962768] [drm:i915_hangcheck_elapsed] *ERROR* Hangcheck timer elapsed... GPU hung
[ 7396.962774] render error detected, EIR: 0x00000000
[ 7396.962790] [drm:i915_do_wait_request] *ERROR* i915_do_wait_request returns -5 (awaiting 58003 at 47538)
[ 7400.344180] [drm:i915_hangcheck_elapsed] *ERROR* Hangcheck timer elapsed... GPU hung
[ 7400.344187] render error detected, EIR: 0x00000000
[ 7400.344214] [drm:i915_do_wait_request] *ERROR* i915_do_wait_request returns -5 (awaiting 58008 at 47538)
[ 7401.970646] [drm:i915_hangcheck_elapsed] *ERROR* Hangcheck timer elapsed... GPU hung
[ 7401.970652] render error detected, EIR: 0x00000000
[ 7401.970674] [drm:i915_do_wait_request] *ERROR* i915_do_wait_request returns -5 (awaiting 58010 at 47538)
[ 7403.158014] [drm:i915_hangcheck_elapsed] *ERROR* Hangcheck timer elapsed... GPU hung
[ 7403.158022] render error detected, EIR: 0x00000000
[ 7403.158039] [drm:i915_do_wait_request] *ERROR* i915_do_wait_request returns -5 (awaiting 58011 at 47538)
[ 7406.541946] [drm:i915_hangcheck_elapsed] *ERROR* Hangcheck timer elapsed... GPU hung
[ 7406.541952] render error detected, EIR: 0x00000000
[ 7406.542009] [drm:i915_do_wait_request] *ERROR* i915_do_wait_request returns -5 (awaiting 58016 at 47538)
[ 7408.197114] [drm:i915_hangcheck_elapsed] *ERROR* Hangcheck timer elapsed... GPU hung
[ 7408.197121] render error detected, EIR: 0x00000000
[ 7408.197146] [drm:i915_do_wait_request] *ERROR* i915_do_wait_request returns -5 (awaiting 58018 at 47538)
[ 7409.394532] [drm:i915_hangcheck_elapsed] *ERROR* Hangcheck timer elapsed... GPU hung
[ 7409.394538] render error detected, EIR: 0x00000000
[ 7409.394553] [drm:i915_do_wait_request] *ERROR* i915_do_wait_request returns -5 (awaiting 58019 at 47538)
[ 7412.747840] [drm:i915_hangcheck_elapsed] *ERROR* Hangcheck timer elapsed... GPU hung
[ 7412.747847] render error detected, EIR: 0x00000000
[ 7412.747874] [drm:i915_do_wait_request] *ERROR* i915_do_wait_request returns -5 (awaiting 58024 at 47538)
[ 7413.497477] [drm:i915_hangcheck_elapsed] *ERROR* Hangcheck timer elapsed... GPU hung
[ 7413.497484] render error detected, EIR: 0x00000000
[ 7413.497513] [drm:i915_do_wait_request] *ERROR* i915_do_wait_request returns -5 (awaiting 58026 at 47538)
[ 7414.245224] [drm:i915_hangcheck_elapsed] *ERROR* Hangcheck timer elapsed... GPU hung
[ 7414.245230] render error detected, EIR: 0x00000000
[ 7414.245254] [drm:i915_do_wait_request] *ERROR* i915_do_wait_request returns -5 (awaiting 58028 at 47538)
[ 7416.030124] [drm:i915_hangcheck_elapsed] *ERROR* Hangcheck timer elapsed... GPU hung
[ 7416.030131] render error detected, EIR: 0x00000000
[ 7416.030148] [drm:i915_do_wait_request] *ERROR* i915_do_wait_request returns -5 (awaiting 58030 at 47538)
[ 7417.357184] [drm:i915_hangcheck_elapsed] *ERROR* Hangcheck timer elapsed... GPU hung
[ 7417.357191] render error detected, EIR: 0x00000000
[ 7417.357206] [drm:i915_do_wait_request] *ERROR* i915_do_wait_request returns -5 (awaiting 58031 at 47538)