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[Jovan]

For the last month or so my computer has randomly shut down without warning. This happens especially when playing games, viewing pictures online, watching video or doing anything video card taxing. Can anyone help? Recently I was able to play through SiN Episodes for all six hours without it reacting, but recently it's happened again.

[thelightguy]

Well, if your compter has any temperature sensors integrated into the motherboard, you can use SpeedFan to check the temp... it sounds like your PC is overheating.

Also, open it up and make sure the fans are all running, and consider adding another one if you have room.. I know alot of bargain companies don't include rear case fans except for the PSU fan which is ultimately useless.

--Nick

[Jovan]

I think that might be it. I did buy from a bargain PC company and it was four years ago. It has two fans at the back under the power supply, and one at the side fanning the video card and whatnot. I'll get pictures if you want. I have had noted problems in the past with the video card artifacting, which I ended up having to replace.

Currently I'm keeping a regular ol' desk fan running at high at the opened side of the case to determine if that's the problem. Upon a suggestion from a friend, I've also switched the power cords for the monitor and PC. So, I guess if the monitor randomly shuts off or the PC keeps running that's it.

[Jovan]

"Dissen bery, bery bad..."



That translates to roughly 147 degrees Fahrenheit... God. Should I get liquid cooling already?

[thelightguy]

Well, that explains it.

Yea, you may want to go for a different cooling option...

--Nick

[est]

or maybe pull your CPU fan apart and clean it out.  Take a quick look at all the fans in your system.  Even if the machine has been running all closed up dust gets into it and gets stuck in your fan's heatsink.  I have cleaned about a golfball's worth of dust and crap out of a CPU fan/heatsink once when I bought a PC from work.  It would shut down randomly whenever I was doing anything taxing, so it sounds similar to your problem.

While you are at it, you might want to re-apply your thermal paste, especially seeing as you're gonna be taking the heatsink off anyways.  If your machine is older than a year or so & you've never cleaned it out and reapplied paste then it might be getting a bit dry & not transferring heat as well as it should.  My video card was overheating and crashing my pc last night, and when I took the fan off it the thermal paste had basically been turned to chalk.  After I reapplied a thin layer of paste it behaved itself again.

[lb969]

Uh, where the hell is the Fan 1 temp sensor?

-48 degrees?

Grab a new cooling system, maybe a slot based exhasust fan...

[will: wanton sex god]

definitely clean before doing any purchases.


cheap can of compressed air ftw.

[Jovan]

Thanks a bunch for the help guys.

[est]

No probs, please let us know how it resolves!

[Kana]

if you just clean the case and replace or clean the fans it should get rid of all the dust - also at computer stores more often than not now they sell thin pieces of foam rubber you can attach to the inside of your case.  My case came pre-fabbed like that but we've also mounted it into some custom cases when building them.  It helps to greatly reduce the amount of dust that comes into the computer whatsoever, I've opened my centurion a few times over the last 6 months I've had it and the inside has been spotless.