PC shuts off...

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PC shuts off...

Post by <eVa> + Sarge + » Fri Apr 15, 2011 2:07 pm

I have a PC I picked up real cheap on Craigslist, because the guy was sick of working on it. (good for me :) )

It's a decent enuff rig to play the games I need. I got all this for $150, so I'm pretty happy.

Specs:

ATX CASE W/ (1) SYSTEM FAN (REAR)
ROSEWILL 600 WATT PSU RP600S-2MK
GIGABYTE MB GA-P965-S3 AWARD BIOS F14
SLOT 775 INTEL 6600 CORE 2 DUO 2.4 GHZ 1066 MHZ FSB
1 GB X 2 KINGSTON DDR2 PC2-5300 667 (DUAL CHANNEL) KVR667D2N5/1G
GEFORCE 7900 GT/KO 256 MB PCI-E
80 GB SATA HD
WINDOWS XP PRO SP3
(1) CD-RW, (1) DVD-RW ON IDE
BUILT IN AUDIO/BUILT IN LAN (USING BOTH)
2 SPEAKER W/ SUBWOOFER 2.1
LOGITECH E100 WIRELESS KEYBOARD/MOUSE
LOGITEH 120 WEBCAM
HP 17" LCD VGA MONITOR

When I got it from him it was a mess. Dust clogged all the fans (CPU fan did not even spin) and he had an impressive amount of viruses on it as well :o

After loading fresh Windows, getting all the latest drivers for everything, flashing latest bios, cleaning and reseating everything it will randomly shut off. No error messages at all. Nothing in the logs. I thought about heat issues but I have extra fans running on it now and the hottest my gpu gets is 158F. It might be on a weak home circuit. I did a long cpu test it was fine. Memtest86 of iso disc on boot, proved to be good. Unplugged cd drives, checked caps, swapped psu ports (modular) and more.

I have literally done everything you can think of to fix this. I don't have parts to swap out so I was looking to see if anyone else has run into the same exact thing. If I can get it down to just one part I can go buy a new piece. I know we have some of the smartest people on the planet here and any help would be appreciated.

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Re: PC shuts off...

Post by Maj.GHOB » Fri Apr 15, 2011 2:47 pm

I would run Prime95 on it to check for stability/power issues. Set the stress test to run for maximum heat. If the system powers off then you have one of two problems.

The PSU (power supply) is dying and not providing enough power to the system when power draw goes up and so the system shuts down, or the thermal paste has evaporated and needs to be replaced/reapplied. If both of those check out and you've tried a new spare PSU in there and it still shuts down randomly then your Mobo is defective.

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Re: PC shuts off...

Post by NeanderDude » Fri Apr 15, 2011 2:49 pm

Are the tops of any of the capacitors on the motherboard swelling? When caps get old, they swell and don't provide the regular voltage needed to keep things running smooth. This is usually the first thing my colleges at work look for when someone's PC starts acting up. If the caps look fine, I'd start with the power supply.
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Re: PC shuts off...

Post by Boss Llama » Fri Apr 15, 2011 3:01 pm

Is there any rhyme or reason to when it shuts down? Does it occur quickly upon boot, or does it take a while? Does it do it when you try to launch certain programs, or do certain actions, or does it happen while sitting idle on desktop?
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Re: PC shuts off...

Post by M's » Fri Apr 15, 2011 3:04 pm

Sorry Sarge but I gotta put this out there.
When mine does it for no reason. I look around and I find my 2 yr old clapping. Like he did something good.
I then beat my head on the desk, then laughter ensues from him.

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Re: PC shuts off...

Post by metacide » Fri Apr 15, 2011 3:40 pm

Are you saying your toddler unplugs your computer?

Do you have Windows set to show BSOD messages or does it just straight shut down? When you say it will shut off do you mean everything will power down or does it simply restart? (Sorry one has to ask the dumb questions too)

The ungodly amount of dust you described makes me think something overheated at one point and now when too much stress is applied to it, it breaks (like a circuit breaker) which causes the system to power off. Power off resets the "breaker" so you are able to power on again.

It's unlikely to be RAM, or the HDD, or the Video card. So the processor, motherboard and power supply are the likely suspects. You said that the long CPU test went fine, so let's assume for now that it's not the CPU. Just leaves the motherboard and the power supply.

If you dont see any warped caps on the motherboard, then I'm guessing the issue will be with the power supply.
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Re: PC shuts off...

Post by <eVa> + Sarge + » Fri Apr 15, 2011 3:52 pm

It is kind of a funny problem. It will run just fine for long periods of time. It boots perfectly. But sometimes for no reason during gaming it will just blank out. Sometimes the lights in the room will dim during this.

If I leave it on at night it will run all night, until the wife's hairdryer gets plugged in, then it will power off.

But...it will also do it during regular use w/o any load. I know the circuit in my house might be bad. I will try it in another outlet not on this circuit. But my question is...can this PC draw so much power to mess with house electric. Can there be a short in the PC causing this. If so, where?

Thanks for the replies.

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Re: PC shuts off...

Post by M's » Fri Apr 15, 2011 3:53 pm

metacide wrote:Are you saying your toddler unplugs your computer?
Nope walks over and press's the shiney lit power button. But I fixed it with a piece of electrical tape :lol:

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Re: PC shuts off...

Post by metacide » Fri Apr 15, 2011 3:58 pm

You can try getting a UPS. That will modulate the amount of power the PC draws, and if it ever tries taking too much, the excess will come from the battery instead of the wiring in the house.

The dimming lights are a big indicator of a power issue :P probably should've mentioned that to begin with.
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Re: PC shuts off...

Post by NeanderDude » Fri Apr 15, 2011 4:03 pm

metacide wrote:You can try getting a UPS. That will modulate the amount of power the PC draws, and if it ever tries taking too much, the excess will come from the battery instead of the wiring in the house.

The dimming lights are a big indicator of a power issue :P probably should've mentioned that to begin with.
Dude, you took the words right outta my mouth on the UPS. Or words away from my keyboard, or something like that... :D 8)
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Re: PC shuts off...

Post by <eVa> + Sarge + » Fri Apr 15, 2011 4:27 pm

I was thinking of a UPS as well, but didnt want to spend the money and find out it was something else. We do only have a 60 amp service in the house orig from the 50's :P

The draw of power might be coming from a bad part in the PC.

Hmm...

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Re: PC shuts off...

Post by Clay Pigeon » Fri Apr 15, 2011 4:30 pm

You need a UPS, as it sounds like the circuit you're running the pc off of isn't supplying enough juice when the system gets stressed (and possibly there are other things drawing power off the same circuit). The PC shuts down to save itself.

Other than hiring an electrician to install a new circuit just for your PC, I'd say go with a UPS.

But if you ever want something truly high-end in the future (video cards keep getting hungrier and hungrier for power), you may have to resort to putting your pc on its own circuit.
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Re: PC shuts off...

Post by metacide » Fri Apr 15, 2011 5:13 pm

If you're house is from the 50's good luck getting a new circuit put in for anything less than an arm and a leg. They didnt use dry wall back in the day, it was all plaster nonsense. Biggest pain in the arse to work with. Very stable, so no studs were needed, but also ridiculous to cut through.
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Re: PC shuts off...

Post by stujitsu » Fri Apr 15, 2011 6:40 pm

A UPS is a must have for any computer you care about. Without it your just asking for a computer that will die in two years.

As a fun game take a multimeter and plug it into one of your outlets and watch the voltages go up and down, like say when your wife uses her hair dryer or when the fridge compressor kicks in.

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Re: PC shuts off...

Post by One_Medic_Army » Fri Apr 15, 2011 7:01 pm

stujitsu wrote:A UPS is a must have for any computer you care about. Without it your just asking for a computer that will die in two years.

As a fun game take a multimeter and plug it into one of your outlets and watch the voltages go up and down, like say when your wife uses her hair dryer or when the fridge compressor kicks in.
You may not need a full-bore UPS, but at the very least get a power strip with good surge protector, and don't skimp on your power supply.
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