My computer randomly powers down

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Dark Mirage

New Member
Hey guys. I know this is my first post, but I'm having major problems with my Vista PC. It consistently has random power downs. The major problem is that I can't pin-point a source for them! I recently purchased an Acer M5260 from Best Buy. It's got:

6GB of DDR2 Ram
2.4Ghz Quad-Core Intel processor
HD3540 ATI graphics card
Vista Home Premuim 64-bit
Some no name motherboard that fits inside a small case.

I got it fairly cheap, and decided to upgrade some components. I bought a 650w power supply, an HD4870 ATI card, and a new, medium sized case (I forget the name. It has 4 fans and a gigantic one on the top. Obviously the motherboard is smaller than the case. Anyways, I installed the new components. Everything runs correctly except that my PC will now randomly shut itself down. I've tried checking the heat, but everything seems fine. I've run overclock tests and so on, but the computer passes them. Nothing particular seems to be the root cause. I can leave the PC idling and it will shut down. I can play a game for 2 hours and it will randomly shut down. I can play a game for 5 minutes and it'll shut down. I can immediately turn the pc back on, load the same game, and play for an hour. I can just be browsing the web and it will shut down. It can't be a heat issue so far as I can tell.

So, what could be causing it? I re-installed vista with my brothers 32-bit version of Home premium. It seems to be running better, but it still will occasionally shut down for no particular reason. I turned off Aero and it still does it.

Does anyone have ANY suggestions on how to diagnose the issue? Windows error check just says I've been having "Disruptive shutdowns" without giving a cause. I can post pictures of my pc if people need them.
 

My Computer

System One

Hi Dark Mirage, welcome to the board.
I would try open case test with a house fan blowing directly into it. Make sure good contact between the heatsink fan assembly and the CPU. If it is not heat problem, before you mess with the mobo, try another psu. Good luck and post back.
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    E6850
    Motherboard
    EVGA 122-CK-NF67-A1 680i
    Memory
    4 x OCZ Platinum 1GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD 5850 1GB
    Sound Card
    SB X-Fi X Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 23" 5MS
    Screen Resolution
    2048 x 1152
    Hard Drives
    2 x Barracuda 7200.10 320GB RAID 0 / 1 x 500GB Maxtor
    PSU
    Seasonic 600W M12
    Case
    CM Centurion 5
    Cooling
    air
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps
Thanks. I'll try the home fan thing tomorrow. I've gone through that problem before though and used a home fan... This doesn't seem to be the same. I'll give it a shot anyways though!

Argh, I really hope it isn't the power supply. I just bought this one a couple weeks ago too, so it's too late to return it. That'll be another $100 if it's not working correctly.
 

My Computer

System One

Dark Mirage said:
Argh, I really hope it isn't the power supply. I just bought this one a couple weeks ago too, so it's too late to return it. That'll be another $100 if it's not working correctly.
Click to expand...

It sounds like it is...... If it is under warranty take it back. I believe all PSU have 12 months warranty
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    Q6600
    Motherboard
    MSI P36 NEO2
    Memory
    4GB 5-5-5-12
    Graphics Card(s)
    8800GTS 512Mb Overclocked
    Sound Card
    5.1 surround sound
    Hard Drives
    500Gb Samsung SATAII XP
    500GB Samsung SATAII
    PSU
    1000W CoolerMaster power supply
    Case
    CoolerMaster Cosmos 1000 case
    Cooling
    120mm ThermalTake Big Typhoon CPU cooler, 3 x 120mm exhaust
    Keyboard
    Wireless Keyboard and mouse 3000
    Other Info
    1TB WD My Book Office edition external drive x 2, Dual layer LG DVD-Rom burner,
    15 in 1 card reader
    Triple boot: XP, Vista Ultimate 64 and Windows 7 Ultimate 64

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built by me.
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-X38-DS4
    Memory
    KINGSTON HYPERX DDR2 4GB (2X2GB) PC6400 800MHZ DUAL CHANNEL KIT
    Graphics Card(s)
    SAPPHIRE RADEON HD4890 OC 1GB GDDR5
    Sound Card
    2/4/5.1/7.1-channel Realtek High Definition
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung LE40A656F1 1080p 100Hz LCD HD TV 50,000:1
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 in Desktop,1920x1080p in gaming and video
    Hard Drives
    C:\WD VelociRaptor 150 GB,10,000 RPM
    D:\WESTERN DIGITAL WD15EADS 1.5TB CAVIAR GREEN SATA2 E:\WESTERN DIGITAL WD15EADS 1.5TB CAVIAR GREEN SATA2 No Raid.Copy Paste Is The Safest Way.
    PSU
    Seasonic 700W 80plus
    Case
    A-Case Twin Engine BB
    Cooling
    3 thermaltake smart case fan II + 1 arctic cooling fan
    Keyboard
    Wireless Logitech LX710
    Mouse
    Wirelles Logitech Laser Mouse MX620
    Internet Speed
    ADSL 4000plus
    Other Info
    F:\Sony high speed sata Dvd Rewriter
    KINGSTON HYPER X FAN
    +Cordless Rumblepad 2
It definitely sounds like a hardware error, not software. I am not sure what you mean by:

>Windows error check just says I've been having "Disruptive shutdowns" without giving a cause.

By "Windows error check" do you mean Event Viewer?

Vista has a good built-in tool for monitoring performance issues, and you can often troubleshoot problems by the method explained in this web page:
Fixing Windows Vista, Part 3: Top Troubleshooting Tools | Ed Bott’s Microsoft Report | ZDNet.com
Fixing Windows Vista, Part 3: Top Troubleshooting Tools
Let Windows identify performance issues
 

My Computer

System One

What are your CPU temps?

I would say its either overheating or your PSU is bad.

Download a program like CoreTemp and make sure the processor isnt overheating before you waste your time with the PSU.
 

My Computer

System One

Hi Dark Mirage.....when you say ''shut down'' do you mean it logs off & shuts down or just reboots..??

if there is no BSOD i would be inclined to think its one of two things...

CPU HSF, as stated above if this is not seated correctly this will cause an instant un prompted shut down, im guessing its a skt 775 CPU which means you probably have the crappy pushpins on the HSF....
these are a nightmare & what you think is locked often is not.

or the PSU, i know you said you bought a 650w PSU but what make & model..??
how many Amps on the 12v rail..?? how many other peripherals do you have..??
(please fill out sys specs ;))

the 4870 is quite power hungry, its requires you to have a 32A 12v rail minimum & draws around 330-340w under load

so unless its a capable PSU i would start looking there, the fact it restarts when the card is idle could show that the PSU is not only underpowered but is actually faulty....it happens quite a lot, i hear about bad power units all the time even with high end units, some just have unstable rails.

this is what i would do......

test the rig with a different PSU if this is not possible get a multimeter on the existing one to check the voltages. (google will help you do this)

if the PSU is not the problem check the HSF (especially the pins themselves)

i had a GFX card die on me once & that used to reboot continuously with no BSOD until i unplugged it, so you may want to try your old card with the new PSU this will confirm a lac of power or maybe a faulty 4870 (this is very common place too)

though this is all moot if it actually logs off & shuts down b/c that's software related....

:)SK
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    ME.....
    CPU
    Q9450 @ 3.6ghz
    Motherboard
    P5K PREMIUM
    Memory
    8GB 1066mhz buffalo firestix
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD 5970
    Monitor(s) Displays
    20'' syncmaster
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    160GB 7200RPM SEAGATE BARRACUDA IDE
    160GB 7200RPM SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA 2
    PSU
    XCILIO 850w
    Case
    unknown ATX
    Cooling
    Arctic cooler pro 775
    Keyboard
    logitech EX110
    Mouse
    logitech cordless optical
    Internet Speed
    2mb
Thanks for all the help guys. I've had the side panel off with my home fan AND my 5 other fans running on full all day. It's still randomly shutting down. And by shutting down, I do mean it completely powers off without warning at seemingly random intervals. There is no reset. Like I said, I've been through heat problems with previous PC's... this just isn't the same. And yeah, I did mean Event Viewer hahaha. Sorry :P.

I'll see what I can do about the multimeter, and I'll take a look at the HSU today. While moving the motherboard out of the previous case, it may have been shifted or something so that could be it. If not... well, I'm thinking it's my power supply. The fact that the whole PC powers off even when the graphics card is idling is strange. Especially since I can sometimes be running a game like crysis with my card over-clocked for over an hour, but other times it will only run for moments before shutting down.

I'll get back with results in a while. Thanks again for helping me with this! It's been driving me crazy!

PS: This is my power supply if it helps any: http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=18185&vpn=OCZ700GXSSLI&manufacture=OCZ Technology

It's the 700w model
 

My Computer

System One

Power totally shut off is due to bad PSU or a short some where. I have notice the fact that your mobo is a little of in fitting the new case, where likely the problem is. I would give it another chance before blame on the PSU. Try bench test first, which is carefully moving the mother board and all out of the case and set everything on top of newspapers on a bench to see if it help. If the power still shut off, then the PSU is the bad guy. Post back.
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    E6850
    Motherboard
    EVGA 122-CK-NF67-A1 680i
    Memory
    4 x OCZ Platinum 1GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD 5850 1GB
    Sound Card
    SB X-Fi X Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 23" 5MS
    Screen Resolution
    2048 x 1152
    Hard Drives
    2 x Barracuda 7200.10 320GB RAID 0 / 1 x 500GB Maxtor
    PSU
    Seasonic 600W M12
    Case
    CM Centurion 5
    Cooling
    air
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps
Dark Mirage said:
Thanks for all the help guys. I've had the side panel off with my home fan AND my 5 other fans running on full all day. It's still randomly shutting down. And by shutting down, I do mean it completely powers off without warning at seemingly random intervals. There is no reset. Like I said, I've been through heat problems with previous PC's... this just isn't the same. And yeah, I did mean Event Viewer hahaha. Sorry :P.

I'll see what I can do about the multimeter, and I'll take a look at the HSU today. While moving the motherboard out of the previous case, it may have been shifted or something so that could be it. If not... well, I'm thinking it's my power supply. The fact that the whole PC powers off even when the graphics card is idling is strange. Especially since I can sometimes be running a game like crysis with my card over-clocked for over an hour, but other times it will only run for moments before shutting down.

I'll get back with results in a while. Thanks again for helping me with this! It's been driving me crazy!

PS: This is my power supply if it helps any: http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=18185&vpn=OCZ700GXSSLI&manufacture=OCZ Technology

It's the 700w model
Click to expand...

Hey I have the same power supply as you and the same problem. please let me know it replacing it worked for you. Thanks!
 

My Computer

System One

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