Comp Problem

[Tigranes]

Alright, time to bother you people again.

 

Problem:

For the last two or three months I've had this annoying problem where the computer randomly crashes. What's a little different is, whereas sometimes it'll just reset itself immediately, more often it won't turn on again; and I need to switch off the power at the back of the case then switch it on again. Sometimes, especially after repeated crashes, it still wouldnt work (kind of like a car's engine not starting) and I'd need to wait. It makes me think that it might be the power supply failing or overheating or something. It especially happens a lot when I run games, so maybe it happens when the graphics card pulls away a lot of the muscle. I understand my CPU temp to hang around 45-55, but doesnt really go any higher than that. After crashing its often slightly warm but not more.

 

I must note that at times it runs fine for ages - i.e. I could play NWN2 for 4+ hours at one point without crashing. At other times, it crahses as soon as I try to start the game, or even when I'm just browsing.

 

Things I've Tried:

- Replacing the ATI x800XT, which I purchased around the time crashes began to occur, with the old Radeon 9600 Pro. Didn't do anything.

- Tried a different wall socket, didn't work.

 

I'd go and get a new PSU or a fan but that costs money and I want to know what the problem is before potentially wasting it. Any suggestions would be appreciated, hardware problems aren't my forte.

 

Specs:

AMD Athlon XP, clocks in around 2ghz

1gb RAM (256x2, 512)

ATI x800 XT, 256mb, AGP

Abit NF7-S2G motherboard

SATA 160gb hard drive

[Bokishi]

Bok's Advice: Totally sounds like your PSU took a crap. Try getting a new one.

[CoM_Solaufein]

I would say an overheating issue either with your CPU, power supply or video card. But you have played NWN2 for four hours without an issue. Strange.

[Tigranes]

Yeah, the problem is I'd hate to shell out cash (on which I am currently short) on a PSU, then find out that it was actually an overheating issue. I'd love to know what exactly the problem is before I spend any money. I didn't think my computer was high-flying enough to need any additional fans or cooling, either..

[CoM_Solaufein]

I over heated my power supply before but the PC still worked. The problem was if it was on too long, a few hours, it would crash constantly. It would not start until it cooled off. That was my experience with an over heating issue. If you can afford to take it to a computer repair store, they can give you a more precise answer.

[metadigital]

If it crashes as soon as you boot AFTER being on for hours, then it is an over-heating issue.

[Ummi]

If your computer often doesn't power up at all then clearly the PSU is defective and needs to be replaced. Crashing during games could mean problems with your graphics card however since graphics cards also draw more power during gaming it's easy to see how a defective PSU can cause that too. You'll find out for sure once you've replaced the PSU.

Edited April 18, 2007 by Ummi

[Tigranes]

Yeah, I guess I'll have to either take it to a professional (and thus spend money) or just buy another PSU (and thus spend money). Heh. Thanks for the advice. Apparently its a good idea for me to get 450W or something higher than my current (400W).

[Bokishi]

Bok's Advice: Get 1kw PSU

[metadigital]

"Save a little money each month and at the end of the year you'll be surprised at how little you have." --Ernest Haskins

I concur.

[Tigranes]

Heh. Even if I had money I'd rather not spend it on computers at the moment. But anyway, tried a few different things.

 

- CPU/Case temp is usually 38-42C, I think thatslike 100-105 Fahrenheit. Apparently AthlonXPs can go up to like 80, though.

- Fan speeds are: CPU fan - ~3300RPM, the fan on the back of the case: ~1700RPM. I dont know how much they're supposed to go for but the latter one looks ridiculously low. Unfortuantely SpeedFan wont let me change the fan speed and maybe thats not supported on my motherboard without external products.

- Removing components such as USB cables to printers, CD drives and so forth didn't do jack.

- Trying to get a fan (not a computer fan, a REAL fan) to blow at the open side on somebody's recommendation, osunds odd to me but why not.

 

I mean, it's either airflow or bad PSU right? And if it's the latter I dont even know how I'd go testing that.

 

Bok does not realise my exile from newegg goodness in this heathen land of overpriced electrical goods.

[taks]

if there were overheating you'd have other indications, and you'd probably get an error message in your system log (have you checked it?). my vote is PSU or mobo issue, both of which i have had fail on me before (with identical symptoms in the PSU scenario). a power supply failure is one that will not leave a message since, well, there's no power for it to do so. note that a 400W PSU likely isn't really 400 _usable_ watts, either, particularly for many off-brand supplies.

 

taks

[Tigranes]

How do I check the system log? :blush10: My comp knowledge is patchy and has holes.

 

(Edit: Found it, only 'errors' I see are temporary connection failures or MS appliaction shutdowns, or some services (which i disabled) ccannot be run. Im not too sure what to look for though?)

 

Recently got myself one of these as a drastic experimental emasure, opened the side case pane and let it fly. Pretty much made the temperature go down to 20-25C (like 80-90F i think), and it pretty much handled NWN2 and all sortrs of things without crashing once all day.

 

But that's a rather temporary solution, and without it I can definitely notice the PSU is a lot hotter; the case around it is warm to the touch and the PSU fan is blowing out hot air, whereas with the above thing churning away the area is cool as well. But I don't know how to keep the PSU specifically cooler - I have a feeling just getting another fan for the case may not help very much at all. Does it mean I just need a more powerful or new PSU or is there another, cheaper way?

Edited April 23, 2007 by Tigranes

[Invoker]

What kind of PSU do you have, anyway? What brand? If it's a cheap knock-off then it could explain why you're having issues.

[taks]

Does it mean I just need a more powerful or new PSU or is there another, cheaper way?

new and from a reputable brand is the key. even a 500 W antec trupower is under $100 retail, so you're not looking at a major expense. what you need to be careful of, however, is that new supplies are 24-pin vs. 20-pin. if your system is older, make sure you figure out which you need first.

 

taks

[Tigranes]

Don't have the specific PSU info around for the current one, but it's 400W, "Dynamic" brand, came with the case.

 

Current trying a weird thing where I flip the fan on the back of my case's direction so that it blows into the inside of the computer. It makes the system and the CPU hotter but still well under manageable temperatures, ande it seems to hlep cool the PSU. If not, I'll need to find out that pin-stuff (i assume you just count the number of pins that your motherboard's molex slot requires?) and look at a new one.

[taks]

Don't have the specific PSU info around for the current one, but it's 400W, "Dynamic" brand, came with the case.

crap... get a new one.

 

Current trying a weird thing where I flip the fan on the back of my case's direction so that it blows into the inside of the computer. It makes the system and the CPU hotter but still well under manageable temperatures, ande it seems to hlep cool the PSU. If not, I'll need to find out that pin-stuff (i assume you just count the number of pins that your motherboard's molex slot requires?) and look at a new one.

given the effort you've put into this, just buy a new one. don't get toooo extravagant if you have a 20 pin connector, however, as it won't be that useful in the future.

 

yes, the power connector is the big'un. new ones are 24 pins, 12 per row, while the old ones are 20 pins, 10 per row. the new supplies also have the funny SATA power connectors on them, which may or may not exist on the older supplies.

 

taks

[metadigital]

PSUs supplied with cases are (first approximation) total crap.

[Invoker]

If not, I'll need to find out that pin-stuff (i assume you just count the number of pins that your motherboard's molex slot requires?) and look at a new one.

 

 

Pretty much, yes. If it doesn't fit by some strange reason just get a converter-cable for a few bucks.

 

Generic PSU's are utter ****e. It's a known fact and the common problem among them is they run too hot and overheat leaving your system in the gutter.

[Tigranes]

Alright. The fan-flip seems to work at the moment, no crashes for 2 days, but I'll see. Eventually I'll probably want to replace the PSU, but I was hoping this computer wouldn't need more money injected in its dotage. I'll give you folks an update later, thanks for the help.