PC shuts itself down when playing games

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neigenoire

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Feb 1, 2013
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It doesn't happen very often, but it does happen from time to time and is very annoying. What could be the possible cause for this?

I have an AMD 7850 card and a 500 watt PSU (cheap one) and a 21 inch monitor.

I used to think it's because of electricity disappearing for a split second, but the leds on my keyboard and mouse do not turn off or blink. Even monitor's led on/off light doesn't go out. The PC itself simply turns off for some reason.
 
Solution
Murissokah
Sudden shutdowns are very likely to be caused by hardware issues, meaning either bad operating conditions (thermal & electrical) or bad components.

Keep in mind that while your idea of a short interruption in power is reasonable, it would not be consistently perceived by looking at keyboard and chassis LEDs. Acceptable power interruptions are in the order of a quarter of a power cycle (16ms/4 = 4miliseconds). Anything higher than that may cause a failure, and that becomes very likely to happen in interruptions that persist for 20ms or more (research CBEMA curve for more info on this). This means a power interruption could be fast enough to go unnoticed by you and still cause your computer to restart.

On the other hand, power...
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neigenoire

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Also, heat shouldn't really be the problem, because the temperature is quite low where I live.

Could this have something to do with all the plugs going into the same wall socket? (That includes the PC, the monitor, a printer and speakers).
 
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neigenoire

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I have an aftermarket one, which doesn't differ a lot from the stock as far as temps go, I bought it for its silence. The CPU is the Phenom 965BE running at stock speeds.

The temps are fine, really. The CPU stays around 68 at full load. The GPU - below 60 when playing Metro 2033.
 
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Murissokah

Murissokah

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Sudden shutdowns are very likely to be caused by hardware issues, meaning either bad operating conditions (thermal & electrical) or bad components.

Keep in mind that while your idea of a short interruption in power is reasonable, it would not be consistently perceived by looking at keyboard and chassis LEDs. Acceptable power interruptions are in the order of a quarter of a power cycle (16ms/4 = 4miliseconds). Anything higher than that may cause a failure, and that becomes very likely to happen in interruptions that persist for 20ms or more (research CBEMA curve for more info on this). This means a power interruption could be fast enough to go unnoticed by you and still cause your computer to restart.

On the other hand, power distribution companies seldom cause this type of short interruption, which leads to the most likely cause of a power interruption being your power supply. Short power disturbances would affect other household appliances too, which you should be able to notice.

As for all the plugs going into the same socket, it should not be a problem, unless they are not securely pluged. Usual power outlets are designed for a minimum of 10A, and assuming a 127V voltage level, you'd have a safe 1270VA to use, which is more than enough. 220V would mean even more power available.

Sadly, other than a bad power supply, your second most likely cause of failure would be the motherboard's power stage.

It is not an easy issue to diagnose. I would run a stress test on the computer and monitor the power and temperature parameters. Something like prime95 would do. Keep an eye for significant voltage drops once the test starts.
 
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neigenoire

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But I've had this same temperature since always and I've never had my computer shut down before. Plus, it doesn't turn off when simply stressing the CPU (with Prime95).

Thanks, that's what I figued. My brother is having the same exact problem with his PC. He has a GPU that's even more power-hungry than mine and a no name PSU that came pre-installed with his computer case and the computer sometimes shuts down for no reason when playing computer games.

This is the last time I cheap out on the power supply. Will buy a Cooler Master Thunder M 620 watt PSU. Hopefully, this will fix my problem.
 
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Murissokah

Murissokah

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A decent PSU is a very good and commonly overlooked investiment. Buy a good one and it will last you years through your different builds. I'm not one for coolermastes, though I don't know the one you mentioned. It is made by Channel Well Technologies, which is not necessarily bad. I prefer Seasonic PSUs, they are powerful workhorses. No frills, no thrills. Here's a good one in case you are considering:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151096
 
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