Computer randomly completely shuts down (running fine for over a year)

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gourmetchef

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Oct 30, 2013
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My PC just started having this issue while doing random, even simple tasks (i.e. copying files from a flash drive): it will shut down completely without warning. No BSOD or anything. It will even start right back up. I opened the case to check all of the connections and everything seems to check out. I just upgraded to windows 8.1, so I'm not sure if that is causing any of this. I also recently moved to a new place, but I don't think any physical damage could have happened during the move (it was packed in Styrofoam, wrapped in a blanket, and put in the passenger seat for the 15 minute drive).

Biostar TA990FXE mobo
AMD FX 4100 CPU
GeForce GTX 550 Ti GPU
Cooler Master GX 750w PSU
Samsung 120GB SSD
16GB (4x4) G.Skill Sniper DDR3 RAM
 
Solution
C12Friedman


I'm really thinking the PSU (even though it was checked out). If you had onboard video, I'd say to pull the graphics but, that won't help here.
I just noticed something which I'll research a little more but try removing all your ram modules... ensure you are getting the ram warning beeps from BIOS. Then try running two of your ram modules in dual channel, see if any effect on stability
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MD1987

MD1987

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Sep 29, 2013
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If the thermal paste on your CPU was old it may have had a hairline fracture. Even a small break like this can cause bad overheating issues. You could try cleaning your heatsink and CPU and applying new thermal paste.
 
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C12Friedman

C12Friedman

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Jan 25, 2012
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I'm going to point my finger at the PSU here as the likely culprit. I've come to associate shutdowns like that with faulty power and the CM GX series is all over the place as far as quality. Seems the logical explanation to me, if you have access to a known working PSU, you might try that.

 
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gourmetchef

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Oct 30, 2013
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I just replaced the CPU fan this past summer. Either way, I had a hardware monitor up on one screen while working on the other. The computer still crashed and all 4 core temperatures never went over 31C.
 
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gourmetchef

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Oct 30, 2013
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Is there any reason that the power supply would start acting up after 2 years of use without any previous issues? It went from this never occurring to happening 3 or 4 times with only about an hour of light use (browsing, downloading files, typing a paper).

 
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C12Friedman

C12Friedman

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Jan 25, 2012
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The parts of a PSU lose their ability to provide current over time - they age. That's the simple of it...
While I could speculate on what component(s) within the PSU are failing, it won't help. Cleaning the PSU out thoroughly may give it a little more life (or make the system run a little longer before crashing). It's something to try

 
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gourmetchef

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Oct 30, 2013
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I had the power supply tested, and everything seems to be OK. Also, the PSU is pretty clean, so I can safely rule out dust or debris as the culprit here. Any more suggestions?
 
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C12Friedman

C12Friedman

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Jan 25, 2012
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I'm sorta stumped, it really seems to me to be a power issue... How about your motherboard heatsinks, are they clean, no dust underneath? Perhaps the VRM is overheating.
The only thing really left to do is start complete system diagnostics... MemTest86 (10hr-24hr run), Prime95, SeaTools (I'll suggest the DOS version) see if anything reports as bad - if your system will stay on long enough to complete the tests.
 
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gourmetchef

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Oct 30, 2013
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Everything is pretty clean on the inside (very minimal dust that came off with an air can). Also, I had a system monitor running the last time it shut down and there weren't any temperatures that were even remotely high. I tried running other tests, but the computer shut down before they completed... which points back to PSU or overheating, which I am not detecting issues with either. I'm not sure if this is indicative of anything, but the last time it turned off (never even made it to the login screen), the light on the chassis stayed on and the computer would not turn back on until I unplugged it and plugged it back in.
 
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C12Friedman

C12Friedman

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Jan 25, 2012
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I'm really thinking the PSU (even though it was checked out). If you had onboard video, I'd say to pull the graphics but, that won't help here.
I just noticed something which I'll research a little more but try removing all your ram modules... ensure you are getting the ram warning beeps from BIOS. Then try running two of your ram modules in dual channel, see if any effect on stability
 
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