Random restarting during games

[biggest_kid]

Hey guys recently my computer has started randomly restarting during games. It will only do it while im playing a game(any game actually), and is completely random. Sometimes i can run a game for an hour before it restarts, sometimes 3 hours before it restarts, sometimes only 20 minutes. It is very annoying and has no error message or BSOD what so ever.

I won this computer about a year, maybe a year and a half ago and it has been running pretty much fine up until a couple of weeks ago. I havent changed anything but i did have my PSU replaced after my other one was fried during a power surge. It was installed by a licensed/qualified IT guy at dads work.

So ive tried updating my video card drivers, my audio drivers, and upgrading to windows 7 service pack 1, none of which did anything. I dont know anything about the tech side of things so dont want to open up the case and go playing around with cords and wires and stuff like that, so i was hoping you guys could maybe help me out. Also im pretty sure its not overheating, because it RESTARTS, it doesnt just shut down and stay off. If it was overheating it would just shut down and not turn itself back on would'nt it?

My system:
CPU: Intel core i5 750
Mobo: ASUS P7P55D-E Pro
RAM: 4gb of some brand
PSU: Not exactly sure, but it was installed by a tech at dads work after my other one got fried due to a power surge, im pretty sure it has enough wattage/voltage
GPU: ATI Radeon HD5700 series
OS: Windows 7 64 bit - SP1

So any ideas what could be causing this and how i could fix it?

Any and all help is much appreciated because this problem is very frustrating.

Thanks,
biggest_kid

 

[striker410]

Hi there, welcome to the forums.

It sounds like 1 of things 3 to me. Either it's heat, or it's the power supply, or it's RAM. I need you to get the specs on that PSU. Also when you are in game, use a program called Coretemp to monitor your temperatures.
If neither of those work, download Memtest 86 and put it on a usb/disc and boot into it. Take out 1 of the sticks and run the test with that. Then, swap them.

Memtest: http://www.memtest.org/#downiso
Coretemp: http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/

Hopefully we can get a definitive result.

 

[biggest_kid]

Ok so what am i looking for with coretemp? What sort of temperatures should get me worried/warrant posting here?

And ill try and get the psu details for you. Ill leave the memory option till last coz its the one i least know how to do.

Thanks,
big

 

[striker410]

Well, just post whatever you get. Idle AND load(that means ingame).

 

[biggest_kid]

Ok i ran core temp during css for about an hour, and took a screenshot of it straight after i exited the game.

Heres what it read.

Is there anything unusual about that?

Thanks,
big

 

[striker410]

Hmm... Doesn't seem to be any big issues really. Do you have anything more taxing than CSS? You want to use all those cores to the max potential. Try prime95, it will take your processor to hell and back. If there's an issue, prime will find it. http://files.extremeoverclocking.com/file.php?f=103

 

[biggest_kid]

It wont damage my cpu though will it? Or any other component?(such as the cpu fan trying to cool down the cpu during prime95's test)

 

[IH8U]

It shouldn't damage anything (unless it's a temp issue, then it'll power down/reboot). What are the PSU specs, or brand? (at work, so can't see images).

 

[biggest_kid]

Ok just ran prime95 for about an hour and a half.

The first one i did was "Small FFT's (maximum FPU stress, data fits in L2 cache, RAM not tested much)" for an hour. This produced no errors after testing to 14K.

I then stopped this and ran the second option which is "In-place Large FFTs (maximum heat, power consumption, some RAM tested)" which produced a restart after about 20 minutes. Unfortunately i was reading some web articles at the time so did not get to read anything in the prime95 text sections.

Does this info help you guys out?

Thanks,
big

 

[biggest_kid]

UPDATE

Also ran the third option "Blend (tests some of everything, lots of RAM tested)", which produced a restart aswell. Now i wasnt at my computer when it happened but im pretty sure it successfully passed the 1024K test and was in the process of testing 8K when it restarted.

Thanks

 

[biggest_kid]

UPDATE #2

Ok just ran memtest86+ for about an hour, and it ran 1 pass successfully. However i then got called into work, so decided to leave it running.

However 30 minutes into work got a text from my little brother saying "is your computer meant to restart 100 times?" So i said 'no' and just told him how to turn it off, which meant unplugging it from the wall because every time it restarted it must have been booting from the cd, running memtest86+ which then caused it to restart again and repeat the process haha.

So yeh i asked him how often it was restarting and he said like every 2-5minutes. Does this indicated a problem with my memory?

Also i have never really paid this much attention before because i thought this was normal, but when my computer boots up there is a few red LED's that turn on in the case(which i can see through the ventilation holes in the case) for a couple of seconds and then turn off. Could this be a problem of is this normal?

Thanks,
big

 

[IH8U]

Sounds like RAM then. Still would be nice to have the brand, and specs/voltage of your power supply btw.

 

[biggest_kid]

Ahh well you're in luck, as i just opened up my computer(which i dont do very often) yesterday to check the LED's.

My psu: Coolermaster GX 650W

 

[IH8U]

Drop that Coolermaster garbage ASAP! (like say off a cliff) pick up a good PSU made by: Antec, PC P&C, Enermax, Corsair, Silverstone, or XFX. A 550W will more than power your system (a 350W would). That CM is just asking for your investment to die, in a haze of smoke and electricity.

 

[Proximon]

The GX650 is indeed a poor unit. Here is a review.
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/11/22/cooler_master_gx_650w_power_supply_review/1

It could be causing your issues, but I can't say for certain. Only way to know is to swap it out.

 

[biggest_kid]

Yeh gonna take it to a computer shop tomorrow and have them do a full hardware diagnostic coz i am really f***ing sick of this problem now.