PC switching itself off when I play Computer Games

[f9073]

Hi.

I have had my computer for several years now. And in January I upgraded the PSU Graphics card and the memory. A couple of weeks ago when I installed a game called Dungeon Defenders, my pc would switch off at random intervals whilst playing. I tweaked some of the graphics settings and fixed the problem and thought nothing of it. A few days ago I bought Dead Island and installed it. I played it on the Friday for a couple of hours without any problems. On Saturday I was invited to be a beta tester for Star Wars the Old Republic. I only played for 20 mins on the Sat with no problems. On Sunday I played for around 45 minutes and the computer switched itself off. I turned it back on and played again for a couple of hours without any problems I was able to quit and carry on using my computer. Later on that evening I tried to play Dead Island and the computer switched itself off after a few minutes. I turned it back on and tried again, only for it to turn itself off again. A few minutes ago I tried to play the game again, and was able to for about 5 minutes before it switched itself off.

Please can you advise me as to what I may do in order to fix this or what some of the problems may be. If you need any extra information please ask.

Thanks in advance

 

[davcon]

I'm leaning towards a psu problem.
Older unit with not enough juice and/or overheating as well.
Could also be a gpu driver issue but i doubt it.

 

[clutchc]

What is the make/wattage size of your PSU? The make/model of the graphics card? What CPU?
It sounds like the Power Supply is underpowered for the upgraded graphics card. A common result is the PSU shuts down when it can't keep the voltage up to required levels.

 

[calinkula]

+1 for PSU issue. Extremely dusty computer can cause that too.