Computer shutting off. Please help!

Forum CPU & Components : CPUs Computer shutting off. Please help!

I'm unsure where to post this because I am completely computer ignorant but here is my problem nonetheless..

While I am playing games, League of Legends and WoW to be specific, my computer shuts off randomly. No warning or anything just boom, shut down. I haven't noticed a pattern of when this happens, sometimes I can play all day and it doesn't happen. The only 'trend' I have noticed that happens is that I have a program running in the background along with the game. More specifically the Internet, the computer has never shut off on me if I solely have just the game running, but if I have the Internet up in the background (whether I'm referencing something or listening to music) the computer tends to shut off.

As I said before I am computer illiterate, the only thing I can tell you is I have a mini dell, you know... the midget computers, and it is completely stock except for the graphics card I managed to find that would fit in the small thing. So somebody please please help me.

If you need specific computer specs just ask me what to find, and maybe how to find it and I will tell you.

Thanks in advance

Reply to LittleSteven

As I think about it; I wonder if your computer is overheating.

With that being said; does your room vary in temperature? Hotter some days than others? I know that some computers have a failsafe that - if in fact it does get that hot- it automatically shuts off.

Now, that could just be completely wrong, but I'd take a peek at the temperatures. I'd leave a program running to watch the temps - if it starts to run hot before shutting off; that will very much so be your issue.

Reply to ericthestorm

The room temperature is pretty stable. It doesn't get above 74 degrees in the room. How would I monitor the temp and how would I keep it cool?

Reply to LittleSteven

My first guess would be that the CPU is overheating. I would down load HW Monitor and go into your game. HW Monitor will let you monitor the CPU temps and you'll be able to see if it's overheating.

------------------------------ Silverstone TJ07, I5 2500K, Gigabyte Z68 UD4-B3, Gigabyte Radeon 6970, Corsair Vengence DDR3 1600 8GB, Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD 7200rpm, Samsung 128 gb SSD, ASUS SATA DVD drive, Seasonic 850X Gold 850W PSU, Windows 7 Home 64bit, Custom Watercooling loop
Reply to rds1220

monitor the CPU temperatures and especially the GPU temperatures because as far as i can understand you have installed a aftermarket GPU. Also, although i doubt this is the case, maybe something is wrong with the power supply that causes it to not give enough power.

Reply to ErikTheAndroid

Yes the only thing that is not stock on the computer is the graphics card I added. Unless you count the 23 inch monitor I bought for it as well, but this problem was happening before I bought the monitor. I thought it may have been something to do with the power supply but I am unsure, as I know very little about computers.

Reply to LittleSteven

Ok I downloaded HW monitor, and after a short test run I noticed that the CPU temperature seems to be sitting at a steady 50 C. I am however concerned about the graphics card, it seems to be raising from a base temp of 79 C to the low 100s pretty quickly.

I'm wondering what are good base temperatures with no activity, and what the temperatures should be around during a extensive gaming session, and what the temperatures would typically get to in order to cause a shut down.

Reply to LittleSteven

keep your cpu temp below 60C and keep your gpu temp below 80C

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Reply to esrever

After another test it seems the CPU is sitting at a good 51 C, and the graphics card got no higher than 110 C. Is this good, bad, average?

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to LittleSteven

110c for a gpu isnt particulary good

Reply to seumas_beathan

LittleSteven wrote :

After another test it seems the CPU is sitting at a good 51 C, and the graphics card got no higher than 110 C. Is this good, bad, average?

110 C is to high. What model Graphics card do you have? Does it have a fan? I know the Dell mini cases do not have a lot of airflow. One thing you may try is to remove the side panel and see if temperatures lower any. I fear your graphics card is not getting adequate ventilation in that case.

Reply to baralis

I'm working with computer almost every day, and when people come to me with this response I tell them its one of three things.

1. Your CPU is over heating due to poor Air Flow/ Thermal Compound
2. Your Video Card is overheating, again due to poor Air Flow
3. You have an unstable power supply.

Ways to improve or fix this problem,

Get a better case, add some 80mm, 120mm fans Make sure that they flow together, So suck in > Blow out .. etc.
Buy a new heat sink, thermal compound, or even get an after market GPU cooling kit.

Also if you have your system OC'd then reset your Bios to default, and check if that fixes the problem.

Message edited by mosco2005 on 01-28-2012 at 02:53:53 AM

Reply to mosco2005

I have an ATI Radeon 4650, it has a fan, and I downloaded RivaTuner and upped the fan speed in hopes of helping the problem. Was this ok to do? I'm testing right now to see if i notice a difference

Reply to LittleSteven

The case is also on the floor under my desk, could this be additional cause for it's over heating. There is a panel inside the case that can be removed in addition to the side panel, I'm going to remove each to see if this helps the temps any. Minimum temp so far is 69 C.

Reply to LittleSteven

I believe I have deduced that it is solely the graphics card that is over heating. It reached around 120 C this last time I tested my game before the comp shut down, even after having RivaTuner set up. As y'all have already mentioned, I do believe it is poor ventilation to the graphics card itself, I removed the side panel, and also took some air duster to the entire innards of the unit (it was incredibly dusty). Immediately the temperature dropped to an all time low of 50 C since I've been monitoring it (as you have read it was at 79 C before I began all of this), so i have noticed a difference. I ran a short game for approximately 10 minutes and only saw about a 7-10 C increase in temp. I will be running a full game here soon and test the results. I very much appreciate all of the help, and will gladly take any more input or feedback to my problem. Thank you.

Reply to LittleSteven

Well its good that your temp's dropped.

I know with my old EVGA 8800GT my temps would be around 75c, SO I took an old 775 Heatsink fan and mounted it on the GFX card, was working around 45-50c stable.

Ive had people suggest re applying Thermal compound to the GPU. If it is a high quality TC then with an aftermarket cooling solution, I would suggest it.

Since most GPU Heatsinks are a pain in the ass, I would leave it to those who want to waste an hour or two.

Here are some After Market cooling solution's you should look at if you dont plan on replacing your vc anytime soon.

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http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6835186016

Reply to mosco2005