Comp shuts off when playing games

[cofudi]

First off my specs are:

Case: Dell Studio XPS 7100
CPU: AMD Phenom II x4 945t
RAM: 12GB DDR3
PSU: AcBel PC9004 460w
Motherboard: Dell 0NWWY0
Chipset: AMD 785G

I just picked up my new XFX Radeon 6770 and installed it as soon as I got home. As soon as I turned it on i noticed the resolution was much worse and there was a large border around the screen (I checked the resolution and it said it was on 1920x1080). After installing all the drivers I started a game and within 5 minutes my computer completely shuts off. It does this same thing everytime I play ANY game. I researched the problem and found that high temp is a common cause. I downloaded CoreTemp and it said I was at 46-48C while browsing with my Tj. max on 71C. I started the game in a window so I could see the CoreTemp window and the temp WENT NUTS and went up to 102C before my comp shut off.


Any help?

 

[bumnut53]

If your CPU is hitting 102C you have problems, 1st step is to remove and reinstall the heatsink/fan.

 

[amuffin]

Reinstall heatsink with some new paste, either it is not mounted on properly or your case has too much dust in it!

 

[cofudi]

Reinstall heatsink with some new paste, either it is not mounted on properly or your case has too much dust in it!

Im not experienced at all when it comes to reinstalling hardware. Do you know of a page with a good tutorial?

 

[diellur]

The first thing is that this is your PC protecting itself, as others have pointed out. If this is a pre-built Dell machine you may have glue on the insides of your system holding the heatsink onto the CPU (I've come across this before). Did you bump the heatsink when you installed your new GPU?

What was the GPU you had installed beforehand? And how long have you had the system? I'm wondering if it's something to do with the PSU although how it's affecting CPU temps I'm not entirely sure. Do you have your old GPU? A good test would be to reinstall it and see if the CPU has the same issues.

 

[das_stig]

I suspect that PSU cannot handle the extra power the GPU requires.

Also with ATI cards, you have the options within the control center to alter the way the card interacts with the display.

 

[ngoy]

I second the ps power problem. See this Dell forum page
and this toms page about power draw.

You need to check how many amps your 12V rail provides. many older/oem power supplies were not designed for cards requiring lots of current on the 12V rail (ie, the 6 pin pcie connector that goes to your graphics card). also, if the power supply has multiple rails, you could be overloading it. Did you have to use an adapter to hook your cards power up or did the power supply have an available 6 pin power cable? It would be good to see if you can let us know what the sticker on the psu says for power on the 3/5/12 volt rails.

 

[correon]

You have to set the offset temp on Coretemp on 15 for your AMD Cpu

 

[amuffin]

Im not experienced at all when it comes to reinstalling hardware. Do you know of a page with a good tutorial?

I need to get working on this...

 

[cofudi]

The first thing is that this is your PC protecting itself, as others have pointed out. If this is a pre-built Dell machine you may have glue on the insides of your system holding the heatsink onto the CPU (I've come across this before). Did you bump the heatsink when you installed your new GPU?

What was the GPU you had installed beforehand? And how long have you had the system? I'm wondering if it's something to do with the PSU although how it's affecting CPU temps I'm not entirely sure. Do you have your old GPU? A good test would be to reinstall it and see if the CPU has the same issues.

I don't remember if I hit it or not.

My old GPU was a Radeon 6450 1GB that came with the system. I got it this compter August, 2011. I just tried my old card and when I ran the game the temperature rose to 89C (and still rising) before i closed the game and the temp went down to about 50C while idle.

You need to check how many amps your 12V rail provides

When I look at the PSU it has this:

+3.3V - 17.0A
+5.0V - 25.0A
+12.0VA - 18.0A
+12.0VB - 15.0A
+12.0VC - 8.0A
-12.0V - 0.3A
+5.0Vaux - 2.0A

Did you have to use an adapter to hook your cards power up or did the power supply have an available 6 pin power cable?

The PSU had an available cable.

 

[sharkbyte5150]

The first thing I noticed is the wattage of your PSU.
For anyone using their own video card, especially one that is an upgrade from what came in the system, you should have nothing less than 600W. Secondly, invest in a decent cooling system, there are dozens of video tutorials on YouTube for just about every CPU cooler available.

PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341017

Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

For ~$100 here is a solution to provide adequate power and cooling.

*Whether you choose to make these purchases or not, I would definitely re-apply thermal paste and make sure your heatsink has good contact. As my own personal rule, if upgrading any of the core performance components like video card or CPU, you should invest in the parts that support it and not expect the previous conditions to be ample.