Spontaneous Shut Downs

[ddluc32]

Alright, this has been going on far too long. I realize that this is a somewhat common occurrence, but the common solutions have not worked.

At any given moment my computer will immediately shut off. However there is little consistency; sometimes it happens three times a day, sometimes it doesn't happen for months. I am relatively sure that this is not due to the CPU overheating; my idle temperature is around 38C.

Here is a list of some things that I have noticed that caused my system to shut down:
-Video Games (Skyrim, L.A. Noire, Mass Effect 2) Also, it crashed while playing Star Wars Battlefront II which isn't a very demanding game.
-Running the Python IDLE GUI
-Previously had issue with the sleep mode, but that seems to have subsided for the moment.


From this I assumed that its a PSU issue (especially with the issue with sleep mode), so I swapped my Corsair vx550 with a 350W CoolerMaster. I wasn't
sure if the old PSU would be enough to power my ATI Radeon 5770, so I swapped it out for an ATI Radeon 4350 I had lying around. This was good for a few weeks, then it crashed again, and again, and again.
So now I'm trying the Corsair 550W with the HD 4350, however the problem is that I can't run the high demanding games, so I can't really test it. However it has not crashed yet while under this set up.

Here are my thoughts:
-The HD 5700 and the HD 4350 could both be consuming too much power from their respective power supply (550W and the 360W) and that's why it crashed after I made the switch
-My 4 GB of ram is possibly choking
-Despite being it's creator, my computer despises me

I appreciate anyone who reads this and gives me feedback. I don't have a lot of money to buy parts at the moment, so if I do buy anything I need to be certain that it's what will fix my problem.

System Specs:
CPU: AMD phenom II x4 955 @ 3.2 GHZ
RAM: GSkill 4GB DDR3 1066
Motherboard: ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO
Video Card: ATI Radeon HD 5770
Hard Drive: 250GB + 500GB Seagate 7200 rpm

 

[scout_03]

did you have a error code when that happens

 

[ddluc32]

No, Its just like if I were to unplug it. It happens very quick, no freezes no errors.

 

[vrumor]

The Corsair is a much better PSU than the Crappermaster. Stick with Seasonic, XFX, Antec Earthwatts, Corsair etc. Should run fine with the Corsair.

 

[ddluc32]

The Corsair is a much better PSU than the Crappermaster. Stick with Seasonic, XFX, Antec Earthwatts, Corsair etc. Should run fine with the Corsair.

I know that. However, it does not run fine with the Corsair. It crashes consistently and has been for months.

 

[Blakexeal]

What case are you using? AFAIK some cases have problems with grounding and end up shocking the motherboard unexpectedly when a usb or other device is connected. I saw a review earlier about one in particular.

 

[vrumor]

Have you tried testing your memory? Maybe try a new PSU. If its an old Corsair, they do go bad over time I would assume like anything else.

 

[capt_taco]

If it won't turn back on for a while - overheating.

If it happens at the same point in each game/program - bad sector of RAM.

Another possibility, since this has happened with both PSUs and both video cards, but not with non-demanding games, is that one of the PCIe x16 slots is having trouble and cannot supply the card with enough power when the chips are down. To test that, try switching the card to the other slot.

 

[scout_03]

try a cmos and check battery fo voltage then do memtest to be shure that memory you suspect is good or not one stick at the time

 

[ddluc32]

What case are you using? AFAIK some cases have problems with grounding and end up shocking the motherboard unexpectedly when a usb or other device is connected. I saw a review earlier about one in particular.

Thats very interesting. How would I test/fix something of that nature?

My case is a lian li lancool pc-k62.

 

[Blakexeal]

The case I was referencing wasn't that model. It was a coolermaster. I suppose the best way to test it would be connecting usb or other peripherals and see if the system shuts down. I doubt this is the problem, but doesn't hurt to go through a process of elimination.

 

[ddluc32]

If it won't turn back on for a while - overheating.

If it happens at the same point in each game/program - bad sector of RAM.

Another possibility, since this has happened with both PSUs and both video cards, but not with non-demanding games, is that one of the PCIe x16 slots is having trouble and cannot supply the card with enough power when the chips are down. To test that, try switching the card to the other slot.

Well I recently was playing Star Wars Battlefront 2, which isn't that demanding and the HD 5770 and Corsair combo crashed. I feel like that came should not overload the graphics card to the point where it either crashes, or consumes too much power. And it does seem to happen at the same time in each game. It's sporadic, but when it does shut down, it shuts down consistently. For example, I played a solid 20 hrs of Skyrim with no problem, then it crashed. It then continues to crash 20 minutes into the game every time I played it. Also crashed 20 minutes into most other games when it did crash.

Thank you for this.

 

[ddluc32]

Update: ran memtest and didn't seem to encounter any errors. However, to make things more complicated, i put in the HD 5770 in this morning and it didn't work at all. The PC boots up but there is no display, and the GPU fan is stopping and starting constantly. So I put in the old card and now that doesn't work either. So nothing seems to work right now and my frustration is rising.

 

[vrumor]

Thinking it might be the motherboard now since the other tests have proved nothing. If it happens on both cards, with either PSU, have to look at the whats consistent in each build. Motherboard, CPU and RAM. Tested the RAM it worked. Might want to try another mobo if you have access to one thatll run that socket.

 

[ddluc32]

Thinking it might be the motherboard now since the other tests have proved nothing. If it happens on both cards, with either PSU, have to look at the whats consistent in each build. Motherboard, CPU and RAM. Tested the RAM it worked. Might want to try another mobo if you have access to one thatll run that socket.

I agree, the fact that I can't get the video card to power up at all is a sign that its the MB. I highly doubt that both video cards died magically over night. Unfortunately, I don't have another MB with that socket so I am going to buy a new one.

This is what I'm looking at right now.

I particularly like the ASUS M5A97. Thoughts?

 

[vrumor]

I have the M5A99X and it works great. If you want to find a good mobo cheap, look at the AM3+ boards on newegg open box. Ive bought 5 or 6 that way and they have all included everything and worked perfectly.

 

[scout_03]

for the old motherboard check if it still under warranty ,asus got a 3 years on them could try rma so you will have a spare motherboard