Computer shuts off during gameplay

[sketch22]

my computer always shuts off between 5-20 minutes of ingame on mw2 that i recently downloaded. the graphics card goes crazy like 5 minutes into playing it. thats when it sounds like someone turing on and off a powerdrill as fas as they can. creepin me out here.

heres my specs:

model: DELL studio XPS 435mt.
GPU: ATI radeon HD 4850
CPU: intel i7 920 (2.66 GHZ)
RAM:i think its 4gb but might be 6gb. havent relpaced any parts sice bought
PSU: 550w
Motherboard: DELL r849j
OS: windows vista (64-bit)
hard drive: 500 GB

when i turn it back on works perfectly until i play the game again.

 

[Sunius]

Download HWMonitor, FurMark and Prime95. Run FurMark Burn-in test, prime95 blend test and check temperatures after 10 minutes.

 

[Onus]

What brand and model (not just wattage) is the PSU? This sounds like either a power or heat problem, and either one could be dangerous to your system.

 

[spasmolytic46]

I'm start by guessing that you're having temperature problems and suggest downloading HWMonitor and running it while you play MW2 in a non full screen so you can see how hot your stuff is getting. After doing that, comeback and tell us. If you start to go over 80C go ahead and stop and comeback and tell us that.

 

[sketch22]

i think its my GPU b/c it reaches 105C in game and my computer just completely poops and my whole power and everything turns of and back on. then i have to press the power button on my computer.

 

[sketch22]

i dont want to play it because right now its idleing at 84C right now and im not playing the game

 

[spasmolytic46]

i dont want to play it because right now its idleing at 84C right now and im not playing the game

That is indeed an over heating issue. do you have some compressed air you can use to blow it out and make sure there is no dust buildup?

 

[sketch22]

whenever i have my fanspeeds at 30 it sits at 84 but when i bumpu up to 50% its at 68-79C so theirs a problem here. and 50% is pretty annoying

 

[sketch22]

whenever i have my fanspeeds at 30 it sits at 84 but when i bumpu up to 50% its at 68-79C so theirs a problem here. and 50% is pretty annoying

 

[Onus]

Wow, that's hot. I wonder if the HSF on the GPU was properly mounted... You may need to remove it, clean off then re-apply thermal paste, then remount the HSF; or get an aftermarket GPU HSF.

 

[sketch22]

what is an HSF

 

[sketch22]

i can go buy some. but no. and ive already tried to clean it but its still hot

 

[spasmolytic46]

Have you ran your computer with the case open to see if that brings your temp down? Obvioulsly that not a permanaent solution, but if your temps become reasonable then we know we just need to get some airflow into your case with some more fans or bigger fans.

 

[Onus]

HSF = Heatsink/Fan.
Something like this would be effective and quiet: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186041

 

[JackNaylorPE]

OCCT will load your system and record temps w/o a need for a 2nd and 3rd program to be running .... it also graphs the results which you can then look at later so you don't have to sit there and watch.

Try blowing some compressed air into the fan shroud on the card (pressurized air sold at puter stores)

Try taking off side window and using a desk fan to blow air into case to rule out or confirm case cooling as the problem.

 

[sketch22]

im not allowed to screw with the computer without parents permittion.

 

[spasmolytic46]

im not allowed to screw with the computer without parents permittion.

Then you need to let them know they have an issue with heat. Something needs to be done about it before hardware starts to die.

 

[Sunius]

im not allowed to screw with the computer without parents permittion.

You must tell them what's going on, tell them that the computer will die off very fast during overheating. I'm sure they wouldn't want that.