Random shutdowns

Computer Hardware
#1

Just curious if anyone knew what the most likely cause of a shutdown is. The computer just suddenly shuts off. No BSOD, no restart, no errors, nothing. It just shuts off. I restart and everything is fine for a while.

This has happened while using DVD Shrink, DVD Decrypter, AVG whiling scanning my C drive, and while running Memtest. Just today it happened while surfing the net so it is not only while doing a CPU intensive operation.

At first I figured it was the ram but I tested 5 different sticks (3 were PNY and 2 no name) in different slots and it happened with each.

Then I figured PSU as I had a 2 year old 400W cheapo unit ($28 including case) so replaced with a Mad Dog 550W PSU and it still happened.

I suppose all that’s left is the CPU, graphics card or the motherboard. I have an ATI 9800 pro bought recently that I haven’t installed yet. I was planning on upgrading the ram, MB and CPU then installing the ATI when I received the new stuff. Do you think it could be my current VGA acting up? I figured it was most likely the MB or CPU, but read recently that a bad CPU usually results in a BSOD, so I’m guessing it’s the MB.

I suppose I should install the new VGA to rule that out but I was kind of looking for a reason to do a little upgrading.
I have been using this setup for about 18 months and the problem started about 3 months ago. All fans are running and I have the side panel off to improve airflow. Nothing is over clocked.

Current setup:
AMD Athlon XP 2500 Barton
ASUS A7N8X deluxe
Ati 9500 Pro

Any ideas?

Thanks
Trenz

#2

I just ran SiSoft Sandra and it said my mainboard is 85 C/ 185 F. I hit refresh and it said 189 C/ 383 F Warning: mainboard temp too high
Warning:System fan has failed or is spinning too slow

This has too be an error or I would see smoke, right?

I also ran PC Wizard and it said mainboard 33 C.
Fans seem to be running fine.

If Sandra is right I guess I’m getting a new MB but right now I’m getting the fire extinguisher and I’ll post later from the laptop :slight_smile:

#3

I also have a A7N8X-E some versions of sandra do not play well with this Asus. I also saw flalky temp readings but I was just playing with it. Go find “Mother board monitor” on google. It’s a temp / fan speed monitor with alarm and adjustable shut down. I have the 3200 barton and they do get a bit warmer when doing intense things.

#4

OH by the way: Your gona love installing those ATI video drivers. Trust me :slight_smile:

#5

Just thought of something else. Having that side cover off can hurt you bad. The air needs to be directed.

#6

If your cpu fan has stopped spinning get a new heatsink and fan,u risk major problems in case of failiure as most motherboard heat sensors are away from the heatsink so the temp u see is probably a lot higher,you wont see smoke u get a dead pc from a fried cpu,if u can buy the largest heatsink/fan u can (largest cpu your motherboard supports)saves hassle in future in case u buy a faster cpu.

#7

I would get an aftermarket PASSIVE chipset cooler. The zalman northbridge cooler works good, and I’ve seen a lot of good ones. I put a pentium heatsink with a 50mm fan on my northbridge, and I’m on the thire stinking fan!!! I want to change it to passive really bad. I’m so sick of that STUPID little fan PUKING about once a year!!! If I were you, I’d see if you can find a nice little socket 370 heatsink, or a big socket 7 heatsink (something big enough to cool it without a fan), and get rid of what’s on there. I thought the heatsink on the A7N8X was a passive one to start with anyways. If it has no fan, it’s got to be that the heatsink isn’t making contact. If that’s the case, take it off, clean that wax crap off of it (that stuff SUX, you’ll need acetone, or some lighter fluid to remove it), and apply some arctic silver 5 or ceramique @ the very least! I have arctic silver under my GPU’s heatsink, on my CPU, and the northbridge. It makes a HELLUVA difference over that wax garbage or the white goop. I’ve seen some people say that they run with NO thermal goop. That ONLY works if the CPU and heatsink surfaces are PERFECT, and on CPUs that have heat spreaders. I WOULD NOT do that to a CPU that has no heat spreader, or with a heatsink that wasn’t PERFECT on the bottom. I still think there is a 1-2c better temperature to be had if you did put goop on it. I dunno, pull the heatsink off the northbridge, and see what;s going on under there! Now I have seen BIG CONFLICTS between PC probe and other software, but not sandra. I know gigabyte’s easy tune software DOES NOT get along with motherboard monitor. :doh: . So, make sure that ONLY ONE piece of monitoring software is running @ any given time, and verify your “system” temp (actually the sensor is INSIDE the northbridge itself in the form of a thermal diode). If it’s still way too hot, you NEED to fix it or you’ll cook the mobo. :eek:

#8

“The computer just suddenly shuts off.”

Can you define “shuts off”. As in the monitor goes dark or the whole thing goes silent as in the power supply turns off.