Any computer techies? Desktop keeps shutting down

Hi everyone,

I seem to have a re occurring problem that I can't get sorted out. Hopefully someone has an idea or preferably.... a solution!

First my desktop... copy/pasted from dxdiag

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System Information
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Time of this report: 1/6/2012, 22:53:11
Machine name: COMPUTER1
Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.1106​22-1506)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: System manufacturer
System Model: System Product Name
BIOS: BIOS Date: 08/24/10 17:39:01 Ver: 08.00.15
Processor: AMD Phenom(tm) II X6 1055T Processor (5 CPUs), ~3.3GHz
Memory: 16384MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 16374MB RAM
Page File: 2890MB used, 29857MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 32bit Unicode
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Display Devices
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Card name: AMD Radeon HD 6900 Series
Manufacturer: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Chip type: ATI display adapter (0x6719)
DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_​6719&SUBSYS_20101787&R​EV_00
Display Memory: 1761 MB
Dedicated Memory: 2022 MB
Shared Memory: 3835 MB
Current Mode: 1680 x 1050 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
Monitor Model: L226W
Monitor Id: GSM566B
Native Mode: 1680 x 1050(p) (59.883Hz)
Output Type: DVI

Motherboard is a Asus M4A87TD Evo


The problem I seem to be having with my computer seems to be a heating/power issue but that's only my guess I built this computer about a year and half ago and its been running great since. In the last month or so it just started turning off.

Symptoms are... it will run without fault and then all of a sudden it just completely turns off like as if the power was unplugged. If I press the power button it will not turn back on. I have to reach around to the back of the computer, flip the switch on the power supply itself to off. Flip it back on. Then I can turn the computer back on.

It can run the entire day under load without turning off once. Other days It will run 5 minutes and turn off. More increasingly its been not wanting to turn back on. I will flip the switch. Turn it on, before it even boots out of dos it will shut down again.

This 'sounded' like a over heating issue to me so I replaced the thermal grease yesterday and its still doing the same thing. The case itself is a gaming case with a couple fans on the front, one in the back, and a massive exhaust one on the top. The cpu also has a massive cooler on it that nearly touches the side of the case. Anytime I turn the computer back on and check the temp in bios it reads about 36-40 celsius on the CPU and 29 celsius on the motherboard which doesn't really sound like its too hot

Any suggestions?

Edit: I've also had all the cores unlocked on the cpu since I first got it. I dropped it back down to factory settings a little while ago.

Does the motherboard have any warning LEDs? If it does, maybe you could monitor which ones change when the system shuts itself off. I'm not familiar with the M4A87TD EVO.

Sounds like you may a faulty power supply.

I have a AMD PC did exactly like that, had to unplug the power cord few times to turn the power back on. changed the PSU fix it.

yes mighty likey the PSU - try a different one. i had this same problem and ultimately the PSU blew after a few days. New PSU - end of problem.

You can get programs to monitor the CPU temp - I think RealTemp is one but may be wrong. Also get the free memtestx86 program, it's an ISO image, boot to it and run it overnight. Watch it on and off for the first hour to see if it reports any memory problems.

Power supply and RAM are my top picks.

Sounds a lot like the Power Supply is failing

I ran a computer repair shop for the last 3 years, I agree with what these folks are saying. First things first, slide the side off and see if you have a rats nest of hair, dust and fuzz in your fans, and on/in the cpu heatsink. If its really matted down with crud, then take it outside and blow it out with canned air (NOT an air compressor!!) If the heatsink isn't all shcmaged up, then yank a psu out of another computer and see if that solves it. if it does, go to wwwncix.com and order a new 400W sparkle PSU. The bill should be about 50$ shipped (much cheaper than what you'd pay anywhere in calgary or ed) and its a phenominal PSU.

Thank you all for the help. I'm glad everyone agrees on what it is.

I didn't think it would be the PSU since it runs sometimes all day and figured it would either work, or not work as its electrical.

The computer is pretty clean of dust. I open it once a month or so to blow it all out. And since I had to redo the grease on it I cleaned it out yesterday again as well.

And thanks for the link Tzetsin. I need a PSU with a bit more then that since I have a raid 5 + windows hdd, few fans, and a gaming card so it likes to eat its power. I'll most definitely still check the website though. PSU' aren't very cheap locally.

I'll check out realtemp, I couldn't remember the name of the one that worked on 64 bit windows but realtemp sounds familiar like its been around for a long time. I'll start running it to double check its not a heating issue before the psu comes in. AMD puts it at about 63 Celsius as the max so if it shutsdown before coming to there everytime it should be confirmed that its not heat related right?

Thanks!

63 is pretty low, my i7 goes to 100 before it shuts off. It never gets over about 50 though, I have a huge heatsink on it.

To monitor CPU temps, get the program called CoreTemp.
It puts the CPU temps onto your task tray so you can see what the temps are.

So I got a new PSU and I haven't had a single issue, so it appears to be resolved. Thanks guys !!

Hopefully you splurged on the most vital component and went with Corsair or PC Power & Cooling.

Glad you got it resolved. PSU's can be intermittent when failing too, and often, can take other components(RAM/HDD/CPU​) with them. Count yourself as lucky.

As isoMorphic said, i hope you didn't just buy a "cheapo" PSU? Doesn't have to be Corsair or PC P&C(some OCZ, some Antec, Seasonic, Silverstone, Enermax, some Coolermaster), but just don't buy a $40 PSU for a $1000 PC..it just doesn't compute.

Well I checked out some of the online sites but with shipping they either came out the same, were way more, or saving the couple bucks didn't warrant the hassle if I have troubles down the road with it. The PSU I got.... *drum roll*.... Corsair GS700. I was planning to get the 600 but they were all sold out. My old PSU was a Taragan 700 so I still have about a 150watt buffer I figure.

And I hear ya 1Tanker, the next problem I have to fix is my raid5, its currently flashing critical so one of the disks went down which I am "guessing" was due to the PSU just dropping power to the array and not letting it wind down? Problem is that it is a hardware raid and I can't figure out how to figure out which disk it is. The mobo manual doesn't explain it and the raid configuratior (ctrl+f) on boot up just shows the entire array as 1 disk and not seperate (3 disks) so I'm lost.

If I don't figure that out soon then you shall be seeing another thread soon

Thanks again!

A computer draws 200W max, unless you have a crazy graphics card. 700W is overkill, but will do fine.