[help] computer keeps turning off

well, i don't know if it is a PSU problem...

sometimes my computer turns itself off. the LED remains on (not the disk activity one though) but the computer gets turned off - the fans, monitor, everything. it doesn't happen for any reason though, no warning about temperature being too high, etc. its happened when i used to play nfs ug2 for too long, then that stopped. it happened when i was playing half life 2 (just 5 min into the game). sometimes it happens without any taxing programs even running.

edit:

i did some reading and one possible cause was said to be voltage

my voltage readings are quite normal though:

12v - 11.93

5v - 4.89

3.3v - 3.248

cpu core 1.52 - 1.48

cpu i/o 1.5 - 1.47

cpu temp max - 55C

system zone 1 max - 52C

system zone 2 max - 48C

p4 2.4ghz HT

intel 865GBF

2x256 MB DDR @ 266mhz

geForce FX 5200

SB LIVE! 5.1

maxtor 80gb + seagate 40 gb

RealTek NIC

300 W PSU (i think)

any suggestions to get to the root of this?

#261430

You seem to have a lot of equipment for a 300W power supply, are you sure is only 300W?

#261444

Thats not too much equitment for a 300w psu, but rember cheap psus ratings are kinds usless. A typicaly 400w no name probaly can realy only supply 250w consistantly. You voltages are low, but not out of spec. If i had to guess on onething, im leaning towards your PSU overheating (your positive the crashes are caused by hardware and not software? ). Watch your voltage rails just as it crashes some time.

Your computer is also running realy hot for a p4. Not too hot to destroy anything, but at the point where if i were overclocking it i would feel uncomfortable. Take the fan off your CPU heatsink and clean the dust off it the best you can (dont use a big ES generating fether duster either )

and on a side not this realy isnt the forum to be asking aobut computer hardware problems. Head over to neowin for that

#261463

thanks for the quick response. should i replace the heatsink as well? also how will i watch my "voltage rails" when it crashes since i never have an indication that it is going to crash?

sorry but i'm quite lost in the cooling and psu world...

#261493

Incase this helps, sometimes your computer shuts down if something is using too much power. This is why you want powered speakers and everything that would take up alot of power. My friend has really good speakers but they are not powered. So you are there listening to loud rock musc and then it just shuts down. SO if you have non-powered speakers, instead of playing music on your computer just put the radio on or burn a disk and listen to it on your CD player.

Still don't know if that helps...

#261781

i have powered philips speakers, though

thanx anyway

i think i might go in for a better case+psu anyway

#261826