Random Shutdowns - PSU Issue?

Jimpy762

Jimpy762

Jimpy762

Associate
Joined
18 Jun 2009
Posts
19
Evening Gents.

The past 2-3 weeks I've been experiencing random shutdowns when playing 'graphic intensive' games. The only games I've played that have caused shutdowns has been HL2 Ep 2, Arma 2 and Empire Total War. The three games that I have been playing without any issues are Strike Fighters 2 Vietnam and The Operational Art of War III and World of Tanks (links for lesser known titles go to videos if you don't know them).

I think this may be a PSU issue but I have played HL2 Ep 2, Arma 2 and ETW without issue on some days. It has only happened with those three but the shutdowns are seemingly random. If it was a PSU problem wouldn't the shutdowns happen on a regular basis?

The temps were, after playing HL2 Ep 2 for 20-30 mins just now, GPU was at 55C and the CPU around 34-38C - according to SpeedFan.

Tomorrow I'll open the case to clean out any dust and check connections and so on just to be sure.

Help on this problem much appreciated.

Just FYI, when I say shutdown, the screen just goes black and the PC stops running.


Silly me forgot to post my PC specs:

- ATI 4870 512MB

- 6 GB RAM

- i7 920 2.66GHz

- 1TB HD Samsung

- Corsair VX 550W ATX PSU

Rig is around 2.5 years old.
 
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download GPUz, before playing a game run that and check the box which says "log to file" then when you get a crash check the log for accurate temps/usage, you cant check it after as you are doing with any sort of accuracy as the temps fluctuate so quickly
 
is it an instant shutdown? or do you get a BSOD? if its instant then yes could be the PSU, if you get a BSOD then it wont be
 
From my experience I had a PSU failure and this would happen at random times. I could have no probs for days then probs continuously for a few days.
The only way I could prove it was the psu was to swap them around with my other comp. This made the other comp crash intermittently and my comp to run perfect.
Deffo check first that dust is clear from fans (cpu/gfx) then if still doing it see if you cant collar another psu.
 
You'll have to do some diagnostic checking:

Firstly, look at the Event Manager for any clues and google anything your not sure about. Event manager is often overlooked and under estimated when it comes to these things.

Next, check your is your PSU is functioning as expected. Use my guide here:
http://www.huddysworld.co.uk/index....rking&catid=40:techie-talk-hardware&Itemid=72

If your PSU is ok, then check your RAM modules by using MEMTEST86+.

Check the manufacturers website for recommended voltage and timings etc.
Try running your system with one stick of RAM at a time and try that stick in different slots. If the RAM stick fails in all slots, then its almost certainly a RAM problem. If the working RAM stick works in one slot but not another, then this is looking at a memory controller problem. This could be CPU or Motherboard depending on the platform.


Eliminate those first :)
 
I may have discovered the problem. Using GPUz (thanks 95thrifles, Bernard Cornwell fan myself) my GPU was hitting 90C+ temps. The 4870 runs at quite high temps compared to other cards with the stock fan speed being far too low (I've seen it hit 109C! When I first got it). The way to fix it is to have the fan run at about 30-40% or in line with what ever temperature the GPU is at.

I found that my custom fan settings had been reset, for whatever reason, so the GPU was back to frying itself. I hope it has not done any major damage.

I'll up the fan speed but I'll follow all of your advice to make sure it's not another problem. Sod's Law and all that.

stueng said:
is it an instant shutdown? or do you get a BSOD? if its instant then yes could be the PSU, if you get a BSOD then it wont be
Click to expand...

Instant shutdown. Screen goes back and the system stops running.

gregster said:
From my experience I had a PSU failure and this would happen at random times. I could have no probs for days then probs continuously for a few days.
The only way I could prove it was the psu was to swap them around with my other comp. This made the other comp crash intermittently and my comp to run perfect.
Deffo check first that dust is clear from fans (cpu/gfx) then if still doing it see if you cant collar another psu.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that useful bit of info, will bear it in mind.

Admiral Huddy said:
You'll have to do some diagnostic checking:

Firstly, look at the Event Manager for any clues and google anything your not sure about. Event manager is often overlooked and under estimated when it comes to these things.

Next, check your is your PSU is functioning as expected. Use my guide here:
http://www.huddysworld.co.uk/index....rking&catid=40:techie-talk-hardware&Itemid=72

If your PSU is ok, then check your RAM modules by using MEMTEST86+.

Check the manufacturers website for recommended voltage and timings etc.
Try running your system with one stick of RAM at a time and try that stick in different slots. If the RAM stick fails in all slots, then its almost certainly a RAM problem. If the working RAM stick works in one slot but not another, then this is looking at a memory controller problem. This could be CPU or Motherboard depending on the platform.


Eliminate those first :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice! Very useful.

I found the error log about the shutdown. It says that it was 'unexpected' but there are a number of errors before it happened, in fact, quite a lot of errors! I'll look through them.

EDIT

I have checked some of the error logs and they all, probably the rest of them, point to the GPU overheating.

Hope permanent damage to the card hasn't been done. I was going to replace it this summer for Arma 3 but wanted to wait until that point to see what GPU gave the best performance.

Thanks for all the help, gents. Much appreciated. :)
 
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if its an instant shutdown, not a BSOD or windows does not tell you it recovered from an error upon boot then its not likely to be driver/ram/cpu related and more likely to be PSU/motherboard. Can you reduce some of the load on the PSU? take out a GFX card if SLI? remove CD rom? run off one hdd? I had very similar issues, removed a gfx card and problems stopped
 
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