PC Shuts Down

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pcgamer72

Geek Trainee
Hi everyone. I have been having computer problems for a few months now, and it has become very frustrating because I don't know what to do. A few months ago, I went out of town for about 4 weeks, and when I came back and tried to use my computer, it worked fine until I tried to play a game. After only a couple of minutes, the computer shut down. I thought it might have built up dust inside while I was gone, so I opened the case and cleaned everything off. I also took off the heatsink fan in order to try and remove all of the dust. I had trouble putting it back on at first, but I thought I finally got it. When I restarted it, it only lasted maybe 10-20 seconds before it would shut down again, essentially not even reaching the login screen usually. I called a friend of mine and he reapplied thermal paste and reinstalled the fan, seemingly much better than I had, because it would come on and allow me to surf the web for hours (watching videos as well) without any problems. However, upon trying to install a game, it would run for a few minutes before shutting down, with no warning. After reading some threads I found online about similar problems, I downloaded Speedfan and looked at the different temperatures. While simply viewing the threads, I found that Temperature 1 was about 80 degrees and the GPU temperature was about 65 degrees I believe. I had saved all of the numbers in a document on the computer, which I was going to post here. First, however, I decided to try and install the game again and see how high the temperatures went. I noticed that the window case fan was not plugged in though from when my friend helped me last night, so I powered off the computer, tilted it at about a 20 degree angle and reconnected the fan. When I turned it back on in order to try and install the game and monitor the Speedfan temperatures, I noticed that Temperature 1 was now something like 127 degrees Celsius, while just idle! Of course, it powered off again very soon. It is so bizarre to me that simply by tilting the computer for 30 or so seconds, the problem seemed to go back to how it was before my friend reconnected the heatsink fan. The GPU temperature was also considerably higher and the symbol next to it indicated that it was way too hot.

The specs of the computer are was follows:

Intel Core 2 Duo @3.0GHZ
Nvidia GTX 260
Basiq Power 550 Plus
Asus P5N-T Deluxe
4GB RAM
Windows 7

One of the major problems is that I don't know what Temperature 1 represents in Speedfan. I'm guessing it's the CPU temperature, but I want to make sure. So, what do y'all think the problem is, and how should I go about remedying it? Does it seem like it is the heatsink fan for sure? I'm sorry that I can't be of more help, but I am very confused by how this problem has played out. If y'all have any questions, let me know, and I'll try my best to answer.

Thanks for all of the help in advance.
 
This very much sounds like a thermal problem to me. One thing that most power users seem to overlook is the PSU fan. Sometimes the fan in a PSU will die and you would never notice it. When under heavy stress the PSU can overheat like the scenario you've described.

Also, you should make sure that the CPU fan is plugged into the correct plug into the motherboard. I've seen issues before where people have plugged the CPU fan into the case fan or another fan socket on the mobo. This can cause a lot of issues because the fan will not be regulated correctly for the given temperatures.

In summary, you need to ensure that all your fans are working properly including the PSU fan. Also, consult your mobo documentation/sticker and ensure that the CPU fan is plugged into the correct fan socket.

Might I recommend HWMonitor (cpuid.com) to help diagnose where the temperature problem is lying. If you know it's the CPU overheating, then perhaps the heatsink is not tight enough on the processor. The core2duo's should have core temps in HWMonitor so that can help you as well.
 
I would first try changing the power supply, It sounds like it is going Bad...Next How many fans do you have ?You might also try changing the heat shield and fan on the processor.
It sounds like it is getting hot for some un know reason..
 
I would first try changing the power supply, It sounds like it is going Bad...Next How many fans do you have ?You might also try changing the heat shield and fan on the processor.
It sounds like it is getting hot for some un know reason..

Sorry! something wrong with site, gave me a double post..
 
I agree that you should look into PSU issues and possibly replacing it. Regular case fans and and as long as the heatsink and cpu fan are installed correctly should not have any problems keeping the system in a usable state for at least a decent amount of time, unless there is SIGNIFICANT dust build up or some really ridiculous obstruction like an IDE ribbon cable hanging over the entire fan.

An incorrectly installed CPU heatsink can cause the computer to shutdown less than a minute due to thermal problems, but a cpu fan is not absolutely necessary. A cpu can survive with only a heatsink for a respectable amount of usage.
 
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