Computer randomly turns off ?

[Jason]

Hello,

I have a AMD Athlon XP chip in my machine.

My computer will randomly shut down. It seems to happen if I am listening
to MP3's or doing picture work in photoshop. The whole PC will just go
dead. The green power button stays on and I must hold the power button in
for 5 seconds and then it goes out. If I try to turn on the computer right
away it will go on for about 2 seconds and then turn off again. If I wait
10 seconds it then boots.

I check the CPU temp and that is at 65 - 75 and no where near the 85 - 90
shut down temp.

Any idea what this could be?

 

[Sleepy]

Hello,

I have a AMD Athlon XP chip in my machine.

My computer will randomly shut down. It seems to happen if I am listening
to MP3's or doing picture work in photoshop. The whole PC will just go
dead. The green power button stays on and I must hold the power button in
for 5 seconds and then it goes out. If I try to turn on the computer
right away it will go on for about 2 seconds and then turn off again. If
I wait 10 seconds it then boots.

I check the CPU temp and that is at 65 - 75 and no where near the 85 - 90
shut down temp.

Any idea what this could be?

65-75 celsius is too hot - a good temperature would be in the 40s and 50s
would be okay. Your motherboard may have auto shutdown protection and the
default temperature for that is around 70 celsius.

 

[Jason]

65-75 celsius is too hot - a good temperature would be in the 40s and 50s
would be okay. Your motherboard may have auto shutdown protection and the
default temperature for that is around 70 celsius.

OK So I installed a new verison of the asus monitor and the CPU temp is at
83 cel. NO How do I get the temp down? I am in a room in the basement that
is cool on its own, now I even opened the AC Vent so the temp in the room
is even cooler now at 55 to 62 degrees.

Any suggestions?

thanks

 

[Bob]

OK So I installed a new verison of the asus monitor and the CPU temp is at
83 cel. NO How do I get the temp down?

Turn the computer off. That's way too hot.

I am in a room in the basement that
is cool on its own, now I even opened the AC Vent so the temp in the room
is even cooler now at 55 to 62 degrees.

Your heat sink is dirty - full of dust and dirt.

Remove the fan or you may break the rather delicate blades. Then blow
the dirt out. You can get compressed gas at RackShack. Clean up
everything including behind the motherboard.

Set the BIOS temperature alarm at 57F so this won't happen again.

I fried an AMD K6-II CPU once and it was not much above 60F. My son
fried two Acer computers that someone gave him, so it's not all that
difficult to do.

If your acts up after you cool it off, then you will have to get a new
one.


--

Map of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
http://home.houston.rr.com/rkba/vrwc.html

"The ultimate result of shielding men from the
effects of folly is to fill the world with fools."
-- Herbert Spencer

 

[kony]

OK So I installed a new verison of the asus monitor and the CPU temp is at
83 cel. NO How do I get the temp down? I am in a room in the basement that
is cool on its own, now I even opened the AC Vent so the temp in the room
is even cooler now at 55 to 62 degrees.

Asus Monitor is ususally a few degrees over actual temp- but
even so it's still too hot.

What heatsink are you using and which specific Athlon XP
model #?

Check the CPU voltage, confirm it is correctly set.

Does the case have poor intake or exhaust?
Check all fans for proper operation and clean out any dust.

 

[Bob]

Consider a Zalman copper heat sink. My son had to replace the retail
box heat sink on his 3.2 GHz P4 Prescott. Now the CPU stays cool even
when he is running DVD s/w.

http://www.directron.com/cnps7700cu.html


--

Map of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
http://home.houston.rr.com/rkba/vrwc.html

"The ultimate result of shielding men from the
effects of folly is to fill the world with fools."
-- Herbert Spencer

 

[kony]

Consider a Zalman copper heat sink. My son had to replace the retail
box heat sink on his 3.2 GHz P4 Prescott. Now the CPU stays cool even
when he is running DVD s/w.

http://www.directron.com/cnps7700cu.html

That heatsink does not support Socket A (Athlon XP) AFAIK.
They do make one similar for Skt.A though, the 7000 rather
than 7700.

 

[DaveW]

Your alarm temp for the CPU is set TOO high. It should be set for 70 C to
prevent damage. And since you say yours is hitting 75 C during use, that's
why your computer is shutting down.

 

[Jason]

Turn the computer off. That's way too hot.


Your heat sink is dirty - full of dust and dirt.

Remove the fan or you may break the rather delicate blades. Then blow
the dirt out. You can get compressed gas at RackShack. Clean up
everything including behind the motherboard.

Set the BIOS temperature alarm at 57F so this won't happen again.

I fried an AMD K6-II CPU once and it was not much above 60F. My son
fried two Acer computers that someone gave him, so it's not all that
difficult to do.

If your acts up after you cool it off, then you will have to get a new
one.


--

Map of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
http://home.houston.rr.com/rkba/vrwc.html

"The ultimate result of shielding men from the
effects of folly is to fill the world with fools."
-- Herbert Spencer

thank you, this was exactly the problem!