Why is my computer shutting off?

[Guest]

I am having a weird problem that is driving me insane. My computer just shuts
itself off in the middle of playing a game. It happens when I play Oblivion
and when my son plays Command and Conquer. There is no warning....the
computer just shuts off. It can happen after 2 minutes of gaming or an hour.
Time does not seem to matter. The other weird thing is that it never happens
doing other mundane tasks like word processing or surfing the Internet. It
only shuts down while playing games. I am running the latest video card
driver and my copy of Windows XP has all the latest updates. I also do not
have any virus/malware. I do not think it is software related and would
rather not have to reload XP. Please help.

My computer specs are:

ASUS MB
P4 3.0 GHZ Processor
ATI X1650 256MB Video Card (AGP)
1 Gig RAM
2 X HDD
2X DVD
On board audio card
300 Watt Power Supply

 

[R. McCarty]

Based on your hardware, I'd suspect that the 300-Watt power supply is
not adequate for the hardware it's supporting. A P-4 in that Ghz Range
has a high wattage requirement. It's also possible that heating is the
cause.
Game playing causes the Video card to heat up appreciably.
I'd install SpeedFan 4.32 and monitor the thermals. Most BIOS today
have a page/segment for Environmental monitoring. You should check if
the voltages are close or near the thresholds. PCs (Desktops) should be
physically cleaned at least twice a year. Check vents for clogs and use a
can of compressed air to loosen and displace accumulated dust. Also do
a visual inspection to make sure EVERY fan in the PC is turning.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

I am having a weird problem that is driving me insane. My computer just
shuts
itself off in the middle of playing a game. It happens when I play
Oblivion
and when my son plays Command and Conquer. There is no warning....the
computer just shuts off. It can happen after 2 minutes of gaming or an
hour.
Time does not seem to matter. The other weird thing is that it never
happens
doing other mundane tasks like word processing or surfing the Internet. It
only shuts down while playing games. I am running the latest video card
driver and my copy of Windows XP has all the latest updates. I also do not
have any virus/malware. I do not think it is software related and would
rather not have to reload XP. Please help.

My computer specs are:

ASUS MB
P4 3.0 GHZ Processor
ATI X1650 256MB Video Card (AGP)
1 Gig RAM
2 X HDD
2X DVD
On board audio card
300 Watt Power Supply

This kind of spontaneous shutoff, when *not* accompanied by an automatic
restart, normally indicates hardware failure.

The failing hardware starts with the power supply, but then progresses to
the memory, then any memory-related component on the motherboard, the
processor, then the drives.

Unfortunately, this also normally means that you have to start replacing
hardware to figure out what is actually failing. Start with replacing the
power supply, as yours has a fairly low rating. Try for a 450 watt+, and
perhaps look at "quiet" supplies - the power supply makes a lot of the PC's
noise. You must, of course, be sure that the connectors on the power
supply match the ones for your system's motherboard.

While you have the case open, use cans of compressed air to clean dust out
of all the vents and heatsinks. Heat buildup due to restricted ventilation
will kill PC components.

If you find that replacing the power supply does not resolve the problem,
stop and consider other options, as your next steps in this direction would
be replacing the memory... then the motherboard... then the processor... and
this gets expensive.

HTH
-pk

 

[Unknown]

More than likely heat. To verify, open case and blow a fan on it.