Computer Turns itself off or freezes unexpectedly

[Blekk]

Hi,

I've been having these problems for the last few weeks. If I'm typing using Microsoft Word or I'm playing a graphically intensive game, it may happen. It seems utterly random.

The problem is either the monitor going onto standby and the sound just looping until the sound cuts out, while the actual computer is still on and the fans are still whirring etc.

Or, the screen just freezes and the computer is still on, but the sound cuts out straight away.

As I said, I don't there is anything I can avoid doing to make this stop, sometimes the computer runs for 3 hours playing an FPS like Call Of Duty 4 and other times I will turn it on, it will load the desktop and then it will freeze straight away...

It may be a temperature problem, but I don't understand why a component could be getting too hot when just using Microsoft Word. Also, it's not my graphics card because I recently clocked it back down the default core and memory speeds.

Does anyone have any ideas why either of these things occur?

Thanks for your time,

Blekk.

 

[rf6647]

At the risk of sounding somewhat redundant, I recommend following in the topic here appearing in 'guides & solved issues'.

While Step 1 recommends updating drivers, you could be having hardware problems, rather than compatability problems. That does not completely rule out any recent driver updates or new software as a cause. Events viewer and the device manager should be reviewed for any useful information.

Your description makes the GPU sound most suspect. I would substitute an inexpensive graphics card to check out this possibility. Before incurring that expense, use memtest86 to check out the RAM (high on my usual suspect list).

I did not read the post for information regarding the OS.

 

[Blekk]

Thanks for the reply, now that I haven't finally been able to see it. My computer decided to do one of its freezes just when your reply was loading, oh the irony!

Anyway, the only recent software I have installed is TuneUp Utilities, it seems unlikely that this could be the cause but I'll uninstall it anyway as I have hardly used it.

I also believed it could be my graphics card and so will update the drivers to see if it corrects the problem.

Thanks for you help and I will post my findings.

 

[Blekk]

Nope, updating drivers didn't help, and it can't even load up Safe Mode or CHKDSK without freezing beforehand...

Maybe its the hard drive or hopefully the SATA cable just losing the connection?

I'll test with a new cable.