PC shuts down during games

Hi, For the past several weeks my PC (which is a Dell XPS 430) has shut down during game play, usually after 5-10 minutes.

As soon as the game is launched, the fan becomes really noisy and after 5-10 minutes stops, then the PC shuts down.

I don't really know much about computers, but I think I can give you a list of specs (Apologies if anything is wrong).

Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 / 2.33 GHz
Graphics Card: ATI Radeon HD 5700 Series
Motherboard: Dell G254h (I think)
Power Supply: Dell XPS 430 425W

One final note, I hoovered out dust from the computer and fan and I could play for a little longer (10-20 minutes) but it still shuts down, just later. I don't know whether that can be a clue as to whats causing my problems.

Thanks,
- Sam

Also, one other thing I forgot to mention. The games I play are games such as Lego Batman 2 and Saints Row the Third. So they are not particularly demanding games.
 
You may want to swap out the power supply... Dell power supplies are known to cause these sorts of issues over time. Go with a good quality 500 to 650 watt power supply
 
Thanks, I'll take the info into account.

I am going to wait for more suggestions before I spend money on a new Power Supply, but thanks anyway.
 
Hi, It sounds as if the root cause of the shut down is the fan (in PSU or Graphic card) is running fine to start with, then the bearing starts to seize and the fan stops. So the temps rise 'til the PSU shuts down.
So the answer is to get some oil in the fan bearing and/or clear the dust from around it.
The fan motors have a sticker with the '12V 100mA' type of info on.
Peel back the sticker, and the bearing is there. Put in a couple of drops of '3-in-1' or silicon oil, rebuild, and it most likely will be fine for months.
If the fan unit is a standard size, may be easier to replace it with a new one.
I could be wrong, but I have done the same with my own ATI Radeon card twice in 2 years, same problem.
( I recently posted a picture of this idea in 'Overclocking, cooling & modding', & thread was 'Video card fan not spinning'.)
This happens because the bearings are cheap, the better fans have ball races and won't fail like this, at least not for many years.
 
Hi, Pleased to hear it worked, thought it would 'cos it's what I found with my ATI card a few years ago.
A good clue is that it only shuts down when the graphic card is worked hard, so really points to a heating problem.
So if it happens again you'll know what to do !!
 
Back