Am I overworking my computer/video card?

[BlackWinter]

I am not that great with any technical Hardware know-how but I might be overworking my computer for gaming:

-Pretty much if there isnt a beep a few seconds after start up it will only show a black screen.
-Screen Turns black during gameplay.
-Loud fan noises during gaming.

I clean out the dust but I don't think it helps that much and playing my games on max isn't the smartest idea but I really like high quality visuals. Here is my Specs

Windows Vista 64-bit
Acer Aspire M5700
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q8300 @ 2.50GHz 2.50 GHz
RAM: 4 GB
Video card: ATI Radeon HD 5700

Do I need to upgrade/replace any of the devices or buy a whole new computer because the loud fan noises are getting annoying when I play my games as well as the black screen crashes.

 

[Leeky]

In regards to your specification, it would seem fine. I game with the same CPU, though it is overclocked to 3.36GHz, producing more heat, but it handles everything perfectly fine - there should be absolutely no issues there. To be honest the whole spec seems fine, though it would be nice if you could confirm the GPU correctly, HD5700 is the series, whats the last two numbers of the card after the 57?

One thing that stands out is the name of the computer. It'll have a standard case, and therein is most likely your issue. To game with high settings, it really pushes your hardware hard, producing lots of heat. You need a really well cooled case to get rid of that heat, combined with plenty of decent fans. OEM cases made for the likes of Acer (and others) are not designed with the extra provision for fans. You'll be needing an enthusiast case for that.

I would also hazard a guess (you haven't said) that the PSU is the standard OEM Acer model as well - That could well be strugglingt to meet the power demands of the graphics card at full power in games.

My recommendation is as follows:

1. Replace the CPU cooler with something decent (I use a Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro (rev 2), which is more than capable of cooling my overclocked Q8300.
2. Get a decent case to fit your hardware into - this will seriously reduce your temps.
3. Change the power supply if its the original Acer OEM unit.

 

[Relic]

You might be overheating your video card with stressing it by playing everything maxed out. To verify this, could you please provide us both load and idle temps? If you are unfamiliar with finding temperatures they are located in Catalyst Control Center > Performance > AMD Overdrive which will tell you your current GPU temp. If you want something simple to run in the background, download CPUID and let it run while you play some games for a bit then quit. It should record both minimum & maximum values on top of your current temperature.

If your values appear to be normal, then you might be having a power supply issue as Leeky suggested. A power supply that is having issues feeding your entire system while stressed would show symptoms such as bad in-game performance, lock-ups and freezes, random resets while gaming, and in the worst case scenario overloading.

 

[BlackWinter]

Ok so my temperature is just about 80 C + whenever i play a game like crysis 2. I guess I'm going shopping for a new power supply later this week and cutting my gaming/graphics down by alot. Will getting a new power supply be enough or will I have to do everything leeky has said. Also I can't find the last two numbers of my video card, I can't seem to find the box it came in either so is there another way to find it on my computer?

 

[Relic]

From looking at the generic specs of the Acer Aspire M5700 series, it's stated that the power supply is a ~250W unit. That is definitely BELOW the recommended power supply for either the 5750 or 5770. Did you replace the power supply when you added the graphics card? Could you verify what power supply you have and tell us the make & model? This is the likely source of your issues regarding crashes & black screens.

Now for those temperatures, 80C in my opinion is a bit on the high side and likely why you hear your fan when gaming. I'm assuming you have it set on automatic controls and as such it spins up really loud when you game to keep your card cool. As leeky points out, major manufactures like Acer don't design their cases with extra fans to help airflow, especially once you start stressing it. To help improve the airflow without switching cases look into adding another fan or check out some PCI slot coolers.

Also be aware that room temperature and location of the PC plays a role in how hot your hardware will run. Running hardware in a room at 90F (32C) compared to 68F (20C) makes a difference. Sticking your PC in a desk cubby compared to having it sit in the open can have a small effect.

 

[reph05]

Get a New Cooler

It is recommended for you to get a new cpu cooler. It will be much helpful to cool down your system.