Computer shuts down when playing games, please help.

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evilkyote

Hi, New here. I really hope someone can help me. ok heres the problem,

This first occurred after updating my gfx card drivers to the latest version and the only games it affected was Call of Duty 2 and F.E.A.R. Basically after 5 or 10 mins (randomly) my computer just switches off and requires being switched on. i looked on the net but found no useful help. After some trial and error I rolled back my gfx card drivers to what came on the CD for the cards. problem solved. However I have just bought Age of Empires 3 and am getting the same thing happen again, still on the original drivers from the gfx CD. F.E.A.R and Call of Duty 2 work fine.

It's really wierd. I don't want to have to change my drivers back and forth just to play different games.

System specs:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ dual core processor
2GB Corsair XMS Pro C2 3200 RAM
Asus A8N-SLI Premium Motherboard.
2x MSI Geforce 7800 GTX 256MB gfx cards in SLI mode
flippin' Massive Thermaltake bettle CPU cooler
480W Thermaltake Butterfly PSU
3x hard drives (80GB, 200GB and 300GB)
3x DVD/CD RW drives.
Thermaltake Hardcano

According to my temp sensors I get the following temps for most games (which run fine) and same for the games causing a switch off.

CPU 41-42 C
GFX card1 48 - 52C
GFX card2 38 - 47C


Running Windows XP service pack 1.


Plz plz help me!!!!

Thanks

EK
 
It probably is your psu. It likely doesn't have enough 12v amperage, as many of the thermaltake 480w versions only have 18a, and for sli, you should have at least 26a.
A nice ocz, seasonic, enermax or antec 500w psu(sli ready) should be a good fix.
 
dead on

I think evilkyote's probably right...
What you can do is pop out one video card and see how it runs.
What do you do for a living??
That is one KICK AZZ system.
 
yes he is right the minimum power supply unit that you should have should have a 26a rating on the 12volt rail so that it can power those nvidia cards right and not have a system halt or failure... KICK *** SYSTEM by the way...
 
Heh cheers guys,

Work in IT and part time in a pub :giddy:

Yeah I did think of the power being an issue, initially I had 7 hard drives in the system, I have an additional 3x 80gb and a 250gb drives but put all those into external HDD enclosures which take there power from the main so reducing the load on the PSU.

The only thing I find odd is as per my initial post b4 i got age of empires 3 the system ran perfectly on the original drivers off the CD i got with the cards, even in SLI mode, but after updating i got this problem, then after rolling back to the original drivers it seemed fine which made me think perhaps it wasn't the PSU. Weird. I only upgraded the system a few weeks ago and didn't bother upgrading the PSU as thought the 480W one would be enough (and cost me £80 originally).

Guess I could try a new PSU and see what happens. Any other thoughts?

EK.

edited to add I am running DX 9c already.

edited again to add, yes you could be right with the power issue come to think of it. If I run the game with SLI disabled so just on 1 gfx card the system is perfectly fine.
 
Ok I upgraded my PSU to a 520W PSU designed for SLI. And I am still having the same problem. The updated driver causes this problem on call of duty 2 and fear, but the original driver is fine.

Any other idea's as to what is causing to PC to switch off?

EK
 
same here

I have almost the exact same setup here. instead of the MSI video I have a Asus 7800 GTX and I have a collmax 600 watt PSU. but it is the strangest thing sometimes it works and sometimes it just shuts off like unplugged it.
 
PC Shuts Down only when playing games

I am having the exact same problem. I am starting to wonder if this is a MS update that caused it.

This weekend my Antec 450w powersupply died, so I bought a new Antec 500w HE Neo. It worked and so I began to use my pc again, but I quickly noticed that within a couple of minutes of playing any game ( Madden, Fifa, or running 3dMark) it would just turn off as if I unplugged it. I ran extensive memory tests, but it passed. I updated my ATI drivers and it still does it.

I have an ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe, 1gb(512x2) OCX Performance 400DDR, AMD 64 3500+, HIS Hightech X800XL IceQ Turbo II Card, WD 250 SATA-III, NEC DVDRW, Win XP pro w/ SP2 and all updates. This system has been running stable for 5 months until the PS failed and now this random shut down issue.

If anyone knows what is causing this please help me.

Thanks :confused:
 
Make sure you have adiquite cooling.Liquid cooling is recomended with sli due to the high heat in relatively close proximity if liquid cooling is unwanted or not possible to install cram your case with as many fans as you can including a slot cooler below each card to suplament the card's own fan.If the card overheats the system will shut itself down to protect it.The newer drivers and more demanding games will stress the hardware more and produce more heat.Try to get a bigenough case so that the powersupply is far away fron the CPU and video cards which will help cooling tha power supply CPU and video card.If the power supply sucks hot air it can overheat too.
 
I also have the same exact problem when playing Age of Empires 3. Whether I'm playing online, or just on the CD, my computer randomly shuts down. If I'm not playing Age of Empires 3, it stays on until I shut it down (which lasts sometimes 3 to 4 days).
 
elgringo:

MAybe your PSU is just to powerful for your system. If it ran fine on 450w psu until 450w psu died, I would return old psu and buy a 450w psu with same or similar specs to the old one.
 
sw123 said:
elgringo:

MAybe your PSU is just to powerful for your system. If it ran fine on 450w psu until 450w psu died, I would return old psu and buy a 450w psu with same or similar specs to the old one.
Click to expand...


That's impossible you can't have a psu be too powerfull. The rateing is the maximum output.So an old 486DX machine that only uses about 30-40w will run fine with a 500w PsU(asumeing the formfactor and connectors are the same) but an AMD Athalon 64 system with sli graphics cards requireing 400w won't run on a 75w psu.
 
Same psob

I'm having the same prob folks. I'm running..

Quad Q6600 @ 2.40GHz
8.00GB RAM
Vista 64
Ge-Force 8800GT X2 SLI

I'd love some help...

Thanks.
 
i found the Solution !!!!! Very Easy One!

it is the Bios SETUP! YES!
in section "PC Health" you will find option for temperature warning. this makes your pc shuts down instead of giving you a warning. Raise the warning temp or Disable this option.
that is it!!! ;)
 
same here

I have almost the same problem here. I recently instaled Prototype on my pc and when i opened the game and started playing after 1-2 minutes the pc would power off.

At first i thought it was due to overheating so i put a new fan on my cpu and also changed my case for a biger one with more fans plus i upgraded my 8800gtx to an ATI 4890.

Later on i found i can play the game in lower resolution and with less graphics and it plays fine. I've run out of ideas why i cant play the game in my desired resolution because the gpu obviously can play that. PLEASE HELP
 
It shuts off to save your CPU from dying. Your not cooling the CPU well enough.

Possibly you need to clean the dust of the fins ,, and sink and make sure its tightly in,, without chipping the mobo,, The contact is not good ,, u may need to remove it clean it off reapply paste very little line,, and install the HSF and make shure you cant move it around, and that its tight.. gl
 
im having that prob rightnow!! it sucks plss help.. playing NFS SHIFT about 5min my computer shutdown and restart by itself. no idea what could be the problem is.


core 2 duo e7200
xfx 4890 extreme ed,
crucial ddr3 1333 2x
rocketfish 700w PSU
asus P5QC MB
2X 500GB hdd

plss help..
 
I would just put in a 1000W power supply and be done with it even 500w for a system like this is very low. I would also put a 1200va UPS on the system to protect it from power spikes... These spikes damage power supplies, and if your UPS beeps all the time, you have a problem at the outlet, however, this is unusual. I always prefer to have a UPS as in winter when the supply is a bit low,(I am from South Africa) it will beep rather than damage my machine.
 
similar problem

i have a similar problem my video shut off when i play games like wow or cod:mw2 but not my computer but only when i have the sound on
i have a 1tb hd 240gb hd and a 160 gb hd inside my system a nvidea geforce gt 220 a thermaltake 430watt power supply a intel i7 2.67ghz quadcore with a appropriet mother board from asus to go with it however i am useing the onboard sound any ideas would be apreciated and windows 7 pro
 
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