CPU Shutdown - PLEASE HELP

[ROUNDER]

Hey all, hope someone can help me here.

For some reason my computer keeps powering off, I mean totally just shuting down and you cannot restart unless you turn the main power switch off in the back and wait for like 30sec to a minute.

I noticed that the CPU usage goes to 100% when I am running certain programs and then once it does this for a minute or two it shutsdown. The following are the things I am doing with my computer when this happens:

1. When I use DVD shrink to compress a DVD movie to fit on a DVD-R. I have an older program that works fine, but for some reason DVD shrink always makes CPU usage got to 100%.

2. I have a program Ulead movie creator (something like that). When I use this program to convert mpegs to burn onto DVD, during the conversion process the CPU usage goes to 100%

3. Sometimes, not all the time, when I am playing pretty high graphic games, computer just crashes.

In all these cases the CPU usage goes to 100% for one program and then the computer just shutsdown, no errors. PLEASE HELP!!!!

Computer Specs: AMD 2700, 2.0Mhz, 80Gig HD, 1064 RAM - computer was built from scratch by a wholesaler, work fine for a a while (6-8 months) suddenly started doing this.

 

[Perris Calderon]

welcome to this board rounder!

I'm pretty sure you're having an overheating problem...check the cooling system...fans, cooling ports, things like this

I'm heading out, but you'll get more suggestion from others

stick around when this is solved

 

[ROUNDER]

Hey perris, I thought about that too but there are instances where I have had my computer off for long periods of time, turn it on, use DVD shrink right away and it crashes. Would the computer heat up that fast? I can try taking off the side panel and blow a fan on it or something, see if it helps.

 

[joko_xp]

same as perris,
Would the computer heat up that fast?
the cpu can burn up by the time you see the winxp logo.

 

[fantasi]

why dont u just use a program to check your temperature? motherboard monitor comes to mind?

 

[bush dogg]

As Perris said check the fan's make sure there working and not dirty.

Yes it would be a good idea to take the side off and set a house fan to blow on the inside of the case to help if heat related.

From what you posted this seems to happen with a strain on the system so I would say heat or power supply. (could be either or) They both will act as you described
(cannot restart unless you turn the main power switch off in the back and wait for like 30sec to a minute)

If you find the problems not heat related turn to the power supply.

What brand and watt do you have?

 

[ROUNDER]

Someone else mentioned to me that it maybe the power supply. I am not sure of brand and watt..... will check when I get home.

So both power supply and heat would cause CPU usage to hit 100%?

 

[vivid_vibe]

Rounder, Speedfan is a nice simple temp monitor. You can find it here. Try running that and post your results back on here.

vivid

 

[Maveric169]

Well no, WRT the power supply is that your system my be drawing or requiring more power at 100% proc utiliz. than your PSU can or is able to provide causing a brownout and hence the reboot. If your CPU overheats due to lack of cooling thermal protection/system fault will cause your PC to shutdown.

 

[Zedric]

The 100% usage fact makes me think it's overheating too. The cpuprobably starts throttling and slowing down to protect itself and sincethe cpu is now slower, usage goes up. So I'd say the cooler is notmaking prefect contact or something, maybe it's comming off? Scarythought. Could be the fan to. Maybe.

It's not impossible that it's the PSU either, but that shouldn't keepit turned off unless the PSU overheats. Is the PSU fan working ok?

 

[ROUNDER]

It seems that it is working okay. I have a computer casing that has a window in the side and the fan is attached to that. I can see it spinning. The only thing I can think of is that when I unpluged the fan to clean the inside of the cpu I did not connect it back correctly. I will take er' apart again and ensure that it is connect right.

I am sure that dusk could cause an over heating problem, but is it possible that wires in the path of the fan could also....... there are a lot of wires between the fan and the motherboard.

 

[Maveric169]

Zedric, most PSU's use a thermal current switch, when you overdraw the PSU (demand greater than supply) the element in the switch heats up till it breaks contact wither by shuting off the power (very similar to how blinking christmas lights work), the circuit will stay open untill A)The element in the switch cools down and re-closes the circuit or B)the switch is reset which is usually done via main PSU switch. Most PSU are resetable like that.

 

[FishBoy]

why dont u just use a program to check your temperature? motherboard monitor comes to mind?

true try that

 

[Zedric]

Zedric, most PSU's use a thermal current switch, whenyou overdraw the PSU (demand greater than supply) the element in theswitch heats up till it breaks contact wither by shuting off the power(very similar to how blinking christmas lights work), the circuit willstay open untill A)The element in the switch cools down and re-closesthe circuit or B)the switch is reset which is usually done via main PSUswitch. Most PSU are resetable like that.

Exactly. And that's pretty much what hes describing, right? Minus the 100% usage thing.

Rounder: Let me get this straight. You have a fan in the window that blows air onto the cpu heatsink? But no fan on the heatsink? What cooler/heatsink do you have?

 

[ROUNDER]

I cleaned all the dust out of it, there was a lot.... this did not help the problem. It still restarts.


As for the power source, this is what I have IS IT GOOD ENOUGH??
Brand: Powerup
115/230V~.8/4A
60/50Hz
Output: 350W

ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS?? REINSTALL WINDOWS XP??

THANKS

 

[Zedric]

That PSU should be enough, yes. Unless it's failing. Or maybe it's full of dust too and overheating?