Continuous losses of power in my pc

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[lompocus]

Well, 3 games in a row around halfway through the game just as the action starts to heat up (and the framerate goes down a puny little bit), my computer dies.

I've had problems with my psu in the past and have replaced it once before. My dad constantly says 500w is enough for an 8800 gts 320 (he also recommended hooking everything up to the PSU in a stupid way that killed the fps in everything until I fixed it. he's incredibly stubborn.), an e6600, and basically your standard PC in 2k7. We ended up getting a free replacement 500w psu from the same company.

Now we can count out buying a new psu. Right now the next thing I'm looking at is maybe an 8800gt 512. It eats up less power, it's much more powerful, and it's quite cheap.

Any ideas on why my comp continuously dies? I'm sure that if power were a problem it would be just losing power seemingly at random on Crysis during my map editing as well. I'm sure it's not the gfx card; the random vista crashes caused by the standard vista-nvidia protection of shutting off and restarting the display driver in the event of an overload of work to prevent permanent damage to the gpu (which, in turn, makes you reinstall the original driver and annoys the hell out of you) OR a bsod would come into action before a random loss of power.

I'm totally lost and don't know where to start. I'm staying off eir so I don't accumulate any more losses (lol, 3-7 right now ). any ideas?

[Phil]

Computers suck =)

Shutdowns during stress are more often caused by overheating or power failures.

The first is best verified using a program like speedfan and making it log all temperatures (or just alt-tab to check every now and then).
As for the power failures... if you can't get the PSU professionally tested, you can try disconnecting some non critical devices like dvd-drives, extra hard drives, stuff like that... They use much less power and separate rails, but it still might make a difference.  Also, when buying a PSU, checking the Watts is becoming secondary to checking the Amps. Make sure you have enough of both to run all your hardware. For that video card you'll need probably around 30A on the +12.

[AmPM]

CPU Overheat is my guess, check your fans, check the dust, check your paste.

[lompocus]

Might be the cpu. I'll need to check that. I know I had problems installing it the first time. I almost felt like it was gonna break when I pushed down teh clamp to secure it in place.

[GammaCommander]

CPU Overheat is my guess, check your fans, check the dust, check your paste.

Yes, definitely check the dust. For me, I have to clean it out every 3-4 months to ensure I won't crash in game.

[lompocus]

CPU Overheat is my guess, check your fans, check the dust, check your paste.

Yes, definitely check the dust. For me, I have to clean it out every 3-4 months to ensure I won't crash in game.

Hrm, mebbe its because i havn't cleaned out my comp since i bought a new psu half a year ago...whoops lol.

[Phil]

You guys all have dirty houses or a dirty country =) It took me about 4 years before I cleaned any fans, and only because of a noticeable, but not huge, noise increase

[UnLimiTeD]

It surprises me you even have to cool your computer.
How comes it needs any fans?
@lompocus:  Buy good filters if dust is a problem .

[Phil]

Well, I'm gonna tell a boring story now =)

I was bored a few months back during winter, so I built a waterproof case. It sits outside all the time, which means I don't hear any fans Waterproof means also close to airtight, so it has no real ventilation, means no dust. Only a couple fans inside to keep air circulating. The cold outside is enough to keep the ambient temperature inside quite low =) Only downside is that I can't fully close my window because of the cables =P
I need some inventive way to cool a computer during summer though :] Maybe it's time to do that "Submerge in oil" thing. Only I'd need another case. This one probably wont stand the pressure =)

[Bonte]

Well, I'm gonna tell a boring story now =)

I was bored a few months back during winter, so I built a waterproof case. It sits outside all the time, which means I don't hear any fans Waterproof means also close to airtight, so it has no real ventilation, means no dust. Only a couple fans inside to keep air circulating. The cold outside is enough to keep the ambient temperature inside quite low =) Only downside is that I can't fully close my window because of the cables =P
I need some inventive way to cool a computer during summer though :] Maybe it's time to do that "Submerge in oil" thing. Only I'd need another case. This one probably wont stand the pressure =)

1 question...why?.... it would be intresting if you built your monitor into the side and got a generator built in it...than you could bring it anywhere!....

[|-|Cozmo|-|]

Well, I'm gonna tell a boring story now =)

I was bored a few months back during winter, so I built a waterproof case. It sits outside all the time, which means I don't hear any fans Waterproof means also close to airtight, so it has no real ventilation, means no dust. Only a couple fans inside to keep air circulating. The cold outside is enough to keep the ambient temperature inside quite low =) Only downside is that I can't fully close my window because of the cables =P
I need some inventive way to cool a computer during summer though :] Maybe it's time to do that "Submerge in oil" thing. Only I'd need another case. This one probably wont stand the pressure =)

Photo's or it didn't happen .

[Phil]

Hmm, ask me next winter and I'll get pics of it covered in snow.

I did however phrase that wrong. I didn't actually build a case, just took a real old one I didn't use and sealed up all the openings.. but that doesn't sound nearly as impressive

[roflmao]

My computer started doing that about 3 years ago, it was because the plug's for the fans were "wiggled" somehow and weren't recieving power, my CPU was burning up inside and auto-shutting down to prevent it from frying itself. As said above, check dust and fans.