Please help pc shutting off

I am having a very bad time with this. Pc is shutting off at random I have reformatted numerous times and still same problem have checked ram cleaned out all dust checked power supply have switched the memory sticks with new ones same result I have no firewall I dont even have to be on the net same issue I have no viruses or spyware :confused I have checked temps they are fine have even opened case placed fan to make sure it doesnt overheat automatic restart is turned off and dont get any error just goes black like pulling the plug as far as I know have all updated drivers but one thing it happens even more when I try downloading shuts down even faster have checked event viewer with no luck :cry please can someone shed some light here im going crazy

Win Xp Pro 5.1 Sp3
MOBO - PcChips A13g
Bios - Pheonix Award WorkstationStation BIOS v6.00pg
CPU- AMD Athlon 64 x2 dual core 4200+
2 gig Ram
video card - geforce 8500gt

 

Hi dnmtackett,

It reads like the problem is hardware related.

I did some seaching on PcChips A13g and noticed that there are 2 versions for it. (v1.0 and v3.0).

PCChips supported motherboard lists for both versions shows that the AMD 64 x2 cpu is compatible.

http://www.pcchips.com.tw/PCCWebSit...x?detailid=390&CategoryID=1&MenuID=69&LanID=2

and Product specs...

http://www.pcchips.com.tw/PCCWebSit...=1&DetailName=Specification&MenuID=46&LanID=2

I think the problem is the geoforce 8500GT video card as it has not been tested and found to be compatible with the pci-e slot on the mobo.

The vid card is not on their list...

http://www.pcchips.com.tw/PCCWebSite/Support/VGA_Support_Note.aspx?NoteID=8&MenuID=72&LanID=2

To test further, you can set the onboard video as the primary display adapter and then pull the vid card.

Techsent

 

I had a problem with my computer shutting off a while back, and replaced the PSU (Power supply unit) and it worked after that, i dont know if that your problem or not, but your PSU should supply enough juice to power your PC

 

The signs and symptoms match those of an over-heating CPU .... the match is so good, there hardly seems to be much room for doubt.

It is quite possible that the thermal paste contact seal is broken. Have you tried moving the heatsink to see whether it feels loose? Have you actually been monitoring CPU temps when it has shut down? The temperatures can seem almost normal much of the time, but spike upward sharply under load.

I know my suggestion flies in the face of what you stated in your initial post ... but it may be worth a second thought for you.

 

Of course ... excellent suggestion .... how come that one slipped my mind ... again !!!

 

I have been monitoring my core temps stay around core1 - 28C core2 - 18C
I switched out the psu twice with a psu I knew was working correctly same issue its like if I open my torrent client or watch a movie it shuts down havent tried any gaming to see have checked all connections to mobo :confused

 

Have you tried the above by Techsent yet?

You have onboard graphics .... so remove the video card altogether and plug the monitor into your mobo vga port and try that.
---------------------------
Try running your computer in Safe Mode ... and using it ... and see whether the problem persists. If you choose Safe Mode with networking, you can test downloading also.
-------------------------
Keep watching the cpu temps.
Download toast.exe

http://majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=867

and run it (20 minutes should be long enough) .... while watching the temps and let us know what happens.

 

Amendment to my last post:

It may be that, since you are using a dual core processor ...

"if you have dual cores, run 2 copies of toast.exe so both cores are @ max load"

 

Not meaning to hijack this thread or anything...but the original poster lists his one cpu temp at 18 C. Isn't this rather low? From what he wrote it seems like an air cooled system...18C is 64.4 F. Thats rather cool isnt it? Usually the surrounding room is at least 68 degrees with the ac on...more likely 72.

So maybe his temps are wrong?

What do you guys suggest to monitor temps?

 

safe mode works just fine always has no shutdown issues tried toast highest temps got was 40c core 1 and 32c core 2

 

and still shuts down with onboard video left that out sorry

 

after using toast temps are staying around 32c and 24c sorry to keep posting:banghead

 

I am out of my depth on this one ... hopefully someone else will step in with some ideas.

It does seem that you have narrowed down the field of suspects somewhat with what you have done.

It is more-or-less trial and error checking each item that is used in Normal Mode, as opposed to Safe Mode, from here .... for me.

You have not stated what/how you connect to the net ... but ...
One thing that might be good to start with is the internet connection: If you disconnect from the internet in Normal Mode, do you still have the problem? And perhaps ... vice versa ... if you use Safe Mode with networking, do you then have the problem?

Good luck ... I will bow out here ..... if I can be of no further use to you.

Edit: Oh, yes ... another thing that commonly causes problems is the audio drivers .... you might want to check that out too.
I remain puzzled .... about why you are not seeing any error messages though.

 

connect via dsl using my nic I have never gotten a BSOD error which puzzles me also my pc has stayed on all night no shutdowns which is another mystery using safe mode works fine but I unhooked my connection to hook up to laptop to do some more research it never shut down with the internet connection not present
I hope its a driver issue which I first started out to remedy guess I need to dig even deeper
thanks everyone for the help so far

 

finally a bsod error but I installed some software when i got it about 30 mins after installing
0x0000000a, 0x008a4ecd, 0x00000002,0x00000001, 0x804e71bc
im pretty sure the 0x0000000a is hardware or software but not really sure what to do........
im about ready to :gunsmy pc

once again thx for all advice

 

sony ericsson pc suite 5.009

 

bsod on install of software
all is good in device manager
mouse and keyboard only 2 usb devices
psu 500w