Computer Shutting Off.

ChampMark

Baseband Member
Messages
96
I know my ways about computers, I really just wanted to get a few more opinions before I took action.

I have an older machine, that's been updated a few times. So it's really able to handle most of the games programs I throw on it, at least it Use too.

The computer has this:
Amd Duron 1300
2x512 PC3200
MSI MOBO (Can't remeber model etc, if the question comes up we need it I'll dig it out)
256mb 5200 Aslyum Geforce
40gig 7200 rpm hdd
10gig hdd for lil more space
Windows Xp Home Ed

The problem is this:
When I load up WOW on the machine it'll play it fine, to the extent of the PC, it's really out of date compared to all my other computers.

It'll play it fine for a while, then the PC will just die, and restart. The screen will just go Black then turn.

Now this really obvious, it's a video problem ~
I've done this:

I've prim95 the ram, and the processor.
So they ran perfecty fine.

Now the video card is pretty old like 7 years old.
If I do get a new card for the machine I'm going to grab a 6800GT BFG, they are so cheap now I might as well.

I'm wondering if it's just drivers and so forth?

Any comments or thoughts are well appreciated.
 
It's a new 450 PSU I just bought off new egg a few months ago. The old one already took a dump...
 
I'd run with the card overheating, check the fan is spinning, my old Ti 4200's fan stopped, it'd run for 30 minutes approx then crash to black screen, I pulled the card out, removed the sticker from over the fan spindle, inserted some light grade oil (sewing machine) and spun the fan by hand for a 100 or so revolutions to free up the bearing then left it sitting for a day so the oil would penetrate right into the bearing. If the fan is spinning pull the card out and check for dust build up in the vanes that may be decreasing the cooling efficiency of the fan.
 
a 6800GT would be overkill for such a computer.. honestly I wouldn't get anything faster than a FX 5500... you'd be wasting anything that is more powerful.

A friend of mine has a similar problem, his games will run perfectly fine for a few minutes, then WHAM, some sort of video corruption, then the screen goes black.. and thats the end of it, he has to restart in order to get it to work again.

What video card do you have?

So it most likely is the video card
 
ChampMark said:
It's a 5200 FX Aslyum 256mb AGP

Exactly as the box puts it.
omg.. don't ask me why I asked that.. i'm tired. :(

I think I asked because I noticed you said it was 7 years old.. ehh I don't think so mate, as 7 years ago, the GeForce 1 (or 256 as it was called) was launched. FX didn't come by until 2002.

But yeah, just go get a cheap 5500, and hopefully that will solve your problems. Only get a 6800GT if you intend to put it in a better system later.
 
Okay I took the Comptuer apart to do some Dust maintenence anyways.

Took the Video Card out

Took all the stuff apart, took off the fan, the heat sink, and cleared off the old grease.

Did a completel heatsink/fan clean, I didn't oil the fan, as it was rotating correctly.

I put on some new thermal compound, some artic silver I believe, 7$ a tub stuff.
pulled ram, used a nice small paint brush I save to clearn the pcs, brushed off all the dust and so forth. We'll see what happens.

I'm testing it out, so far it hasn't died on me.
 
Well it's not the Graphics card, tested out my 6800 gt in it. It did the exact same thing, Pretty sure it's either the mobo, or processor.

Possibly the ram, but I highly doubt it.
 
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