Random Crash of DEATH

mnpaladin

Beta member
Messages
5
Hi,
Yesterday night I started getting this really odd problem with my PC. It started crashing at random times, but mostly in high graphics games, such as Call of Duty 4 and Team Fortress 2. It also has crashed while booting up several times. The crash is immediate, with no warning, like someone unplugged the computer. The only change I've made to my computer in the last few days is installing a new video card I bought, an MSI 9600gt. At the moment, I'm suspecting my power supply, a 380W antec. It could be that this card and everything else I have is taxing the PSU too much, although I tried plugging in my old video card and still got crashes. One thing I've noticed though is that Speedfan shows that I'm getting a 65 degree celsius temp, but it doesn't say what is getting that temp, just "Temp1" Here are my specs

-E6400 2.13ghz Core 2 Duo CPU
-MSI Nvidia 9600gt 512mb Overclocked out of the box, Copper Pipe cooled
-2 gigs XMS2 Corsair Dual Channel DDR2 800 Overclocked to 5-5-5-15
-Asus P5N-E SLI Motherboard
-2 Seagate Barracuda Hard Drives, 120 gig and 250 gig, soon to be Raid 1
-Microsoft Sidewinder Gaming Mouse
-Creative Fatal1ty Headset
-Microsoft Biometric Keyboard + Additional PS2 keyboard on the side
-17" Mag Innovision Monitor
-Sony DVD burner
-Antec Case, modded for front USB ports, front Audio ports, and an extra fan.


Thanks in advance!

Jack
 
i would invest in a new PSU' 380 seems a little low for wat u got


for safe, update to like a 500
 
You really should get a better PSU for that card.

The minimum requirement according to nVidia's forums as 400w, but I would recommend getting a 500w or higher to allow for future upgrades. You would also need something with combined amps of 18 or more, with more than one 12v rail.

Also, speedfan may very well be reading your temps wrong, but you never know. Go into your BIOS and check your temps, or try using Everest or PC Wizard. What type of cooler/ thermal paste do you have on your CPU?
 
What type of cooler/ thermal paste do you have on your CPU?

I have the default cooler on the CPU. As for the paste, a few weeks ago I was cleaning the cooler, and when I took it off, the paste looked pretty crispy. Should I reapply paste, or is it supposed to look like that? Thanks

*EDIT*

Ran Everest out of game, and I'm getting a 65 on the CPU, so it's looking like a CPU cooling issue or a PSU issue or a combination of the two?
 
i would invest in a new PSU' 380 seems a little low for wat u got
You really should get a better PSU for that card.
Read guys:
At the moment, I'm suspecting my power supply, a 380W antec. It could be that this card and everything else I have is taxing the PSU too much, although I tried plugging in my old video card and still got crashes.

Have you uninstalled all the previous drivers from your old card and installed the latest ones?
But eliminate the CPU overheating possibility first. Although normally it should just slow right down and not turn off completely unless it gets extremely hot.
 
definite cpu/cooler/thermal paste issue, 65°C is too hot providing it is a true reading, use Core Temp for accurate readings, the thermal range according to Intel is 61.4°C so I don't doubt it is crashing.

The most common problem with the stock cooler is the push pins not all being pushed home and one or more not engaging will result in poor cooling.

You say
a few weeks ago I was cleaning the cooler, and when I took it off, the paste looked pretty crispy. Should I reapply paste .......
the answer is YES, you should reapply your TIM (thermal interface material) every time you seperate the cpu IHS and the heatsink mating surfaces, if it looked crispy before you reseated it then it will be useless now and I would suggest your replace it immediately before you damage your pc.

I also agree with the others that your psu does appear to be on the light side as far as wattage goes as well.
 
Awesome, thanks for all the help. I am getting a new CPU cooler today, an Arctic Cooler Freezer 7 Pro, which looks to be a solid cooler according to a few sites. Hopefully that should fix my problem. I'm also looking at getting a new PSU fairly soon. Thanks and I'll let you know how the cooler goes.
 
It's not the cooler. It's the paste. If you buy a new cooler, it will be just as bad without the paste. To tell you the truth, buying a fancy cooler is a waste unless you are going to overclock.

And, buy a 500w power supply at least. You have an overclocked video card, so it needs more then the 400w minimum.
 
For the video card. The 12V rail amperage is the value you should be looking at. Try to get a PSU with 30A+ on the 12V rail(s)
 
yeah you need a new psu, i got a new one with my new card even though my old one was 500W. i went with a silverstone for their high quality and stability. i recommend you get one of those.
 
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