Computer crashing :x

Under idle, around 44 Celsius, and under load around 55 Celsius for my CPU. Can't tell the ambient temp.

Edit: I just had a completely new thought, and it's completely out there. What if my surge protector is causing this? The surge protector my PC is plugged into is... Pretty old, not sure how old. I'm wondering if because it can't handle all the amps coming through, it shuts off the computer... Is this a possibility?

2nd Edit: After doing more research, I learned motherboard's have a thermal shutdown. I wonder if my motherboard has a low thermal shutdown temperature. I don't see why it would be shutting down around 42 celsius while gaming.
 
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VP-77 said:
Edit: I just had a completely new thought, and it's completely out there. What if my surge protector is causing this? The surge protector my PC is plugged into is... Pretty old, not sure how old. I'm wondering if because it can't handle all the amps coming through, it shuts off the computer... Is this a possibility?
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Could be. Especially if there is a wiring fault in the outlet like reverse polarity or something behind the scenes. Some surge protectors will have a little LED signifying a detected fault. Usually the manufacturers of these surge protectors won't warranty the attached electronics under this circumstance is a surge or sag impacts them. Aside from the wall wiring, yep, the protector itself could be worn out. If you have a spare in the house, swap it out for a bit.

VP-77 said:
2nd Edit: After doing more research, I learned motherboard's have a thermal shutdown. I wonder if my motherboard has a low thermal shutdown temperature. I don't see why it would be shutting down around 42 Celsius while gaming.
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Some BIOS menus will show you a threshold of how high the temp will go before an alert is tripped or a 'shut down'.

With the in and out from the system, also run the typical check that all hardware in the mobo is seated properly. I know its elementary and most of us hate hearing it, but it can catch something overlooked.
 
So after doing both, I'm convinced it's GPU overheat. It seems to occur only when I have high GPU temps, specifically above 100 celsius. I plan on buying a PCI Fan or a GPU After-Market cooler.
 
Over 100C is definitely too high for any GPU, however the 55C might be too high for an AMD CPU. I wouldn't swear to it though, I don't know enough about those chips. If this is a new issue, you should clean out all the dust you can. When it cakes up, it can be a nightmare for temps and hard to remove. If you're interested, you could also reseat your GPU heatsink. Factories almost always overuse TIM when they mount heatsinks, so doing a proper application could help temps a lot. You might also make sure everything is screwed down securely.
 
a pet rock said:
Over 100C is definitely too high for any GPU, however the 55C might be too high for an AMD CPU. I wouldn't swear to it though, I don't know enough about those chips. If this is a new issue, you should clean out all the dust you can. When it cakes up, it can be a nightmare for temps and hard to remove. If you're interested, you could also reseat your GPU heatsink. Factories almost always overuse TIM when they mount heatsinks, so doing a proper application could help temps a lot. You might also make sure everything is screwed down securely.
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55 celsius is in the green range, apparently. I took the air can and sprayed out all the dust a week ago, and it still happened. The heatsink was applied my dad and I, and we used the grain of rice method. My friend has a GPU that runs at 40 celsius idle, 30 below mine. His fan's RPM is about 2000 though, so it's loud. Most likely going to buy an after-market GPU cooler. I've got $70, but I don't want to spend too much. My card is a Radeon HD 6850.
 
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I've been looking at fans, and would like a Zalman VF3000A for my card. I'm just trying to figure out if it's a definite that it will support my card or not. Any help on this would be appreciated!
 
Well the manual says its for 5xxx series cards which uses a different pcb. However, this thread on overclock.net seems to list it as compatible:

http://www.overclock.net/t/850451/6800-series-aftermarket-cooling-thread

Might be worth a read through there or to look at one of the other coolers they list. I can't guarantee it myself.

This video shows it going on a 6870:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn6F8JSSSxY[/ame]

Good luck. However, you might want to try reseating the current heatsink before getting a new one since those cards should run fairly cool as it is. That would be my first move.
 
I suppose reseating it would be worth a try. I didn't start having the issue until about 2 months ago with TF2, and it would run TF2 just fine for hours on end without crashing. My dad will(?) run by Fry's tomorrow and get some Artic Silver 5 for the paste.
 
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Well, after applying AS5, I haven't broken 80 celsius under load. I still idle around 70, but I'm glad I'm not crashing anymore, which is what matters to me. Thanks all for the help!
 
You may want to RMA it at some point since that is idling way too high. 80 is definitely more reasonable for load, but something still seems off. If you do try to RMA it, I recommend an advanced RMA if it is available so you don't have any down time.
 
a pet rock said:
Only 10C load-idle difference? Check and see if it downclocks for idle.
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I'm not sure what tool to use for this. HW Monitor doesn't show the GPU's fan's RPM, and ATI Tray Tools doesn't work for me, as well as the CCC for ATI.

Edit: Found it's RPM @ Idle in SpeedFan. 1666 RPM.


I'm your huckleberry said:
You may want to RMA it at some point since that is idling way too high. 80 is definitely more reasonable for load, but something still seems off. If you do try to RMA it, I recommend an advanced RMA if it is available so you don't have any down time.
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Would an RMA even go through? The card was bought Jan 6, 2011.. We removed the cooler and applied new paste today, which voids the warrenty, correct? I don't believe we even have the box the card came in.
 
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Nah, I wasn't talking about RPM. I was asking if your card's clock rates decrease in idle. In CCC under Overdrive it should tell you what your current clock rates are. It should decrease in clocks which would help with temps. If they're staying high, it wouldn't necessarily be the only reason why your temps are so high but it might give insight into what is the real problem.
 
Hmm. Well, I'll have to find a way to fix my CCC, as it won't open when I try to launch it.

Edit: Just launched MSI Afterburner... Fan was at 40% @ Idle. I increased the speed, and I'm seeing the temperatures drop at a steady rate.

Edit: Doubled the fan speed to 80%. Seeing a great drop down to 50c. MSI Afterburner is the best one to use for my case.
 
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I'm convinced my GPU is completely against me here. Sometimes it stays nice and cool, and sometimes it slowly rises in temp until it hits 105c and shuts down. I'm never going to buy from HIS, their cooling is junk. I'm now tempted to buy the Zalman I posted a page back. I'm sure it would help me better than this piece of junk cooler.

Edit: When we put new thermal paste on, I noticed a lot of things lacking in the cooler too. The heat spreader was very small, single fan, no heatsinks on the VRAM. The dust in there was horrifying too. I've concluded HIS' cooling is junk.
 
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Was it reference design or an aftermarket cooler? And apr, if anything, I think it would downclock on load, not idle, since load is where it appears to increase in temp.

I think you should RMA this card, that is my opinion. And again, ask for advanced rma so you don't have any downtime. You should not be getting those temps with the reference cooler.
 
Reference cooler. But what all will I need then for the RMA? I have everything but the packaging it came in, I believe.

Is it necessary to return each individual accessory when I send in a return? What should I include with my RMA?

Yes. All original equipment, components, manuals, cables, documents and packaging must be returned with your item in order for Newegg to process your RMA. Newegg cannot process RMA returns that are incomplete; incomplete RMAs will be returned to you. In most cases, items sent in for RMA replacement will be replaced with a full item set, including accessories. Please return all accessories with your RMA.
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I would assume you have to do it through HIS now. I believe newegg only has a limited window to return it through them. You have the box for the graphics card though?
 
Sadly, no I don't. We have the old PSU box with all the manuals and accessories. I'm sure the packaging wouldn't have to be original, as long as it's protected, yes?
 
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