Computer Related > PC shutdown - due to overheating? Computing Issues
Thread Author: Focusless Replies: 23
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New Wed 17 Jul 13 20:38 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - Focusless
A friend has told me that her son's PC has shutdown a few times this evening while he's been playing games, and she wonders whether it's due to overheating. How can she tell whether this is what has actually happened? (I'm assuming nothing obvious has been displayed on the screen.)
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New Wed 17 Jul 13 20:48 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - Focusless
(It's running Vista.)
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New Wed 17 Jul 13 20:57 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - Zero
you cant know unless you have set the BIOS to report it on screen or to a an app. Windows wont know the why.

Probably needs a good clean out. Sounds like overheating.
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New Wed 17 Jul 13 21:03 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - RattleandSmoke
Overheating most likely, but it could be the graphics card, processor or even power supply. If he is playing games it could even be that the power supply simply is not up to the job of the video card, if there is one fitted.

You can download a program called speccy, you can use it to monitor the temperatures and this would be a big clue if it is overheating or not.
Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Wed 17 Jul 13 at 21:04
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New Wed 17 Jul 13 21:36 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - Focusless
Ok, thanks chaps.

Don't think it's due to an inadequate PSU as it's only just started happening this evening.
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New Wed 17 Jul 13 21:39 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - RattleandSmoke
But the iffy power supply might have been working fine, but the heat probably makes it less efficient. I suspect it is just the video card if he is playing games but you can't guess you need to check everything. Could even be the chipset which is overheating on the motherboard.

My own PC is struggling, the fan is spinning very fast but a bit of new thermal paste will soon fix that.
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New Wed 17 Jul 13 23:00 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - smokie
Just take the lid off and make sure the CPU and case fans are spinning in the first place...
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New Thu 18 Jul 13 13:06 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - movilogo
There are software available to show you CPU/ hard disk's temperature.
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New Thu 18 Jul 13 13:14 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - smokie
Doesn't that depend on whether the right connections have been made in the motherboard though, and/or whether supported by the mb and turned on in BIOS? That's why I suggested visual check initially...
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New Thu 18 Jul 13 13:28 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - Focusless
>> There are software available to show you CPU/ hard disk's temperature.

Rattle mentioned speccy previously, which friend has now installed. Highest reported temp (assuming it's bona fide) is graphics card at 72, but that's while not playing a game. CPU/mboard are 40 or 50 odd, which seems reasonable based on limited previous experience.
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New Thu 18 Jul 13 13:34 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - Bromptonaut
If heat might be a problem then, as Z says, cleaning out the case will improve airflow and thus cooling.

Dust builds up around fans, cooling fins etc. Open case abd use a vacuum on low power and with crevice nozzle attached to remove loose dust. One of those airbrush cans will shift stuff in the heat sink fins etc.
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New Thu 18 Jul 13 14:31 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - VxFan
>> Dust builds up around fans, cooling fins etc. Open case abd use a vacuum on
>> low power and with crevice nozzle attached to remove loose dust. One of those airbrush
>> cans will shift stuff in the heat sink fins etc.

I use a soft ½" paint brush to loosen any dust attached to the fan surfaces, etc.

I also wear an antistatic strap as well.
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New Thu 18 Jul 13 14:04 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - rtj70
72 degree C for the graphics card when not playing games (so most of the card is not active and it's running at lower voltage and clock).

In my office which is quite warm (only a small window high up sadly)... then some temperatures in my home built PC according to Speccy and GPU-Z are:

- CPU (Core i7 2600k) - 43 - 49 deg C
- Motherboard - 28 deg C
- 2TB WD hard drive (others are SSDs) - 29 deg C
- GPU (nVidia GTX 660) - 36 deg C

My graphics card might get to 80 deg C (when it was cooler here) when playing games for a while.

I'd be checking for dust on the graphics card fan, heatpipes, etc.

P.S. The room is 26 deg C!!
Last edited by: rtj70 on Thu 18 Jul 13 at 14:06
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New Thu 18 Jul 13 19:05 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - Zero
>> >> There are software available to show you CPU/ hard disk's temperature.
>>
>> Rattle mentioned speccy previously, which friend has now installed. Highest reported temp (assuming it's bona
>> fide) is graphics card at 72, but that's while not playing a game. CPU/mboard are
>> 40 or 50 odd, which seems reasonable based on limited previous experience.

72 while not playing a game is high man, it should be lower than that. It will be much higher, in the 90s, when being pushed and thats too high. Probably has crap in the case fan and crap on the graphics card fan (ifs its a separate card)

IT needs a damn good cleanout.
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New Thu 18 Jul 13 23:46 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - RattleandSmoke
72 is too high, although my ancient (fanless) 8600 GT runs at those sort of temperatures in this weather it doesn't affect how the PC runs and if it does fail I will just buy a new card.

A lot of cheaper graphics card use parts made with cheese, have you checked the graphics card fan is even spinning?
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New Fri 19 Jul 13 09:06 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - Focusless
Latest news (yesterday) is that the case was opened for a bit of a spring clean, and now when the PC is switched on the monitor says 'no signal detected'...
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New Fri 19 Jul 13 09:09 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - Zero
The graphics card needs to be taken out and reseated, and or the monitor needs to be properly plugged in.

I bet your name is mud there now!
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 19 Jul 13 at 09:09
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New Fri 19 Jul 13 09:09 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - borasport
So either the vga cable is loose or the videocard is unseated
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New Fri 19 Jul 13 10:35 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - RattleandSmoke
There is a chance the video card has failed competency. The constant cooling and heating up of the metal contacts of the chips on the video card can crack or work loose. Does the PC appear to POST? If you press the caps lock button does keyboard LED respond to it?
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New Fri 19 Jul 13 12:32 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - VxFan
>> So either the vga cable is loose

Or the DVI cable ;)
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New Fri 19 Jul 13 12:56 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - rtj70
Or they might have a motherboard with onboard graphics as well as a separate graphics card... and plugged the cable into the wrong socket when they put it back together.
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New Tue 23 Jul 13 16:25 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - rtj70
Any more help needed on this? Or is it sorted?

If you lived nearer and they wanted a working graphics card, I've got a spare GTS 250. Not the latest (years old) but it runs most games unto DirectX 10 fine. A bit heavy to post... lots of copper etc.

Sitting on a shelf at the moment. Still probably have the box etc. somewhere.
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New Tue 23 Jul 13 16:31 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - Focusless
Thanks for the offer. They're getting an IT friend to look at it - don't know whether new card is need or not yet.
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New Tue 23 Jul 13 16:55 
 PC shutdown - due to overheating? - Zero
Dont trust our advice (through you) any more?

Wise people.
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