my computer keeps shutting down on it's own.

Discussion in 'PC hardware help' started by sideshowj, Sep 2, 2009.

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  1. sideshowj

    sideshowj Member

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    When I try to play Sims3,Sims2,Spore, or try watching a streaming movie online, My comp will shut down about 10-20 min into it. I thought it could be getting hot because of bieng close to the t.v. but that don't seem to be the case. moved the tower and it still does it. I have an acer aspire.
     
    sideshowj, Sep 2, 2009
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  2. sammorris

    sammorris Senior member

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    CPU overheat. Clean the dust out, and reapply the heatsink with proper thermal paste.
     
    sammorris, Sep 3, 2009
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  3. KillerBug

    KillerBug Active member

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    Depending on what acer aspire, it may also have dust clogging the GPU. You also might want to run it with the side of the case off one time...just to make sure all the fans still work.
     
    KillerBug, Sep 4, 2009
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  4. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    also check for the silver flat topped cans on the motherboard which are capacitors that they are not domed nor leaking brown stuff.
     
    ddp, Sep 4, 2009
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  5. garmoon

    garmoon Regular member

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    @ddp

    Are you trying to kill him with lightning? Do NOT touch the capacitors young padawon! LOL Just how much does a pc capacitor hold??
     
    garmoon, Sep 4, 2009
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  6. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    won't kill him as i fix them all the time. did 1 last night on a p4 board & replace 2 on another board last week.
     
    ddp, Sep 4, 2009
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  7. sammorris

    sammorris Senior member

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    You can't electrocute yourself on anything outside the casing of the PSU unless you use cold cathode lighting tubes.
     
    sammorris, Sep 4, 2009
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  8. sideshowj

    sideshowj Member

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    I don't mind a small jolt now and then, lets me know I'm alive!!!




    I will get some air duster. The fan has a lot of dust built up behind it I can't get to.......... can't figure out hoe to get the damn fan off.
     
    sideshowj, Sep 4, 2009
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  9. sideshowj

    sideshowj Member

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    cleaned everything out nice and tidy, checked fans,main fan is running fine and the fan on the vid. card seems a little sluggish. fired up the Sims3 and almost made it to my sim and she shut down on me.


    Sammorris, suggested reapplying the heatsink with proper thermal paste.
    Where exactly do I apply the paste? sorry sounds like a dumb question but I don't work on a lot of computers.
     
    sideshowj, Sep 4, 2009
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  10. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    get it to shutdown on it's own with sims then restart it right away & go into the bios to hardware monitor to see what the cpu temp is. i think it is not the cpu is causing the problem but the videocard as you say it's fan is sluggish.
     
    ddp, Sep 4, 2009
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  11. jodav

    jodav Regular member

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    As ddp says, Video card is looking the more likely cause at present.

    To apply thermal paste, you need to remove CPU heatsink and fan, then cover the whole of the flat metal face of the CPU with the paste, but not the ceramic.

    This CPU has a big face that needs covering.
    This CPU has just a small face in the middle that needs covering.

    Be aware that too much paste can be as bad as no paste at all. You just need a thin layer of paste, A rule of thumb is to be able to just see the CPU through the paste.
     
    jodav, Sep 5, 2009
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  12. sideshowj

    sideshowj Member

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    ddp:alright I checked the bios and came up with CPU temp of 86 deg F and cpu fan speed of 1130rpm, Also came up with a system temp of 104F and the system fan running at 0 rpm, which to me don't sound right. and which fan is the system fan? I was looking at the vid card fan and it looks like it can be removed and replaced,is that possible or do I need a new vid card?
     
    sideshowj, Sep 5, 2009
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  13. sammorris

    sammorris Senior member

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    The system fan being 0rpm merely means that it is not being monitored. That CPU temp appears fine, but is that immediately after it shutdown by itself, or after you restarted it?
     
    sammorris, Sep 5, 2009
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  14. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    sideshowj, those temps are alright as long as in "f" & not "c". you might not have a system fan & if you do it is a 2 wire version not 3 which the 3rd wire is the rpm wire. what videocard are you using & by what board manufacturer not chipset manufacturer?
     
    ddp, Sep 5, 2009
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  15. sideshowj

    sideshowj Member

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    ddp, my vid card is a radion hd2400pro,
     
    sideshowj, Sep 7, 2009
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  16. sammorris

    sammorris Senior member

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    Which 2400 pro? Sapphire? HIS? Powercolor? Connect3D?
     
    sammorris, Sep 7, 2009
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  17. sideshowj

    sideshowj Member

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    and the fans not running at all now on the vid card. I hope thats all thats wrong... My wife seems to think we need a new comp.
     
    sideshowj, Sep 7, 2009
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  18. sideshowj

    sideshowj Member

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    Where do I find this out @ ? ?
     
    sideshowj, Sep 7, 2009
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  19. sammorris

    sammorris Senior member

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    It should be written on the card itself.
     
    sammorris, Sep 7, 2009
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  20. sideshowj

    sideshowj Member

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    Don't see a name anywhere on the card. only thing on the card is where it says "powered by ati" on the fan
     
    sideshowj, Sep 7, 2009
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