Computer Repair Forum

niksi · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 5 Location: Skopje

I’m using windows XP and the computer seems fine while running programs or surfing the net. But as soon as I start a game and play for a while the game freezes and the computer reboots. I’ve tried changing the video drivers, changing the mobo drivers, changing the windows, changing the directX, but nothing helped. So I thought that the problem is a hardware one. I replaced the mobo, cpu, ram and the HDDs, again nothing changed so I thought that the problem is with the video card, so I changed tree different graphic adapters but still nothing changed. All the voltages and temps are OK, all testing software results are OK. I’ve also tried downclocking the cpu, vga and ram which helped but not entirely it just delayed the rebooting. I do not know what to do else, if anyone can help me I would greatly appreciate it. Currently I’m using: cpu athlon64 4200+ X2, mb Asus M2N- Sli Delux, 2X 1GB apacer DDR667, vga Msi NX7600 GS, hdd Maxtor 250GB, psu Codegen 500W. Thanks.

gadjio · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 6

Assume you have a hardware issue with your first AGP, putting it in a new system can potentially damage the new system, and at this point changing graphic cards further won't help. But that's not what I think is happening in your case.

Reading your post, it looks like you've replace everything except the PSU.
There is also the following clue:

niksi · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 5 Location: Skopje

I monitor the voltages and temp with the Asus PC Probe II V1.04.05. I ran stress tests on the cpu and monitored the voltages and temps. It didn’t crash the PC, but I don’t know how accurate the PC Probe II V1.04.05 is. If you have any suggestion for monitoring software I would gladly try it. Changing the psu is out of the question for the moment because of financial issues. Thanks.

gadjio · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 6

Did you try to uninstall the hardware monitor? As I mentioned above I had similar problems with a PC that were solved by uninstalling the hardware monitor.

Try to see if 500W is enough by using our power consumption calculator
http://www.fixingmycomputer.com/hardware-test/power-supply.html#calculator

Also I am assuming that your PC crashes no matter what game you play. Am I right?
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Fonz · Joined: 05 Sep 2007 Posts: 45 Location: Toronto

Hi,

The amount of troubleshooting that you have done on your computer is impressive. Now, from my experience, I will offer a few comments.

Assuming that all your testing have been done properly and that you are sure that all your components are free of defects, I would think that your psu might be under powered. The reason why I say that is because there is fluctuation in the power coming to your house (from hydro station) and higher the rating of your power supply better it will cope with the fluctuation. That may be the reason your computer crashes.

Another reason why your computer crashes after a while is usually due to overheating. You cannot rely on programs that give you the temperature, you must have your computer open and check with your hand if any part is excessively hot (watch the static electricity).

Keep up the good job because success will come to the ones that try!

niksi · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 5 Location: Skopje

Fonz thanks for the remark and be assured that I’ll go on trying till I solve it. About the overheating part I’m pretty much sure it’s not the problem because I’ve tried touching and measuring everything and nothing is too hot. Gadjio it started rebooting on Medieval Total War and WarCraft 3 The Frozen Throne. I don’t play many games so I wouldn’t know if it reboots on every game, but I do know that it reboots on every game that I play except Fifa Manager 07. About the power consumption calculator it says that the Max Power Used is 360W and the Plus Safety Margin 450W.

gadjio · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 6

Hi niksi
to recapitulate, you have tried to play the same games on 2 different sets of MB, CPU, RAM & HDD. The games crash the PC but otherwise your computer works fine for browsing and other regular applications.

To make sure the problem is not software related try installing another version of windows if you can (Windows 2000 or Windows VISTA for example).

If you only have Windows XP, try a fresh install with only the video and audio drivers. No other applications or drivers. If you need to upgrade the DirectX to comply with the game's minimum requirements install the one that comes with the game.

From my experience in repairing computers for a living, I have seen similar cases to yours being fixed by replacing the PSU. A defective Power Supply will generate unstable voltages. This problem gets aggravated when the load increases. So your Computer will work fine for browsing but will fail during gaming.

There are many stores that have a return policy, so getting a PSU to test your system shouldn't be a problem.

Try some of the above before we try some more technical stuff!

Good luck!
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niksi · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 5 Location: Skopje

Thanks gadjio. I’m working on finding a windows vista to try your suggestion. If that is not the problem I’ll try to find another psu. Just one question, do you recommend that I find a psu with the same power or a more powerful one?

gadjio · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 6

Never go for the cheapest PSU. You have an excellent system and you don't want a power surge to damage it.

Look for good ventilation and go for the heavier unit. A heavier PSU (heatsink in it) has a much better thermal stability.

500W should do it since you've already checked but the more power the better specially if you use a few USB peripherals or PCI cards. Remember that 500W is a MAXIMUM rating, and you want your supply to cruise around 60% of max output for maximum system performance.

You should be able to get a very decent power supply for $40 to $50.

ciao for now...
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mithra · Joined: 06 Sep 2010 Posts: 472

My quick research indicates that you didn't get tricked by a rogue antivirus (Iolo is legit), so that's good. It sounds like your computer is doing what we call "boot looping" - that is, the bootup is being interrupted by a STOP error (aka Blue Screen of Death) and the system is set to immediately restart when it encounters a STOP error. Try pressing the F8 key repeatedly while the computer starts up, it should come up with a menu. Choose "Disable restart on system failure" and you should be able to see what the STOP error says. You can then use that information to troubleshoot the issue.
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niksi · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 5 Location: Skopje

3 years 2 late man Very Happy

.

Thx anyway.

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