[Leo Natan]

Hey guys! I'm new here...

Anyway, I'm having some issues with my PC lately... Whenever I put the PC to a stress, it locks up. At first, it was only in games, but now it's in everyday tasks too (video encoding, applying audio filters, etc.). I tried monitoring the CPU temps. with EVEREST, and when PC locks up, the CPU's temp. is around 52c (high, but not that high). When I touched the motherboard's heatsink (no fan there), it was very hot.

I have an AMD A64 4000+, GA-K8N-SLI, 400W Thermaltake XP480.

Some have suggested that the PSU isn't powerful enough, and thus the issues. Others have said to me that it's a faulty MB. I suspect overheating somewhere, as those problems never occured in the winter.

Can you guys help me find the problem, and suggest a way to fix it?

Thanks in advance!

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well thats probably your problem...you said no fan on the heatsink...if thats the heatsink on your processer your processer will fry within an hour at basic tasks if it doesnt have a fan, or more likely, shut itself down. 52 degrees is pretty hot so your mb could be shutting itself down. what are your other specs?

[nixx]

well thats probably your problem...you said no fan on the heatsink...if thats the heatsink on your processer your processer will fry within an hour at basic tasks if it doesnt have a fan, or more likely, shut itself down. 52 degrees is pretty hot so your mb could be shutting itself down. what are your other specs?

[nixx]

oh nm I see it (duh!) that is a pretty beefy processser and a pretty beefy graphics card, its going to be using every watt on that psu. Does the psu by chance have any fans? the video card? I would recomend getting another fan or 2 in there...

[SRX660]

If you think its temp's causing the problem, open the side cover and stick a floor fan blowing into the case. See if it still locks up.

If it does then try a more powerful PS. Spend the money needed to buy a good one like this one.

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817163112

Most power supplies are rated at 70% so a 500 watt PS will only put out 350 watts. That why its necessary to buy a good one if you are running high end video cards and the fastest systems.

SRX660

[Leo Natan]

Hey, guys! Thanks for your replies! The heatsink I touched was the motherboard's. The CPU has it's own (stock) fan. The PSU has fans, but they hardly ever blow any air that I could feel.

For the last month or so I have the PC's case open, and a large fan blowing inside. It doesn't help...

Are you guys sure it's the PSU?

Thanks!

[SRX660]

Replacing the PS is the next step in a process to find out what is causing the problem. It might not be the PS. It could be corrupted software in windows. I have a athlon 2400 that would just lockup at least once every time i started it up. I had no other problems with the computer and it ran fine except it just locked up every day. I reinstalled windows, Changed the memory, pulled the whole computer apart and set the MB on a box with minimum hardware and ran it and it would still lockup. It was locking up even in the bios. All the hardware was working. I finally replaced the elcheapo 450 watt PS with a thermotake 420 watt and the problem went away and has never returned.

You can buy chipset heatsinks( even with fans) if you think that is the problem.

http://www.nexfan.com/evchcoco.html

The reason for PS replacement is that you really only have 280 watts available, you have a fast processor and probably a high end graphics card. Combined this mean the PS is marginal.

One way to check your PS is to download Speedfan and install it. At the bottom take a look at your voltages. If the 12 volt like is below 11.8 volts you have a problem. My 450 W PS was at 11.79 V while the thermotake is at 12.37. The +5 volt line could also be a problem but usually its used for cd drives and other hardware. my thermotakes +5 volt line stays at 4.97 V and i do not seem to have any problems there. Another problem with PS's is the rated amps. If your computer pulls more than the 12 volt line can give the computer locks up of just turns off. I have a 400 W PS that only has 14 amps available on the 12 volt line. Your computer setup probably would not even run on this cheap PS. That is only 168 watts available on the 12 volt line. A PCI-e video card can pull 150 watts easily. Add in the processor's 60 watts and you are in trouble from the start. Thats why many new PS's have dual 12 volt lines. It helps but you don't get full PS wattage on both lines

Heres a read on power supplies that is very informative.

http://jonnyguru.blogspot.com/

This is the reason i think it is your PS that is the problem.

SRX660

[Leo Natan]

Thanks SRX660! According to SpeedFan, the +12V is indeed low (11.78-11.84), and that's at desktop mode, no load, so it could really be that PSU.

But the problem is I didn't have those problems in the winter. It just started recently, with all the hot weather we're haveing here. Could it be that the higher the ambien temperature, the more power the PC would consume?

[Leo Natan]

OK, I'm looking for PSUs, and this one has caught my eye:
Vortec 600
Specs:

37A on 12V and 36A on 5V is nice, I guess. Now I only have 17A and 28A respectfully.

What do you think, guys?

[Leo Natan]

*bump*

[SRX660]

Although a off brand name it seems they arent bad PS's. Heres a review of a vigor 500.

http://www.overclock...sleeved_psu.php

SRX660