[Ascomodo]

So pretty much all my games are crashing. Complete lock. Nothing responds and leaving it there does nothing. On the rare occasion it doesn't crash during the game it crashes shortly after I've shut it off. Have to power down to get out of it. This last time there was an orange light flashing and a burning smell so yah, obviously a major problem. It started last Tuesday. It was fine on Friday but every other day it's crashed.

When not playing a game everything is just fine. 1080p videos work perfectly, drivers boot fine and all that so I'm thinking it's not the video card.

After looking up an older topic here (google brought me it) with a similar problem I've already:
Checked for virus
Checked temperatures with both Speed Fan and GPU-Z (35ish not doing anything, 50ish with a video and 65 to 70ish when running a game)
Used the Who Crashed program but it doesn't acknowledge these crashes
and here's 2 shots from the Everest program that was suggested in that other topic:
http://i.imgur.com/lYKILSS.png
http://i.imgur.com/LmkQq3E.png
That second one doesn't seem good or correct.

I don't know what else to try to figure out the problem. I was going to defragment the hard drive next but I doubt that's it.
It's from Dell, an i7 and the video card is AMD HD 5870, approx 3 years old, don't have any other particular specs because I don't know them.

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Gday Ascomodo,

Sorry for the delay in responding to your Topic.
Please give us the model of the Dell computer.
Which light was flashing, on the MB, the case?
Have you changed the stock cooler or reinstalled it?
70C on the GPU, OK, on the CPU, not good.
With the rig switched off, sniff around and see if you can pin point the burned smell, bit hard I know.

[iammykyl]

Gday Ascomodo,

Sorry for the delay in responding to your Topic.
Please give us the model of the Dell computer.
Which light was flashing, on the MB, the case?
Have you changed the stock cooler or reinstalled it?
70C on the GPU, OK, on the CPU, not good.
With the rig switched off, sniff around and see if you can pin point the burned smell, bit hard I know.

[Ascomodo]

Model says StudioXPS 435T/9000.
The power light was flashing. Doesn't happen every time there's a crash though.
Haven't changed anything.
Yes it was 70 on GPU.
There's no more burning smell anywhere even when it crashed with the other things I tried.
Saw a suggestion elsewhere to change the power option to high performance and that didn't help.
Thought maybe it was DX9 specific and tried a DX11 game. It ran fine for the 40 minutes I played, it and crashed afterwards after going back to the desktop.
http://i.imgur.com/GA4H2RP.jpg My desktop disappeared and the firefox logo went into the corner with the clock.
Also tried the defrag thing, it was no help as expected.

[iammykyl]

Gday.
Thanks for the info. While I am doing a bit of research, try this Dell Tool. > http://www.dell.com/...studio-xps-9000
Let us know results, if any.

[Ascomodo]

I can't get that to work. I download it, click on it and press run but nothing happens. It's in the task manager but the website refuses to acknowledge it's running and only tells me it's downloaded but not running.

[phillpower2]

Hello Ascomodo

While iammykyl is away I will chime in if you have no objection.

Are the specs at the attached link the same as your computer http://reviews.cnet....7-33743813.html

[Ascomodo]

I don't object. More help the better.
I'm not sure on specs. Don't really know mine besides what I posted.
I think I have 6 cores instead of 4 and have a 5870, not 5770. No Blu-ray drive, it was optional. So it's not exact but could be similar.
If there's any way to find that stuff out other than dxdiag I'll check it.

[phillpower2]

Can you post a Speccy url for us please http://www.piriform....file-to-the-web

The one thing that Speccy will not tell us is the PSU details so a physical check will be needed for this, are you ok with this!

To help with accessing the PSU to obtain the details we need (not remove the PSU though) http://www.dummies.c...wer-supply.html

The attachment below shows where the brand name and output of the PSU are normally found.

[Ascomodo]

http://speccy.pirifo...OGf6xvLENIzsVMx
It is 4 cores.
I'm 99% sure I don't have an appropriate screwdriver to be able to open it up to check the PSU.

[phillpower2]

Thanks for the Speccy url which has helped

Borrow a screwdriver to take off the side of the case if you have to as confirming the PSU details is a must, system builders such as Dell do not always use the best of brand PSUs either in order to keep build costs down.

The stock PSU in your computer has a 475W output whereas the video card that you have requires a PSU with a minimum output of 500W with two 75W 6-pin PCI Express® power connectors http://www.amd.com/u...overview.aspx#3

Can I ask;
Have you had the computer from new.
Did you fit the add on video card yourself.
Has the PSU ever been upgraded.

[Ascomodo]

I was told that when I was getting help picking it so figured that's the problem.

Yes I've had it from new. I still have the receipt in my e-mail. It shipped on September 2nd 2010.
No I didn't fit it, it came with. It failed within a week originally and they sent a person from a local store to replace it.
No the PSU hasn't been upgraded though it was suggested I do so when I got it. Since it's been working for so long I never bothered. Why would it be a problem now and not before? It burned out and the card isn't getting proper ammounts of power anymore so only works with games for 5-40 minutes? I'll try to find a screwdriver but it's never been changed so likely the 475.

[phillpower2]

As a PSU puts out various voltages +3.3V, +5V and +12V it may appear that the PSU is working correctly but it is not, any significant drop of any output can prevent the system from booting up or becoming unstable, the other scenario is a significant increase in the output which can be worse as it can fry one or more major components such as the MB, CPU, Ram and the add on video card etc.

What happens when an underpowered PSU is used is the hardware is deprived of the clean and stable power that it needs to function correctly, this makes those items work harder than they should which puts them under stress and ultimately brings about a premature end of life of one or more of the components.

The GPU tends to be the first component to have problems BTW as they can be power hungry and so suffer the most.

NB: Just so that you are aware and I am sorry to need to tell you this but when an underpowered/flaky PSU has been used multiple components can be damaged.

[iammykyl]

Gday.
Thanks for the updates.
Re, PSU.

Why would it be a problem now and not before?
A. When new, it would have delivered enough power, maybe running at near to 100%, but all PSU.s develop capacitor ageing becoming unstable the more power they have to output.

It burned out
A. No. If a PSU does burn out, it can just stop or damage one or more other parts like the MB, RAM.

and the card isn't getting proper ammounts of power anymore so only works with games for 5-40 minutes?
A. That is what we need to investigate first before trouble shooting the rest of the rig.

The screwdriver you need is a Phillips Head, No2, any hardware store, about #3.

[Ascomodo]

I think I removed the case successfully (and cleared out some of the dust so there's that at least) but that info must be on the other side?



That's it in the top left corner correct? There's nothing on it other than that sticker.

Edited by Ascomodo, 25 May 2013 - 04:09 PM.

[iammykyl]

Thanks for the updates.

Does your PSU look similar to this one, > http://www.ebay.com/...J-/400242719861

or this one, >