PC Shutting off under load - how to troubleshoot?

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yakev724

n00b
Joined
Jun 6, 2012
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Hi all,

Having an issue with my PC where after 2-3 hours of gaming (BF4) it'll shut off. Turns back on and runs fine. Haven't overclocked since upgrading and really just looking for a way in which I can monitor temps/voltages/etc. and log so I can see what's happening right before it shuts down. As far as I can tell core temp and gpu-z don't log continually. Only started having the issue after upgrading my mobo/cpu (from MIV Gene-Z/Gen3 + 3570k).

970
4770k
MVII Gene
16GB 1600 corsair memory
seasonic 750W psu
large case with good airflow/plenty of fans

One hunch, aside from a potential psu issue, is my apt. electrical not keeping up. May pick up a small ups soon, mainly as a layer of protection for my hardware.

Thanks for any suggestions.
 
I know you said you haven't O/C since you upgraded, but does that mean you have any O/C still in the system at all? If so, try turning it down just a bit and see if it affects the performance. I'm not sure which app will let you just collect the readings for later viewing though, as I use a second monitor and display AB or whatever on that while playing.
 
Have you tried re-seating everything?

- CPU
- RAM
- GPU
- PSU connectors
- Chassis connectors
- HDD/SSD/ODD connectors

Make sure there isn't too much HSF pressure on the CPU, as that can cause erratic operation.

If none of that works, maybe try a known good PSU to eliminate the possibility that yours is starting to go out.
 
Thanks for the input+ideas guys, appreciate the responses.

Will try to monitor temps while gaming later today. I assumed they were fine since I've OC/d with the same case/fans/cooler in the past and had significant room to OC.

No OC at all atm - haven't touched settings since replacing the mobo/cpu (which are at default clocks after updating bios).

Plan of attack then is:

1) monitor temps
2) reseat everything
3) try new psu (+rma existing one if it's the culprit)
 
My guess is power supply. They wear out over time to where they won't be giving there stated wattage anymore.

Back up ups is prob a smart move as well if the source is weak.

Also the answer always lies with what recently changed. Could be bad motherboard.. but also since it's prob a power problem pull the 24 pin mother board connector and make sure all the plugs in the connector are seated right.. as in the gold contacts are still down in the plug and not pushe'd out when you inserted the connector. A loose weak pin could cause major issues and even cause a fire with the pin getting red hot from arching.

Edit: also hitting up a local pc hardware shop could answer the question on the p/s quick.. return it if it's not.
 
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yeppers ye old heat or not enough juice... would think after all these years they would have these issues whipped
 
Power issues ... That's my first guess with random shut offs. If you reseat everything and it still happens it's probably a bad or marginal psu.
 
A bad driver maybe? I'm having the same issues right now. When gaming at random I get bluescreens and shuts off and reboots. Tried resetting my overclocks back to stock on everything and nothing is overheating as I have temps monitored osd in rivertuner.

Other than that I did blow a fuse last night gaming and running my space heater in my room. (yes my room doesn't have a vent as it's an addon and my computer is all watercooled) So may also be too much draw on the outlets and computer may not be getting enough juice?

I'll be reformating anyways so hopefully one of the two takes care of my issues.
 
Bad drivers usually cause blue screens. Complete instant shutoff? Almost certainly heat or voltage - or a bad component.
 
Might be worth it to get an electrician to test the wiring in your apartment. Dirty lines in my experience will usually cause a shutdown a lot quicker than a few hours, though.

When checking temps, don't forget about motherboard temps. Check that the heatsinks on the VRMs and southbridge are making good contact. It took me a long time to find out that a wiring issue was causing the motherboard's VRMs to overheat in my system a little while back, causing fluctuations and hard reboots.
 
Seasonic is a good PSU manufacturer. That PSU should be more than enough for your parts you have listed. If your temps are good, I would look at your motherboard/CPU. Do you have bent pins that you can see on your motherboard? Could be a motherboard issue as suggested. Does the Asus power interrupt warning come on? The Asus power interrupt/protection could also be a culprit.

I wouldn't go so far as say your apartment wiring is an issue with 1 970 unless you lived in Baghdad or somewhere close by. You don't live in Baghdad do you?
 
Sounds silly, but I had a family machine power off randomly. After trying everything I could think of, reseating the RAM fixed it.
 
I've had this happen to me before it was the power supply not providing enough voltage during peak loads. It could be the power supply is over-heating when it's loaded for so long that it shuts down.

If you're suspecting power issues with your apartment, may I suggest a battery backup solution, you don't need a big one, but it will maintain constant current during minor dips and brown outs.

Which Seasonic model do you have? I have a Seasonic myself and I know they have supposed to be very high quality units. If you have a 750W model it should be rated Gold 80.
 
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