PC shutting down several times a day. (Revisited)

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PC shutting down several times a day. (Revisited)

A CPU temperature problem?

stirgy

11:04 am on May 3, 2010 (gmt 0)

Hi I was reading the original thread here:

[webmasterworld.com...]

I am having a similar problem. The weather has been unusually warm here and my PC has been shutting down for no reason. I recently cleaned the entire case out, replaced the PSU (250w to 485w) and applied new thermal paste between the CPU and heatsink. After these steps, the PC still shuts down.

Speedfan at the moment is:
Temp1: 47c
Temp3: 45c
Core: 41c

I am about to run SiSoftware Sandra for analysis.

However, There is something I have been thinking about - I am running everything through an APC battery backup unit. This unit is quite old, maybe 7-8 years. I am wondering if this is starting to fail.

Also, my laser printer, when turned on will sometimes cause everything to shut off. I know they draw a lot of power to start up.

Speedfan (15 minutes from the first reading) is:
Temp1: 46c
Temp3: 19c
Core: 13c

weird.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

stirgy

1:03 pm on May 3, 2010 (gmt 0)

PC crapped out again (while running the SiSoftware program)

bypassing the Battery unit and just using a simple Power strip surge protector.

We'll see what happens.

Speedfan:
Temp1: 42c
Temp3: 13c
Core: 7c

BillyS

2:05 pm on May 3, 2010 (gmt 0)

You're saying it's hot where you are... the Core temp cannot be 7c, that's like 45F (which is cool).

lammert

4:35 pm on May 3, 2010 (gmt 0)

Hi stirgy, first of all Welcome to WebmasterWorld!

8 years is a respectable age for an UPS system. The batteries probably need replacing by now. Are you running your laser printer from the UPS? This is generally not recommended because of the high peak currents.

When a CPU reaches a state of overheating, it may already become damaged before the system is shut down automatically. This damage may no be severe enough to prohibit the computer from working, but it can make the system less stable. The strange core temperature reading could also be a sign of problems in the circuitry of the CPU. The only way to be sure is to replace the CPU, but this is a relative expensive operation.

stirgy

6:16 pm on May 3, 2010 (gmt 0)

Hello and thanks for the kind welcome.

Yes, I did have the printer through the APC battery. (doh!)

Since I have bypassed the Battery unit, the PC has not shut down. I have never really needed the 30 seconds the battery gives you in an emergency, so I am just going to buy a quality surge protector and will keep an eye on the CPU.

What is a good program to test the CPU operation/condition?

Thanks!

lammert

6:24 pm on May 3, 2010 (gmt 0)

The best way to test a CPU under stress conditions is to give it maximum load and at the same time look at the temperatures and stability. Overclockers sometimes use a freeware prime calculation program for this. Such a program shouldn't be difficult to find on Google or Bing.

stirgy

9:40 pm on May 16, 2010 (gmt 0)

Just a note:

Two weeks after replacing my APC Battery Back-up unit, my PC has been running fine and has not shut down since. Just a heads-up for those having a similar problem. The issue could be outside the PC. (Wiring, outlets, back-up units, faulty surge protectors, etc.)

Thanks for the input.

-stirgy

lammert

2:52 am on May 17, 2010 (gmt 0)

Thanks for the update on the problem, it is really appreciated. Glad to hear that the problems have been solved now.