Curse

Cuilan · Apr 02, 2009, 10:14 PM // 22:14

So I have Windows XP, Pentium D CPU 3.00GHz, 1GB RAM (two sticks of 512MB), DirectX 9.0, and a NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT 256 MB memory with the latest drivers that the NVIDIA site's scan suggested for the card.

I dusted out my computer really well, took out a memory stick to switch em for seeing which was bad, replaced the 400W power supply with a 500W, I can touch the heat sink without it being too how, tempatures show as normal, fans are spinning, the computer is factory restored (reformatted), and Chkdsk didn't detect any bad sectors.

Please help. This is some sort of hardware problem likely?

Brianna · Apr 02, 2009, 10:41 PM // 22:41

Maybe your motherboard has bad capacitors? I don't know. It could be possible cause judging by your Processor and GPU it's an older motherboard. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague Read that and try to inspect your board for symptoms.

I guess I can try suggesting something simple too like trying another power outlet / cord, but that's pretty unlikely to do anything.

Cuilan · Apr 02, 2009, 11:27 PM // 23:27

Nothing looks melted, bloated, leaking, or bursting. Tried a new outlet and power cable.

About the CPU paste. Is there a way to know if it's bad? I was cleaning out the heat sink and noticed some of the grey stuff was much more wet looking than the rest.

Elder III · Apr 02, 2009, 11:37 PM // 23:37

So when does the computer shut off? Will it even boot up into Windows? If it just comes on and then goes right off in a couple seconds then it's likely a loose cable somewhere (it happens, esp. if you just did some modifications in there).

Cuilan · Apr 02, 2009, 11:42 PM // 23:42

It shuts off during play (1-3 minutes it's gotten that bad), RAM testing, streaming video, etc.

It boots and works fine for normal computer use (msn, tweetdeck, Opera, etc.)

Screenshots with Everest, Opera, and Avira anti-virus running. No Guild Wars.

Roughly less than a minute of playing and shutting off Guild Wars

Link to the computer from the company/store that built it.

Brianna · Apr 03, 2009, 12:04 AM // 00:04

Your thermal paste doesn't matter as long as your CPU isn't overheating or any of it isn't leaking out of the heatsink.

I think that your CPU is a little hot, you might be tripping the CPU shutdown temperature sensor. It's a feature in your bios that protects your processor when it overheats, it shuts down your computer to prevent damage.

You can set how sensitive you want this to be - EG: Shut down at 55C, Shut down at 65C, Shut down at 75C and so on. It depends on what your processor's final heat thresh-hold is as to what the setting should be, mine is about 62C for example.

Try playing Guild Wars and keep it on in a heavily populated town and see how hot your CPU gets before the comp shuts down, also if ''WDC" Is your Western Digital hard drive, that is pretty hot for a hard drive, mine usually only peak at 40C on the worst days.

drkn · Apr 03, 2009, 12:14 AM // 00:14

have you overclocked anything? not even last month, it might be caused by long-term oc.

if you can't notice anything related to temperatures or oc:

- right button on my computer, advanced, there should be something about booting and/or rebooting, find option about automated reboot (upon system failure), un-tick it.
- check the log. control panel - administrative tools (or something like that, rough translating) - log. there may be some failures or warnings in apps / system.
- unplug all useless stuff like additional dvd-roms, scanners, printers etc.
- check if everything is well connected, if all cables are fully stable.
- download and run a useful program called memtest.
- scan your computer with ad-aware and some sort of on-line scanner. run hijackthis and check the log as well.
- chkdsk isn't the best option. find a hdd tool from your hdd's manufacturer site. if you're using seagate disc, it'd be a program called seatools, etc.
- try to stress your vid card with anything else but GW - install another game or whatever.
- resetting motherboard's cmos sometimes helps. rarely, but that shouldn't make anything worse. google for more.
- if you have one - or have a friend with one - try to plug another vid card.

Cuilan · Apr 03, 2009, 12:26 AM // 00:26

I saw two things that looked related. Shutdown Temp and CPU Warn Temp are both already disabled. Is that apart of what you mentioned?

What could be done to the hard drive? I didn't think that it would effect this.
----------
The computer doesn't reboot after it shuts off.

Logs aren't showing anything today outside of the anti-virus successfully starting and Opera haning a couple times.

Head phones, keyboard, and mouse. o.o

Cables looked plugged in to me.

The computer was factory restored a day ago (to see if it'd help) and I'm using different software for several main things.

It never did it with Dream of Mirror online, but that's a much lesser game. Guild Wars is the only game I have atm.

Didn't overclock anything.

Memory testing with Everest made the computer shut off.

I have few offline friends in the area.

Brianna · Apr 03, 2009, 12:39 AM // 00:39

Ok, if those are disabled then you can't possibly be tripping those sensors, but you should have the CPU shutdown temp enabled just in case, it could save a thing or two in an emergency.

The plot thickens then.. I'm slowly running out of Ideas, I'll post again if I can think of more things or concur with other things.

I don't think that it'd be your RAM or GPU though, because usually issues related to those two things just result in BSOD, System hangups, and Graphical glitches.

Even if your Video Card is completely fried out the computer will not fail to power on, it will just fail to post. With RAM the only thing that would prevent booting is if both sticks were dead, then your Motherboard would beep at you telling you that there's no RAM. Basically no peripherals are going to cause power failure.

I was just pointing out that your Hard Drive is really hot according to those sensors, but that should not be a factor in power failure at all.

It might just be a motherboard failure all together, maybe a voltage regulator went bust. My brother's motherboard did this and basically it just wouldn't turn on at all anymore, tried everything in the book and finally putting in a new motherboard got everything to power on again.

Cuilan · Apr 03, 2009, 12:55 AM // 00:55

I ruled out (I think?) the surge protector. The Vonage box doesn't reset when the computer shuts off.

Brianna · Apr 03, 2009, 01:01 AM // 01:01

Well hopefully you've figured it out.

Sometimes the most complex problems are caused by the simplest of things.

moriz · Apr 03, 2009, 03:44 AM // 03:44

i'll say it's a bad motherboard also. i had a friend with a similar issue on his laptop, and the only fix was to get a new one.

Elder III · Apr 03, 2009, 03:55 PM // 15:55

can you set the fan speed higher??? My rig has the fan speed set at just over 2x your speed, and that's about 50% of maximum RPM... you should be able to go at least that high, which would aid the cooling process somewhat.

Cuilan · Apr 04, 2009, 01:42 AM // 01:42

Know where the setting is?

I turned the graphics all the way up and made sure the graphics card was set up for quality. In Guild Wars I NOW notice on the very left there is a think flickering line that was not there before.

rick1027 · Apr 04, 2009, 04:17 AM // 04:17

was the power supply you put in new or from another system is your card an agp or pci express card or more important a sli card if it isa sli card id recommend a 650w power supply unit from either corsair or antec. ive had that same card if it was sli burn up two power supplies

Cuilan · Apr 04, 2009, 03:09 PM // 15:09

The graphics card (I'm assuming that's what you're refering to) is attacted to the PCI port/area. The power supply was new.

Placed new paste to the CPU. I also turned the graphics all the way up and made sure the graphics card was set to performance. I see a graphics glitch on the left side of the screen. A flickering line from log in screen to play.

Without GW, the CPU temapture is 38-50C, but it's goes up to 58-62C when playing if that matters...

moriz · Apr 04, 2009, 03:15 PM // 15:15

all that seems normal for a pentium D.

btw, change graphic card image quality to "quality" or "high quality". the "performance" option will make the card cut corners to get better performance, at the loss of imaage quality. that might explain the flickering line.

Cuilan · Apr 04, 2009, 03:52 PM // 15:52

Oh, my mistake. I meant to say I changed it to quality all the way up, not performance. Guild Wars I also set the graphics quality all all the way up, too.

Elder III · Apr 04, 2009, 05:02 PM // 17:02

The settings to adjust your fan speeds should be in your BIOS... not knowing what BIOS you have I can't give directions to find them, but they should be easily identified.

Bump them up to 2000-2500 and see if that helps you out.

Cuilan · Apr 04, 2009, 06:00 PM // 18:00

Smart Fan [Disabled]
CPU THRM - Throtting [50.0%]
Delay Prior to Thermal [16min]

and in another area CPU Clock [200MHz]

That's all I saw. Are any of those related? What does smart fan do?

Thanks for all of your help so far...I'm really wanting to get back into the game...