psu Problems?

[Quasimodo]

i have a problem with my pc atm and i cant figure out what it is so i was hoping anyone with some experience could help. When ever i try to play games after a random amount of time the computer just switches itself off without warning.

my current specs are
MSI k7n2 delta raid mobo
amd 2800xp with coolermaster aero7 cooling
MSI geforce FX 5950 ultra
1 . 40gb hdd running windows
1 . 80gb Western digital HDD storage
1 . SATA Western Digital 250gb
1 dvd drive unknown make
onboard sound
Q-tec 400w psu
Win 2k OS
512mb 2700 crucial ram tested fine with memtest86 - waiting for 1gb corsair to arrive in the post

thats about it i think, if theres anything i missed just ask.
also i noticed while writing this when i go to manage from my computer and view the hdd my 250gb sata drive has an ! mark next to it and under status it says - healthy(at risk)
could this be my problem?
or is my psu insufficient?

Thanks if u can help

[Sniper.nkc]

I am experiencing the same problem too...power shuts down while ocing, gaming, and benchmarking. This occurs randomly. I suspect my power supply is acting up. Since I started testing my Mushkins with increased vcore and vdimm, the shut down problem started. Before the Mushkins, I didn't have the problem. My PS is about 3 years old. Maybe its time for a new one.

[Quasimodo]

i should prolly add that im not o'cing tho i have done in the past. its running on defaults atm and bios settings are also default, ive got rid of the warning sign on my SATA hdd but its just used for storage so i still have the problem :(

[stool]

Welcome to the forums.

The usual suspects when you start having this problem are the PSU, RAM and heat. Seeing as you are running Crucial and Mushkin, I'd tend to think the solution does indeed lie with the PSU(although you might want to lower the vcore and vdimm on your RAM).

[Quasimodo]

as i thought :( thanks for ur info, this is turning out an expensive month:(

[Oklahoma Wolf]

I would tend to agree with stool - QTec isn't really known for quality PSU's. I would suggest a Fortron 400w w/120mm fan or 530w, or Antec Truepower 430w. As you are in the UK where Channel Well (CWT) is more easily available, their 430w and up units would also do well.

[Quasimodo]

ok thanks well ive got an antec tru power 550w on the way, should arrive tomorrow so hopefully that will do the trick

[Sniper.nkc]

If your hard drive spools up slowly, on occusions, is that related to weak PS?

[Methodx]

I disagree with the others.

While they may be right...if you're computer just shots off randomly after doing gaming or other intensive things for "awhile" then your computer is likely overheating.

If you have it in a little cubby hole in a desk, this could be a problem. You could try getting a new fan for your processor, or some cheap fans for your case. This would be way cheaper than buying a power supply. Some computers that you buy from companies like HP don't even come with fans on the processor at all, just a heatsink.

I used to play games on my HP computer a few years ago and it would always just shut off randomly every once in awhile. I opened it up and found that there wasn't a fan on the cpu. I put one on and problem solved.

[Quasimodo]

my psu should arrive in a few hours so ill be able to test then, but atm according to MBM my cpu is idling at 40, case temp is 31 and gfx is at 30, i think the cpu gets to about 50ish when under load.
i swear my cpu fan used to work better when i first bought it :eh?:

[Oklahoma Wolf]

That's about how my Aero 7+ does on my 2500+ Barton. It's sitting at 42 idle right now with case temp 33. Then again I have the fan down at 3000 rpm so I can hear myself think ;)

[Sniper.nkc]

Originally posted by Quasimodo
my psu should arrive in a few hours so ill be able to test then, but atm according to MBM my cpu is idling at 40, case temp is 31 and gfx is at 30, i think the cpu gets to about 50ish when under load.
i swear my cpu fan used to work better when i first bought it :eh?:

There is nothing wrong with my temps. I have done upgrades to help cool my CPU. I even have a duct mod on my HS. Temp is not an issue, althought it can contribute to power shut down.

QUASIMODO: Can you tell me if the your ps has adjustable voltage rails? Can you give me some data on your voltages? My 12 and 5 volt rails are like 5.05 and 11.97 on idle at 200 x 11, then if I load it, my 5 is 4.97 and my 12 is 12.10. The more I push my rig, the lower my 5 volt rail dips. I have actually seen it go as low as 4.70. Please provide data. I am thinking of getting me an Antec 550.

[Quasimodo]

ill give u the info on the antec as soon as it arrives, i think im gonna have to wait for tomorrow tho :( i think i ordered it too late for the next day delivery to work.

incase u were asking about my current psu my
3v is at 3.216, ave - 3.22
5v at 5.05344 ave - 5.04
12v at 11.6736 ave - 11.70
-12 at -12.51904
-5 at 5.192.

the readings are from mbm

i have my cpu fan running at full speed, dont notice it when listening to winamp but i dont have any case fans on my pc, i only have the cpu, chipset and gfx ones