HELP!?! Computer randomly dies?

I am totally confused and flabbergasted.

At seemingly totally random times my computer just shuts off - no warning - dead. Exactly the same as if I simply pulled the plug from the wall. After a moment (to recover from the shock of what just happened) I can turn the computer back on just fine. The only thing I have noticed is once I turn the computer back on the mouse does not respond. Unplugging and re-plugging the mouse's USB plug fixes that.

Could this be a power supply issue? Some kind of automatic fault protection by the motherboard? Could the power from my wall be bad - excessive spike or dip in voltage (I live in an older apartment complex so poor out of date wiring would not surprise me)

I do have my rig plugged in to a surge protector.... but could that be bad?

I just don't know what to do. Even though my system is not the latest and greatest components; I cant afford to replace anything right now.

The computer in question is the one in my signature. Not listed is (things that draw power): EVGA Supernova 750 (less than a year old) X-fi extreme gamer sound card. JMicro raid card (plugged in to PCIe 1x slot but not currently used) 4 hard drives. 4 fans. One 12v relay to switch on the AC blower fan. One 30gb USB flash drive (used for 'ReadyBoost') keyboard and mouse.
can't believe that I an stressing the EVGA power supply in any way.

ANY and ALL advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance everyone.

DUSNOETOS said:

I do have my rig plugged in to a surge protector.... but could that be bad?

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You can test if it is bad by removing it from the circuit, i.e. plugging your rig straight into the wall. If the issue doesnt repeat then you have found your culprit. If you are worried about surges, then try another one (if you have another to try)

EVGA Supernova 750 (less than a year old)

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I have heard such good things and the reviews are great (that's why I got mine, good word of mouth backed by good review). EVGA apparently has excellent customer support, and the warranty on these PSU is long (I think I read 7-10yrs? Mine was bought used). So you might be in luck if the psu is the problem.

All of the other components you listed can be removed to test the issue. My money is on the switch for the fan, but that is just a gut guess. Seems like a switch would be most likely to be made cheaply and develop some sort of issue. Remove the components listed one by one and go back to using your rig. If the problem persists, put back what you removed and remove something else. Best way to troubleshoot for free. Good luck!

Dirty power will certainly cause issues like what you describe. The up side is that you went with a high quality PSU, so if power is the issue, it's saving your rig. The down side is, the only way to test it, is to get an UPS, and they aren't cheap. They are a great investment, though. Plus, it's always funny when the power goes out while you have company. My neighbor still gets confused when he loses power and looks over here to find an eerie blue light shining from inside....