Computer suddenly shut down, won't turn back on!

guru20 · 10-07-2004, 05:06 AM

Last night, after using a computer setup I've used for over a week, my computer suddenly just shut off in the middle of the game I was playing. The light on the case was still on, but the computer was not running. I tried to turn off main power supply and restart, but no go... it won't start.

There were no bios warning beeps or anything for overheating. There was a slightly acrid smell, no smoke or anything, and when I felt around the case, it seemed unusually warm around the top of the back where the PSU would be. Is it likely that my power supply simply shorted? I had been using that power supply (Award 430W) for a few months in a different setup with no problem.

Here's the system:

Windows 2000 Professional SP4
Intel P4 800fsb 1mb cache
Award 430w psu
Soyo Dragon 2 mobo
1 stick (512mb) Mushkin pc400 RAM
Hitachi 16x DVD-R drive
Seagate Barracuda ATAIV 80 gb hdd
Samsung 120 gb SATA hdd
ATI Radeon 8500dv AGP card
Creative Professional E-MU audio interface/processing card

3 fans (1 side, 1 rear, 1 three-fan front-intake through 5.25 slot)

My assumption is that my PSU just couldn't support the power load. I have a 450w PSU (another cheap one) but if 430 couldn't cut it, will 450? Also, I didn't use the 450 because both the sound card and graphics card need the small 4-pin attachment, and the 450W only has one of these... is it possible to get an adapter from the larger 4-socket connectors to the small 4-pin card power? Any ideas/suggestions??

joat1 · 10-07-2004, 06:03 AM

To find out how big a power supply you will need use this power supply calculator and add about 20% to the total to give you some room.

For decent power supplies, take a look at http://techreport.com/reviews/2004q4/psus/index.x?pg=1. I'd avoid cheap power supplies or else the same thing could happen again. The computer needs steady voltage from a power supply and cheap ones tend not to supply it.

guru20 · 10-07-2004, 08:23 AM

Thanks for the link! The reason I had the cheap PSU is because the cases I was looking at were about the same price with a supply as ones without, so I got cases that came with...

the next one I plan to spend $50-80 on, so I'll check out those links you provided. Thanks!

Dezaarus · 10-24-2004, 02:44 PM

I have the same problem. It would shut off and refuse to come back on until I unplugged it and then it would work. I thought it might be the PSU but after replacing it with a much better one I still tend to have the problem when playing certain games such as C&C Generals, Doom 3, and Sims 2. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Here my system for reference

Windows XP Professional
AMD Athlon XP 2600+
1g of Ram (2 kingston sdram modules)
A-bit Siluro nVidia geforce FX 5900
2 Maxtor 80gig HDDs
1 Toshiba DVD-ROM
1 Toshiba DVD-RW
Antec 430 watt PSU (replacing my old Raidmax 350 watt)
3 Fans (1 lighted)

joat1 · 10-24-2004, 03:07 PM

Make sure you have the updated drivers for your video card and directx (9.0c is the current one).

Check for patches for all games.

Check your memory with Windows Memory Diagnostic. I'd run it overnight to make sure.

Check the temperature of your CPU -- you can go into the BIOS and look or use Motherboard Monitor.

Dezaarus · 10-25-2004, 01:13 AM

Well I ran the memory test and it failed on the Stride 6 test. I don't know what that means yet but I'm looking into it.

joat1 · 11-01-2004, 04:56 PM

It means one of the memory sticks is bad. Take one of them out and run the Windows memory test for each one to make sure which one is the bad one and replace it.

10-07-2004, 05:06 AM	#1 (permalink)
guru20 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 4 OS: Win2000 Pro	Computer suddenly shut down, won't turn back on! Last night, after using a computer setup I've used for over a week, my computer suddenly just shut off in the middle of the game I was playing. The light on the case was still on, but the computer was not running. I tried to turn off main power supply and restart, but no go... it won't start. There were no bios warning beeps or anything for overheating. There was a slightly acrid smell, no smoke or anything, and when I felt around the case, it seemed unusually warm around the top of the back where the PSU would be. Is it likely that my power supply simply shorted? I had been using that power supply (Award 430W) for a few months in a different setup with no problem. Here's the system: Windows 2000 Professional SP4 Intel P4 800fsb 1mb cache Award 430w psu Soyo Dragon 2 mobo 1 stick (512mb) Mushkin pc400 RAM Hitachi 16x DVD-R drive Seagate Barracuda ATAIV 80 gb hdd Samsung 120 gb SATA hdd ATI Radeon 8500dv AGP card Creative Professional E-MU audio interface/processing card 3 fans (1 side, 1 rear, 1 three-fan front-intake through 5.25 slot) My assumption is that my PSU just couldn't support the power load. I have a 450w PSU (another cheap one) but if 430 couldn't cut it, will 450? Also, I didn't use the 450 because both the sound card and graphics card need the small 4-pin attachment, and the 450W only has one of these... is it possible to get an adapter from the larger 4-socket connectors to the small 4-pin card power? Any ideas/suggestions??

10-07-2004, 06:03 AM	#2 (permalink)
joat1 Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 160 OS: WinXP,Gentoo,Win98SE	To find out how big a power supply you will need use this power supply calculator and add about 20% to the total to give you some room. For decent power supplies, take a look at http://techreport.com/reviews/2004q4/psus/index.x?pg=1. I'd avoid cheap power supplies or else the same thing could happen again. The computer needs steady voltage from a power supply and cheap ones tend not to supply it.

10-07-2004, 08:23 AM	#3 (permalink)
guru20 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 4 OS: Win2000 Pro	Thanks for the link! The reason I had the cheap PSU is because the cases I was looking at were about the same price with a supply as ones without, so I got cases that came with... the next one I plan to spend $50-80 on, so I'll check out those links you provided. Thanks!

10-24-2004, 02:44 PM	#4 (permalink)
Dezaarus Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 2 OS: XP	I have the same problem. It would shut off and refuse to come back on until I unplugged it and then it would work. I thought it might be the PSU but after replacing it with a much better one I still tend to have the problem when playing certain games such as C&C Generals, Doom 3, and Sims 2. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Here my system for reference Windows XP Professional AMD Athlon XP 2600+ 1g of Ram (2 kingston sdram modules) A-bit Siluro nVidia geforce FX 5900 2 Maxtor 80gig HDDs 1 Toshiba DVD-ROM 1 Toshiba DVD-RW Antec 430 watt PSU (replacing my old Raidmax 350 watt) 3 Fans (1 lighted)

10-24-2004, 03:07 PM	#5 (permalink)
joat1 Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 160 OS: WinXP,Gentoo,Win98SE	Make sure you have the updated drivers for your video card and directx (9.0c is the current one). Check for patches for all games. Check your memory with Windows Memory Diagnostic. I'd run it overnight to make sure. Check the temperature of your CPU -- you can go into the BIOS and look or use Motherboard Monitor.

10-25-2004, 01:13 AM	#6 (permalink)
Dezaarus Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 2 OS: XP	Well I ran the memory test and it failed on the Stride 6 test. I don't know what that means yet but I'm looking into it.

11-01-2004, 04:56 PM	#7 (permalink)
joat1 Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 160 OS: WinXP,Gentoo,Win98SE	It means one of the memory sticks is bad. Take one of them out and run the Windows memory test for each one to make sure which one is the bad one and replace it.