Power problems.

[joujou]

First of all, my specs.

AMD Sempron 140 Sargas (2.7GHz)
2GB DDR2 800mhz
Nvidia GeForce 9400GT
Logitech MX-518 USB
Windows Vista Ultimate
GIGABYTE GA-M68M-S2P
460W PSU 70% efficiency (322w actually work?)

My video card worked well for a week or two when the powers monitor kept randomly shutting off during gameplay after a week of use or so. Trying to figure out whether I should be worrying about cutting down power, getting a better PSU or that it's just a defective video card.

Also a little curious whether open ports take up power.

 

[MindoverMaster]

What model PSU do you have? I'd blame it.

 

[joujou]

Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Elite 460 RS-460-PSAR-J3 460W ATX12V V2.31 Power Supply

That's the PSU I have.

 

[patonb]

Is it just the monitor? or the whole computer?

Unless the psu is broke, its more than fine for the system.

As you said its happened when gaming, Have you checked the temperature of the video card?

Also, is your screen overheating? they too will shut off if they get too hot.

 

[joujou]

Is it just the monitor? or the whole computer?

Unless the psu is broke, its more than fine for the system.

As you said its happened when gaming, Have you checked the temperature of the video card?

Also, is your screen overheating? they too will shut off if they get too hot.

And I would check those things.. How?

And I remember it only being the monitor that powers off. I'd have to put the video card back in.. It didn't even look like the fan on the video card was running though, but I could be wrong.

 

[patonb]

For the temperAtures of the computer, get hwmonitor from CPUID - System & hardware benchmark, monitoring, reporting

Usually if the gpu shuts off due to heat, the entire system locks too, or shuts off. If the fan wasn't spinning, then yha, the gpu most likely overheated and shut you down. 110C is the shut down temp for nvidia cards. ATI cards, i am unsure of.

€As for the monitor, you just have to feel it.

 

[joujou]

For the temperAtures of the computer, get hwmonitor from CPUID - System & hardware benchmark, monitoring, reporting

Usually if the gpu shuts off due to heat, the entire system locks too, or shuts off. If the fan wasn't spinning, then yha, the gpu most likely overheated and shut you down. 110C is the shut down temp for nvidia cards. ATI cards, i am unsure of.

€As for the monitor, you just have to feel it.

So.. I'd have to put the video card back in to check the temps with that program?

Since I don't know how long the computer would stay on if I put it in.

 

[patonb]

Yha, you would have to do that. That program just sits and tells you your temps of the gpu and cpu.

So you've changed the gpu, and alls good? That sure seems to be a gpu issue.

If you do get a chance I'd swap the old card back in, and see if the fan is going, as if its broke, its a cheap fix... but thats if you want to keep the card.

 

[joujou]

Seems like such an obvious problem now...

Anyway, I checked and the fan wasn't even running when I hooked it up. I checked the temp and it was 85C and still rising.

Is it possible to just take that fan off and put another on, or what is this "cheap fix" of yours?

There's also a plugin thing right on the card.. FIgured a cord from the PSU from there would plug in?

http://i50.tinypic.com/565g6.jpg

That's the plugin I was talking about.. If it's even a plugin at all.

 

[patonb]

Is that an 8400 or 8500?

Basically, yes you can pop of that fan and put an aftermarket one on, or put a small case fan on it, Macgyver style.

The pics gto small for me to see the "plug" so i can't tell you what it is... but tell me the card I can find out.