Video card shuts down unexpectedly

[multi86]

Hi,
For the past couple of months I've been having a reoccurring hardware problem.
My computer is on, I am adoing regular tasks like browsing or listening to music and then suddenly, the video card turns off.
Usually, it is accompanied by a stronger than usual sound of one of the fans inside the computer and then the computer will reboot, but there won't be any image on the monitor (the monitor is idling and does not receive any signal from the PC, windows restarts normally because I can hear the logon sound). After that, I need to press on the PC power button multiple times for my monitor (video card) to work again. I noticed that when the monitor shows no visibility upon rebooting, the fans are quite lound. On the other hand, on a successful boot when the screen will work fine, the fans are quiter.

My video card is Radeon X1950 PRO. I did not hace such problems before. I monitored the temperatures of the CPU and Video Card and opened the case to check if all cooling fans are working and they do. But one of the fans (video card, CPU or case fan) will be loud when the problem occrs, louder than on regular computer boot.
I am not sure if it is a video card problem or a CPU problem. Sometimes it takes for me to open the case, remove the video card and plug it back to achieve a proper boot when the monitor will receive a signal and work fine; other times like today, when this did not help, opening the case and removing the CPU and then putting it back helped.
For now, it works fine. I also did an update for all the drivers. Still, the video card can suddenly shut down so I came here for some suggestions or input as to what the problem might be.

Thanks.

 

[S0ULphIRE]

It might be as simple as a faulty card. If it's still under warranty get it RMA'd.

If you've updated the drivers, checked the fans are all going, then that really might have to be your next step.


It could also be totally unrelated error, e.g. it's not your video card that's the problem. Check your other temps, including the cpu and ram temps and make sure they're not getting too hot. Run SuperPi and Memtest to check your cpu and ram.

 

[multi86]

Hi,
this is a follow-up to my problem which unfortunately, still persists.

I purchased the Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound on eBay and applied it. I initially followed the instructions from Artctic Silver website which stated to apply the thermal paste as a straight line on the CPU. However, the temperature for the CPU only got below 60 celsius. I then tried to apply the thermal paste by applying close to two small grains and spreading them on the CPU using a credit card and I must say that this method was far better, although not perfect. Right now, the temperature is between 47-55 celsius when idle and closer to 70 celsius when gaming.

I was happy about it and thought that my video card will stop shutting down. Nonetheless, the problem still persists. My video card/computer shuts down, following by a powerful sound from the video card's fan which will not subside, however the computer still starts up normally, even though the monitor receives no signal from the video card. I then again need to press power on/off close to 5 times for my computer to start normally and to see something on my monitor. Once again,when it stops normally, the sound of the fan from the video card will be loud for only 1-2 seconds and then subside.

I do not know what the cause of the problem is. Last time the problem occurred, when was today, my video card/computer turned itself off when EVEREST was reading the temperature of the CPU as 48 celsius and I was doing Word processing; the shut down was caused by simply moving the mouse.

I was thinking about purchasing a new CPU cooler. But last time, the computer shut down when the temperature of the CPU was within normal limits (48 celsius). Is it a video card issue, maybe mother board? My Power Supply is good: Corsair HX-520W, so that is not the issue.

Also to mention that once when the problem occurred, before I applied the thermal compound, I succeeded to get the computer start properly by putting the computer case parallel on the floor and not in a standing up. Somehow it helped.

Will value some input..

 

[S0ULphIRE]

download gpu-z, it'll tell you what temps your video card is running at.

GPU-Z download

 

[Slaymate]

If the gpu fan is noisy then that is the 1st thing to fix. You'll probably need to buy something like this.
Thermaltake DuOrb Video Card / GPU Cooler for nVIDIA and ATi VGA Cards, w/ Dual 80mm Silent Fans Products Model: CL-G0102 [CL-G0102] : Performance-PCs.com, ... sleeve it and they will come

If that doesn't help then you probably need a new power supply.

 

[multi86]

Thanks for replying.
According to EVEREST, the temperatures of my GPU when idle are as following:
GPU Ambient: 48
GPU: 57

I thought about adding a CPU cooler to replace the Intel stock cooler but now I doubt it will solve the problem since the last time my computer restarted like that was when the temperature of the CPU was reading 48 celsius. I do not know if applying a GPU cooler would solve anything, I always thought that one needs to add it for overclocking purposes.

One weird thing is that when this problem occured yesterday and my computer/video card restarted, on my next logon, I noticed that I was signed out from Google/eBay and even this forum; as though the cookies were deleted automatically when it happened.

When I was reading about simiular problems on the next, most people suggested a PSU upgrade. In my case however, I did not go cheap on the PSU and got a
CORSAIR HX-520W. Maybe the video card is faulty. I got my computer in 2007, for the first year, no similar problems occured.
It's like I can type out this message, then my computer will suddenly reboot and my monitor will idle (power light will blink as though it is on but does not receive a signal) and most importantly, the video card's fan will make a loud sound without end even though the computer starts normally and I can hear the WINXP logon sound. I then would need to press the POWER button on my computer on and off for several times and hope the ound disappears on the next time I press it and I will see an image on my monitor.

 

[multi86]

SOLVED

A friend who understands computers better than me removed all the components from the computer and discovered that one of the pins from the CPU cooler was broken and as a result wasn't all securely attached.
Bought an ASUS Triton 70 CPU cooler which keeps my idle CPU temps at 43 celsius (still a bit high, but agreeable and silent). No sudden restarts!