Computer Keeps Turning Itself Off

[STFC_Gazza]

Any ideas why my computer keeps turning itself off? Sometimes it will run fine for 3 hours or so, others 10 minutes, seems to be really with videos playing it crashes etc. I have been told it may be the fan so have bought a new one. Any other ideas?

[cavpete]

is there enough thermal compound  between cpu and fan. if not enough it could cause overheating and pc shuts down.

[STFC_Gazza]

There should be, i have bought some more (only £2.00) and a new fan as its over 5 years old to see if that makes any difference. have used Malwarebytes to see if any spyware but cant find any....

[THE FLASH]

Even the Computer thinks you are a boring cunt! xxxxx

[Simon Pieman]

Bit vague there Gaz, could be anything. For starters, which fan did you replace? i.e. case fan? cpu heatsink (or the fan on it) or the graphics card heatsink?

Have you tried downloading and installing up to date graphics drivers?
It happens with video - what type? Flash video? DVD video? any video? What do you play videos through? e.g. Windows Media Player.

Does the computer restart itself or just shut down? Have you ever seen a blue screen with an error message on it?

[Sippo]

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

[STFC_Gazza]

Bit vague there Gaz, could be anything. For starters, which fan did you replace? i.e. case fan? cpu heatsink (or the fan on it) or the graphics card heatsink?

Have you tried downloading and installing up to date graphics drivers?
It happens with video - what type? Flash video? DVD video? any video? What do you play videos through? e.g. Windows Media Player.

Does the computer restart itself or just shut down? Have you ever seen a blue screen with an error message on it?

It's the case fan I have replaced. Well i have ordered but not yet replaced but will do. I get no warning messages that the PC is going to shut down so I have been told at work that would indicate it is just shutting down as it is over-heating.

Its mostly flash video, like you tube etc.

Funnily enough my internet connection dies as well every so often if I open more 3 or 4 tabs at the same time.

[pauld]

What Si Pie said, plus could be your memory going shitside (as in RAM, not senility)

[STFC_Gazza]

I have plenty of RAM in there and barely anything on the PC, even turned off Windows 7 aero thinking that was part of the issue!

[Peter Venkman]

Its overheating, either CPU or Graphics card, very unlikely to be anything else.

When you apply the thermal compound DON NOT put on too much, put on abou the size of a grain of rice, no more no less.

Also make sure that the CPU fan is plugged into the right header on the motherboard, also check that the Grpahics card fan is turning and has not fallen off.

That is all.

[stfcinbmth]

Could even be the graphics card itself on the way out if updated drivers make no difference

[land_of_bo]

Right click my computer and find the option to throw an error screen instead of powering off. You should be able to capture the BSOD then

[Samdy Gray]

I was going to say have you checked the event viewer, but then I'd have to explain how to do that.

[Barry Scott]

Just check the CPU temp in Bios, that'll rule that in or out quite quickly. Even if it's not under load, if it's not on right or the sink is fucked, the temp will be abnormally high.

[Peter Venkman]

Right click my computer and find the option to throw an error screen instead of powering off. You should be able to capture the BSOD then

If the Chip or Graphics Card are overheating then there will almost definatly not be a BSOD.
If the graphics card is overheating then there is a good chance there will be graphical artifacts on the screen, or random locking up just before it reboots/wierd characters appearing.

Sounds to me like its the CPU 95% graphics card 5%