Custom Built PC shuts down during Games or after a good while.

[xmorbidartx]

Hey there guys, ill get right into it. I recently bought a few pieces of hardware to build a custom computer.
The specs are:

Motherboard: EVGA Nforce 750i SLI FTW supporting socket 775.
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 Bx 2.66 GHz@1333 4MB cache.
Video Card: EVGA Geforce GTX 280 1gb DDR3.
Power Supply:  Apevia 680W Iceberg Power ATX 12V complaint, sli ready.
Memory: 4 sticks of Corsair XMS2 2GB ddr2 pc 8500 1066MHz. (my motherboard supports a total of 8 GB)
Harddrive: My old hardrive, MAxtor I believe of about 80 gb of space (yes pretty low).
Case: HAF 932 Cooler Master Full tower chassis.
OS: Windows XP 64x.

Haven't overclocked anything, grounded myself and made sure to be extra careful with the hardware while installing. Have new, clean case and my system boots up fine and will be on for a while. It is when I begin to play video games such as perhaps Race car GRID, CoA or WoW that my computer will randomly shutdown. Something to note, when installing, I transferred my old Hard drive from my previous custom built PC, I did not reinstall a clean version of windows, jsut stuck with what I had. The OS booted up and I used the CD to change up a few things like the ethernet drivers, that's about it. With that in mind, would anyone have any idea of why my system seems to be shutting down on me? It's pretty obvious it may be an overheating problem, but ive even tried using a huge fan I have in my room to see if it would provide efficient cooling, just wouldnt do it.

If anyone has any tips or ideas let me know, and ask any other questions if I didnt cover everything.

Edit, here's a screenshot of SpeedFan info

[quaxo]

What are the temperatures like when you're actually playing games?

I can't clearly see your SpeedFan reading, what does System say? 96C? That is a bit hot, especially since you just seem to be at the desktop and doing nothing in particular that would cause much system strain.

Did you remember to apply thermal paste to the CPU before putting the fan on?

Also, with your case fans, make sure they're blowing the right way. The ones the in front and side should be pulling air into the case and the one(s) at the back should be blowing air out. If they aren't, unscrew them and flip them around so they do this, as it helps to circulate air better by creating a current through the case. If this is the case I'm thinking of, it should also have a fan in top (?). Not sure which way it would best serve blowing. Out?

If none of that helps, you might consider a liquid cooling system to help dissipate some of that heat. Again, if memory serves me right, I think that case is designed to easily have one fitted.

[xmorbidartx]

Yea 96, and jeex, i just realized i did forget to apply thermal paste to teh cpu before putting it on. For some reason at the time I thought it already came with some lached on, but it just slipped my mind. How much should I put when I go buy some? How much area to be covered?

As for the case, My CPU is in the lower part, the side panel and front of desktop have a large fan blowing air in, the top one, and the one behind the desktop are both blowing air out.

[quaxo]

Yea 96, and jeex, i just realized i did forget to apply thermal paste to teh cpu before putting it on. For some reason at the time I thought it already came with some lached on, but it just slipped my mind. How much should I put when I go buy some? How much area to be covered?

Generally, put a pea-sized amount right in the center. Don't spread it out, as when you lock the CPU fan down, the pressure will cause it to flatten out more or less smooth and even.

Check in the BIOS and see what your temperatures say too, just to make sure that system reading isn't off.

[xmorbidartx]

Will do, I dont understand why they don't give any thermal paste when buying Processors, it's 11 at night and i'd like to get that done right now but nothing's open. I hope that's the case. Aside from all this tho, is there any other possible explanations for what may be the cause?

[quaxo]

Well, I think that's definitely the cause. Thermal paste will make a huge difference in dissipating heat from the CPU. As for the motherboard temperature, got me. 96C when it's mostly just sitting there is high beyond reason. That's why I wondered if either it was a bad reading.

[xmorbidartx]

Well, I think that's definitely the cause. Thermal paste will make a huge difference in dissipating heat from the CPU. As for the motherboard temperature, got me. 96C when it's mostly just sitting there is high beyond reason. That's why I wondered if either it was a bad reading.

Fair enough, ill try to get some later tomorrow. Another question, you think my CPU may have suffered any damage or durability for not having done this? It's been about 2 days that i've used it, and only a few hours really.

[quaxo]

Probably not enough to notice, if at all. I'd quit playing games until the temperature thing is resolved though.

[squall_01]

I'll look at this more later, there was talk of a transfered drive.

[JJ 3000]

xmorbidartx,
 Check this out:
 http://www.arcticsilver.com/instructions.htm

Are you sure that all of your standoffs are in place? Are all of your fans blowing in the right direction? Are all of your power cords connected properly?

Also, you will get a lot better performance out of your machine if you do a clean install of the operating system. Do you have the windows disk?

[xmorbidartx]

Yea, I just bought the  As Arctic Silver 5, added about a pea size amount to the center of the CPU, placed the heatsink + fan on top and hoped it spread the material around decently, at the moment Speedfna reports my system temperature is 90C, down from 97C from yesturday, but also gotta consider I just turned it on. I'll do a clean boot of windows right now, just to say "well I tried that too" I'll be back guys, I appreciate the support.

As for the fans they are blowing the correct direction, by stnadoffs, you mean the pins that the heatsink/fan have? I actually had a bit of a difficult time placing those things together, they just wouldnt ALL go in >.<.

[Quantos]

at the moment Speedfna reports my system temperature is 90C, down from 97C from yesturday,

That's still way too hot.

[westom]

Another question, you think my CPU may have suffered any damage or durability for not having done this? It's been about 2 days that i've used it, and only a few hours really.

Definitively no damage.  First, excessive temperature only causes timing changes so large that some internal functions don't 'time' correctly.  Therefore the CPU only crashes.

 Second, Intel CPUs (even in the 80486) contained protection circuits so that a CPU without any heatsink would not be damaged.

  Third, destructive temperatures are extremely higher than temperatures that only change timing.

  Fourth, a properly machined heatsink without thermal compound should provide sufficient cooling especially in a room of 70 degree F.  The lowest thermal resistance is a contact directly between CPU and heatsink - only two media changes.   Thermal compound is less conductive - more media.  Thermal compound is only to fill those fewer air holes so that heat transfer through an insulator (from CPU to air pocket to heatsink) has less thermal resistance (CPU to thermal compound to heatsink).  That is why so little thermal compound is required and so little remains where most all heat gets transfered.

  What is the degree C per watt number for that heatsink?  If the manufacturer does not provide it, well appreciate why he made a heatsink that needs thermal compound.

  We use thermal compound to reduce CPU temperatures by single digit degrees.  If thermal compound results in lower CPU temperatures, then why is that heatsink surface so poorly machined.  (BTW, a perfectly flat surface is improper machining.)

[neelchauhan]

I think you need better airflow in your PC.

[unlovedwarrior]

dunno if this will help but i had the same thing happen to my custom beast it only happened while gaming. it was my graphics card try changing that i dunno if that will help with the heat but might with the crashing