Dell dimension 4700 turning off and wont turn back on

[Bontje]

I own a Dell dimension 4700, its about 2 years old. 512MB ram, pentium 4, cpu 2.80GHz, 2.79GHz. (thats how its listed in system properties...) We had been having a few problems with it for awile now. The dvd rom drive didnt work and our hardrive failed, which we just recently replaced and it was working fine for about a week but then it started doing what it had been doing for a few months before. It would shut down and make 1 beep and then just flash an orange light. We had to unplug it for a few hours before it would work, and then it would just shut back down a few hours later. I do play World of Warcraft and it seems to be shutting off more when i play that game then any other thing i do on the computer. I kno it has nothing to do with the hardrive or dvd rom since wejust had those replaced. and i just checked and both the fans in it are working but yet it still gets really hot. It wouldnt turn on all morning since it shut off early this morning, but now its working fine but i kno itll do it again. Anyone have any idea what could be wrong with it and what could be done to fix it? Thx

[2k_dummy]

PSU is suspect and is likely over heating.

[Bontje]

Sorry but im not very good with the hardware aspect of computers, so how do i fix it? just buy a new one? if i do buy a new one will it just do the same thing and overheat? And how do i kno what kind will work in my computer?

[2k_dummy]

If the cooling is insufficient that is a possibility. You should first get some canned air and give a good cleaning, blowing out as much dust as possible. If that doesn't solve the problem, replacement is in order. Try to get a PSU that is beefier (higher wattage rating) and has it own fan.

[Bontje]

Ok, will any psu work as long as it fits in the computer, or do i need one specified for dell dimension 4700, cus im only 16 so i dont make a ton of money at my job, i dont want to be buying the wrong kind...... lol My friends r like computer geniuses so they could easily install it for me as long as i bought the right kind....

[Fed]

I believe only a Dell PSU will fit this computer, wait for someone to confirm this.
Carry on cleaning as 2K Dummy suggested because overheating does sound like the problem.
If you're worried about doing it then get your mates to do it for you but only if you trust them 100% otherwise get a quote to clean it from a store, it shouldn't cost much.

[Bontje]

i've  cleaned it about 3 timees since it started doing this a few months back, is an electric air compresser a good way or will it harm the computer?

[Fed]

I see you have started a couple more threads regarding your PSU, I for one am not convinced your PSU is at fault.
Go into bios, check your temps and stay there for a while, monitor the temps and see if it shuts down from there.

[Bontje]

well thats the thing.... it never shuts down unless i have large programs or games running like world of warcraft, i doubt it will shut down in bios

[Fed]

Check your cpu fan, heat sink fitment & make sure it's clean.

[Bontje]

ok my computer has been on for about 2 straight days now and i have played world of warcraft a lot during that time........... taking the side of the computer off and keeping a house fan blowing into it has solved the problem............ of course i discover this right after i spent $60 on a new psu......

[Fed]

Check your cpu fan, heat sink fitment & make sure it's clean.