Big Computer Problem!! Help!!?

edited January 2005 in Hardware
hi,
for christmas i got the Plextor PX-716A CD/DVD Burner upgrading from my old CD/DVD Burner (Plextor PX-712A). Ever since then, everytime i try to burn somethin with nero or convert my downloaded movies with WinAVI or Cucusoft, my computer shuts off 5-15 minutes in the process. I dont know what is wrong, can someone help me? Could it be fixed by reformatting my hard drive??

my computer turns off anytime i do things like that..what could be the problem...when i posted this on anotehr forum they told me to download some quick programs to check memory temperature and such and everytime i try to install them, my computer shuts off....it seems to shut off only when using things like the burner or using programs that have to do with driver or what not.

someone please help!!

Comments

  • Access_DeniedAccess_Denied tennessee
    edited January 2005
    sounds like a weak and/or dieing power supply to me.
  • edited January 2005
    can u recommend a good power supply?? right now i have the stock 300 watt power supply.
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited January 2005
    Start with memtest86, especially since burning is very CPU/Memory intensive. Next I would check your voltages and make sure your CPU HSF and the rest of the system is clean of dustbunnies like this.
    can u recommend a good power supply?? right now i have the stock 300 watt power supply.
    Antec, the bigger the better!
  • edited January 2005
    how could the power supply be the problem??
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited January 2005
    because you get what you pay for with power supplies.
  • edited January 2005
    so if i get a new power supply, it shouldnt shut off again??
  • edited January 2005
    which power supply would be best for me??

    http://www.antec.com/us/pro_powerSupply.html
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited January 2005
    it depends on whether the psu is the problem or not. do what mtgoat said and we'll go from there.
  • edited January 2005
    i am afraid to do what goat said cause my computer will shut down again. it always does when i run programs like that. i think you guys are right, it is a ps porblem. i turned on my computer today after school and i was just talking to friends online and checking e-mail, wthin about 7 minutes my computer shut off.

    would that be a memory problem or ps?

    i dont think it is a memory problem.

    would 430 or 480 watts ps be good?
  • FlintstoneFlintstone SE Florida
    edited January 2005
    I say overheating (dust bunnies), power supply, memory, in that order. How long have you had this computer? Have you ever looked inside to see if there is generally any dust buildup on any of the components? That's the first place I'd start since the shutoff is time related and not immediate. Maybe your cpu fan is dead completely or slowing down and just dying a slow death. You need to look inside and see what's up.

    That's my $.02 :cool:
  • tmh88tmh88 Pittsburgh / Athens, OH
    edited January 2005
    It sounds like a power supply failure to me. Normally with memory problems you should at least get some kind of error like a bsod. And yes the 430 watt ps would be much better than the stock ps, unless its a cheap-o piece of junk. The higher the watts the better, usually. Pick out a power supply that you like, and post a link

    Also if you have a program to do this, check the temperature of the motherboard and cpu.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited January 2005
    It sounds like it may be overheating actually... clean it out first. And power supply wattage ratings are all but worthless. What brand of 430/480w PS are we talking about here?
  • edited January 2005
    geeky, tmh, and flinstone..this is for you guys:

    i am planning on getting a 430/480 watt Antec Power supply..one of these:

    http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=20430

    or.....

    http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=20480

    or....

    http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=25450

    i am going to open up my computer case and clean out the dust by blowing and such. would any one of those case fans fit into my case (my case is in my signature with my system specs)?
  • edited January 2005
    i was also thinking about getting a case fan too...one of these,....

    http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=75008

    or......

    http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=75013
  • tmh88tmh88 Pittsburgh / Athens, OH
    edited January 2005
    Actually geeky made a good point that i never really thought about. Overheating could be the cause, or the bad powersupply like i suggested. Just go to bestbuy and pick up a fan, you can get one for like $10 and you dont have to wait and pay for s&h.

    Maybe if possible, open up the side of the case, and put a fan and have it blowing inside of the case. Try and run that program again, while having the fan blowing inside the computer. This way if it still shuts down, its probably not due to overheating, because no 80 mm fans can move as much air as a big fan. If the computer still shuts down i would say its the power supply thats bad. Then again, maybe its a cheap heatsink. You never know, computers are sometimes very unpredictable

    If my suggestions don't work, ask geeky. He's helped me with numerous things and knows alot more than I do.
  • edited January 2005
    2morrow i am going to circuit city to get the 480 watt antec power supply. and an 80mm smart cool plus fan.

    i need it anyways.


    also as an update.....
    my friend told me to run a porgram game (runescape) kind of hacked, but i ran it and within 3 minutes my computer just completely shut off.

    it could be the power supply, but i do not see how the ps could work for some things and not for others like winavi decoding software for movies??
  • godzilla525godzilla525 Western Pennsylvania Member
    edited January 2005
    If it's the power supply, it's probably caused by normal thermal expansion under increased load affecting a bad solder connection. Every one I've taken apart to date seems to have failed/failing solder connections on anything attached to a heatsink... :shakehead

    Some motherboards will shut down if the CPU temp crosses a certain threshold. Best to check for potential causes of overheating and also CPU temps if possible. There might be a setting someplace in the BIOS that controls temperature turn-off features.
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