Computer restartes suddenly

[feelingshorter]

Just bought a new PC from frys and built it myself. Works all fine at first and then all of a sudden sometimes it just restarts for no reason. I could be listening to mp3s and chatting onlien and it restarts. Or i could be playing a game and it restarts. The last two times i clicked "find servers" on CS:S and it restarts twice. Then i get this "windows file corrupt or missing" during bootup and it wont boot. I plan on putting my windows XP pro in there and doing a clean install but is it a software problem? Or hardware? or whats the problem and who else had the same thign happen?

 

[mechBgon]

Could be hardware, software, or security. Fill this in for us, with your info:

• CORE HARDWARE
  • Power supply Antec TruePower 430
  • Motherboard Asus K8N-E Deluxe
    • Revision 1.03
    • BIOS 1005
  • CPU Athlon64 3000+
    • Core 130nm Clawhammer
  • Memory (2) 512MB Corsair XMS 3200C2 modules
    • Voltage Manually set to 2.7 volts
    • Timings AUTO, results in 2-3-2-6 @ 200MHz
• CARDS
  • Primary video card ATI Radeon 9800Pro AGP 8x
  • PCI slot #1 (top) empty
  • PCI slot #2 empty
  • PCI slot #3 LeadTek Winfast TV/FM tuner card
  • PCI slot #4 Creative Audigy 2 ZS
  • PCI slot #5 LSI Logic Ultra160 SCSI
  • PCI slot #6 (board only has five PCI slots)
• DRIVES
  • Boot drive 160GB Seagate 7200.7
    • Interface Serial ATA
    • Controller hosting this drive nForce3 SATA controller
    • Jumper setting not applicable (SATA)
  • Additional hard drive 40GB Seagate 7200.7
    • Interface Parallel ATA
    • Controller hosting this drive nForce3 standard ATA controller, primary channel
    • Jumper setting Master
  • Additional hard drive 18GB Seagate Cheetah 15k.3
    • Interface SCSI
    • Controller hosting this drive LSI Logic U160 card
    • Jumper setting SCSI ID 01
  • Optical drive #1 NEC 3500A DVD burner
    • Interface Parallel ATA
    • Controller hosting this drive nForce3 standard ATA controller, secondary channel
    • Jumper setting Master
  • Optical drive #2 Lite-On combo DVD-ROM/CD-RW
    • Interface Parallel ATA
    • Controller hosting this drive nForce3 standard ATA controller, secondary channel
    • Jumper setting Slave
• OS AND SECURITY
  • Operating System WindowsXP Professional
  • Service Pack SP2
  • Internet connection Cable
  • Hardware firewall Netgear RP614 router
  • Software firewall WindowsXP firewall
  • Antivirus Norton Antivirus 2004

 

[feelingshorter]

intel 3.0ghz E.
some cheap 65 dollar motherboard from MSI
western digital 80 gb 7200 rpm
DVD burner
DVD reader
geforce FX something 128 megs (dont really know what it is)

using windows XP pro

thats pretty much all i know, i dont remember unless i turn the thing on and look in hardware, but since my computer is dead im kinda screwd. But the cheap motherboard from MSI is from frys two weeks ago.

 

[mechBgon]

Open the case, look at the PSU, and what brand/model is it saying on the label: example photo, this one would be a "Sparkle Power ATX-300GT."

Also find the model of MSI mobo, which will be silk-screened on its surface.

 

[feelingshorter]

motherboard : MSI PT880 Neo
Power: Turbolink A350 ATX

 

[mechBgon]

Turbolink 350W. I bet your PSU is hitting the wall due to mediocre quality and probably inadequate 12-volt amperage capabilities too. How about one of these babies, that'll definitely handle your Prescott 3.0GHz, and any video card you can throw at it as well. Quality, plus lots of 12-volt power for today's needs.

As you can see from this photo, the Turbolink 350W unit has a laughable 12 amps on the 12-volt rail. Even Enermax's 350W unit packs more than twice that much. I'd get that thing outta there quick :shocked:

 

[MadOni0n]

maybe it's overheating, and in bios theres an option where you setup at a certaint amount of degrees - comp shuts off ?

 

[feelingshorter]

yea but this isnt it, i have a good heatsink/fan combo, and it restarts and doesnt shutdown. I already know of the shutdown thing. Anyways i think it could of been my ram, i moved it around and it seems to work and hasnt restarted yet.