computer shuts down during HL2

[Rickyohead]

after 2 minutes of the game, my surge protector beeps as a warning and then the computer shuts off.

my hardware should be fine for the game (see sig). i don't overclock and my CPU isn't overheating.

i think my 9800 is defective (I had it on another computer and from the beginning I have experienced trails, see-through objects, flickering scenery, etc.)

any thoughts on why my computer is shutting down? bad PSU?

 

[BlueWeasel]

Well, with the TT 480W PSU, I don't think it's because of a crappy power supply. The PSU could be faulty, though. It's common for reboots to be attributed to the PSU, especially when not overclocking.

I'd try running the CPU at 100% from the desktop using Prime95 or some other non-graphical benchmark. This will let you know if the reboots are the result of stress or because of a faulty video card. Do other games crash as well?

Do you have an extra video card you could try?

 

[Rickyohead]

I will try that CPU benchmark program.

The computer has crashed during a 3dmark graphics test as well.

I don't have another graphics card to test HL2 on, but I was planning to replace my current card from ATI anyway because of the problems it has given.

Would a faulty graphics card really shut down the entire computer? I thought it would just turn off and give me a black screen. this is stressin me out!

 

[BlueWeasel]

Yeah, it's possible a bad video card could be causing the system to reboot or shutdown. Basically, if the system doesn't crash when running a non-video stress test like Prime95 where it stresses the CPU and memory, then it's likely a video problem.

 

[KB]

Your surge protector (probably a UPS since it beeps) isn't affected by your PSU, however your PSU could be affected by your UPS. Since it is giving you that beep I suspect your UPS surge protector isn't getting enough power or is not providing enough power. Try running off the UPS. Also trying running from a different outlet and a different electrical circuit in the house.

 

[Navid]

Originally posted by: Rickyohead
after 2 minutes of the game, my surge protector beeps as a warning and then the computer shuts off.

What is the power rating of your surge protector?
Do you have another surge protector to try?
If the surge protector beeps right before the shut-down, it means that the current drawn from the surge protector increases to an unacceptable level. That can happen because of a faulty PC component (grphics card?). But, it can also happen if the surge protector itself is faulty.

 

[jjungman]

Could it be a heat related problem? I was having random shutdown problems with my 9800 during games until I bought a PCI fan and stuck it right under the video card.

 

[Rickyohead]

this is turning into a massive troubleshooting adventure for me. i'm learning a lot, thanks for all your suggestions.

i'm going to check the wattage of the APC UPS battery backup. perhaps it is not enough to supply power to the computer when doing 3d graphics. i'm trying to figure out how to monitor the 9800pro's temperature. I don't see it in Everest or Speedfan. Anyone know? If it is getting to hot, I'll consider a PCI fan to suck that hot air out.

If the card is simply underpowered, overheating, and crashing, would that cause the graphics problems I have described at the top? the 2 or 3 minutes my comuter lasts in the game before the crash is fully of crappy graphics, trails, flickering, etc.

I posted in the technical support forum as well to try to get more ideas. If anyone has experienced this in Half-Life 2, Counter Strike Source, or other newer 3D games, please share your experience here. thx.