need help w/ unstable computer

[deanx0r]

I just upgraded to an SLI configuration and have been plagued with sudden reboots when gaming. I currently only have HL2 installed, but the game would freeze or the computer would just reboot itself after loading the intro screen. The computer is unstable in SLI mode only.

I have noticed that the computer would hard reboot whenever it was underload while I had my 2000W heater on (plugged on the same outlet). I took it off and no more hard reboot occured. However HL2 would freeze now and then. I am suspecting it might happen when the central heater is runnin, and that it might just be dirty power that I am getting. Can a UPS help in this case?

I have tested about everything I could on my computer, and eliminated heat to bad hardware issues.

Here's what I am running:

Athlon X2 3800 @2.4GHz
2GB RAM @ stock speeds
eVGA NF41 SLI motherboard
eVGA 7800GT SLI @ stock speeds
2 hdds
2 optical drives
Fortron AX-500 PSU (460W)

I tried to run without oc, and would get the same type of crash as well. The oc is perfect fine when I am running w/ a single card.

 

[stevty2889]

What version of the drivers are you using? Have you tried using differant drivers? Have you looked in event viewer, so see if you can isolate what is freezing, or causing the reboots? Have you disabled automatic restarts to see if you can get a blue screen? I'm not 100% sure your 460w fortron is enough for running SLI either, but I think it should be enough, and I suspect it's related more to driver issues. If it really is dirty power coming in, it's possible a UPS would help.

 

[velis]

I would place my ?0.02 on the power supply.

 

[DaveBC]

Originally posted by: velis
I would place my ?0.02 on the power supply.

ditto