Weird crashing...

[Drolith]

ok I'll start off by listing my hardware(all of this minus the WD HDs are new, as of a few days):
mobo: Gigabyte GA-M750SLI-DS4
CPU:AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Windsor
HDs:250gb Seagate, 70gb WD raptor, 160gb WD caviar
GPU:EVGA 9800GTX
PSU: Enermax Pro82+ 625W
Memory: 2x2gb G.skill DDR1066

Problem: The problem is when I play CERTAIN games the computer just shuts off. Right now I have a range of games installed...just a few due to this issue. Diablo 2, Counter Strike: Source, Warhammer Online, Civ4, Crysis Warhead.

Diablo 2 and Crysis (oldest and newest games I have installed) shut my computer off at certain points. Crysis shuts off at a cut scene in the first level or around that point, and Diablo 2 shuts off after about 5 minutes of attacking enemies. Counter strike, warhammer and civ4 run without error.

Solutions tried:
Overheating is not an issue, I've monitored all temperatures they are fine.
Drivers, I've updated all drivers (even reverted to the GPU cd drivers)
Bios has been updated
Memtest+ completed 8 passes without error
CPU tests ran...fine
minor GPU tests ran...fine
PSU voltages seem fine
Windows update ***note*** BEFORE a series of windows update D2 and crysis crashed at a MUCH earlier point. D2 would crash seconds after attacking an enemy, crysis within the first cutscene or level.
I'm using an Updated SP2...SP3 wont install for whatever reason.

How the windows update prolonged the crash by minutes...I am clueless. Only hardware issue I can think of is my memory being at 1066 but is downclocked to 800 due to the processor not being an AM2+ (AM2+ would then support the 1066...didn't know that fact when I made the purchase). Yet Memtest seemed fine...so It might be GPU memory or, when the GPU tries to use system memory it fails somehow...anyway I am uncertain so here I am.

Previous ERROR which may help. When I was first putting this system together. Windows was shutting down while trying to boot the OS or shortly after boot. So I took out one of my sticks of memory and it then worked fine there after...so I thought either bad DIMM or bad memory so I switched the one stick with the supposedly bad one and it still worked fine. I then took the two sticks to the two right DIMM (believing that one slot was bad) slots instead of the two left DIMM slots and windows seemed to remain stable. This would leave me to believe possibly Mobo issues...or memory...yet like I said memtest ran fine. ???

 

[Atheus]

Just shuts down and reboots? Gotta be some kid of instability... you sure about those voltages?

 

[mpilchfamily]

If a system just out right shuts down out of the blue then its a PSU issue. The PSU will shut off if it is unable to handle the load being placed on it. Its a safty feature to prevent damage to the system. So what you need is a new and better PSU.

 

[Drolith]

My power supply should be more than adequate...Enermax is one of the best brands, and it is 80+ certified.
volts sit at:
+3.3v:3.34v
+5v:6.85v
+12v:12.29v

And yes it does just shut down, no reboot.

 

[Frankdaatank24]

I know this is a dumb question, but did you do a clean install of XP? You said you were using original drives, and if you just reinstalled all your drivers over the existing ones that could be a problem. There might be conflicting drivers still in the registry.

But whether or not you did a clean install or not, I would do a clean install again anyways. Not being able to install SP 3 is a huge security issue, and I am willing to bet doing a clean install will fix your problems.

 

[Drolith]

yeah with the new hardware came a clean format of all drives and new install. One thing I considered was a corrupt file but wasn't too sure. I can try a clean install and see what happens...just sucks .

See the weird thing is I can sit in Diablo 2 for hours but once I go to attack an enemy boom computer shuts down (which leads me to think GPU memory might be weird)...anyway I'm doing a clean install and we will see what happens.

 

[Drolith]

ok well I reformatted all drives, and reinstalled windows on a separate drive just in case that new drive was bad...runs fine all day and night, gaming and everything. Then I come home and it is off...try to boot it up and it shuts down trying to load windows. At this point I'm confused so I have a hunch it is the g-card so I just take it out and hook up my monitor to the onboard video and it boots up fine and is currently running well so I'm going to send this card back, and see if a new one fixes it. If not then my last guess is the MoBo is FUBAR. Everything else is testing fine.