Computer freezes after a few minutes of playing 3D games

[Shemashko]

I've been having troubles with playing games on my computer. They all worked before until recently. I played skyrim for a few minutes and then it just froze and I was not able to go to the task manager. I tried a few low-end games, RUSE froze and then Civilization 4 froze on me also. I'm starting to think it might be a PSU problem as I don't encounter any graphical artifacts when it freezes. I've updated drivers, checked if all the fans were working. I'm not too sure of where the problem is.

Here are my specs:
Windows 7 64-bit
AMD Phenom 9950 quad core 2.6ghz
Saphire ATi Radeon 4850 512mb
8Gb DDR2 RAM

 

[alishathomaz]

Perform the following tasks::

Run your antivirus program.
Run some good spyware removal tool.
Update Windows and drivers.
Run Check Disk.
Remove Disk Fragmentation.
Run Disk Cleanup.
Delete Registry Errors.

 

[rorouni]

Check CPU usage (is it high)?
check memory usage (is it high)?
how does your fan behave? (very fast)?
your hard disc (is it noisy)?

given above are the most common troubleshooting task. that would help a lot
you can also try to restore your computer when it was still working properly..
i love skyrim(elder scrolls). wish you luck!

 

[venjhammet]

Try checking your CPU and GPU temp during gaming could be overheating.

 

[Shemashko]

MY CPU and GPU temps while playing games are at 55 for cpu and 75 for the GPU when it freezes up. They seem to be normal temperatures.

 

[Shemashko]

I just recently tried to open the box and use a home fan on it and I can run games now. It must be a GPU overheating. Compressed air to clean the dust will do the trick right?

 

[rorouni]

I just recently tried to open the box and use a home fan on it and I can run games now. It must be a GPU overheating. Compressed air to clean the dust will do the trick right?

now you find out,, cleaning might help but also check other system neccesity, your cooling system might not be enough
for your gaming requirement,, enhance or upgrade your cooling system... you said your gpu run about 75 for me that is high..

 

[AntiZig]

make sure that no fans died, and monitor your temperatures while gaming, always. It will show you which games put more strain on your system and also show you if you need to do something about your cooling. Maybe add fans, maybe think about rearranging things, etc

 

[Shemashko]

Will consider cleaning the fans and a new cooling system, thanks for the help!