Computer reboots without a BSoD, Automatic Restarts turned off.

Evojin

Honorable
Sep 11, 2013
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10,510
First time posting here so if this is on the wrong forum I apologize.

I built my desktop over 2 years ago and it has been working great. About a week ago I started to get a couple BSoD a week, so reformatted the computer(Windows 7 64bit). After the reformat I started to reboot/restart without having a BSoD pop up. Not knowing what to do I took it to the local PC shop so they could run diagnostic tests on it. They ran it for 2 days straight, put it through a full hardware sweep and tested the parts individually. None of the components failed and they could not replicate the restarts.

So I took the computer home and within 5 minutes of opening Diablo 3 my computer reboots again. Thinking it may be a harddrive/software issue I decided to upgrade my HDD to a SSD. It still reboots.

Computer Specs
-OS Windows 7 64bit
-Motherboard MSI P55-GD80
-CPU Intel i5-760
-PSU Cool Masters 700w extreme power plus
-Nvidia Geforce 460 GTX
-Ram 8gigs
-SSD Sandisk 128g Ultra Plus

I really do not know why the computer is restarting itself. The computer passed all diagnostics at the store but failed the moment I started playing a game at home. So as a last ditch effort I am going to buy a new PSU and if that doesn't fix it a new Motherboard. I have "Prefer Max Performance" checked in Nvidia Control Panel. I have only noticed it reboot while playing WoW and Diablo 3.

tl;dr Computer is rebooting and I don't know why. All hardware passed a diagnostic test.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

~Regarding temps. It usually restarts within 10 minutes of launching a game, so I don't think it has time to overheat. Using RealTemp the highest I have ever seen it go was 70.
~I just remembered, that right when the computer restarted there was an audible "pop" like someone pulling out a cord out of a socket.
 
Solution


Hi, because it only happens in games it is most likely graphics card related.
Try to update your drivers, and monitor your temperatures during gameplay and see if it goes over 75C.
I dont think you should get a new PSU. Does it happen in any other games?


Hi, because it only happens in games it is most likely graphics card related.
Try to update your drivers, and monitor your temperatures during gameplay and see if it goes over 75C.
I dont think you should get a new PSU. Does it happen in any other games?
 
Solution
It`s just a though, but when you say the computer shop tested all the parts.
Did they do a load test on the power supply.
What I mean by this is did they run a cpu burn in test.
And did they when performing the tests run a game ect.

Because without doing that you cannot check to see if the Psu is at fault.
where it looks like it is since more power is required from the Psu when you start to play a game.

This would confirm the case if the computer works fine when just in windows or doing something like a word document ect.
I bet they never did or tryed a power load test of the Psu to see if it became unstable when high demand was required of it.
Ask them if they say no we never tested it running a game, and it crashes when you play a game it`s a safe bet to say the Psu.

The other post is also correct if the temp of the graphics card gets too hot it will cause a shutdown of the system to protect the gpu from burn out and exibit blue screens of death.
So check the temps of the card when playing a game.
 
Driver or RAM problems would likely cause BSODs or other crashes. Restarts are often power-related. Your old CM "Extreme" PSU is only a step or two above junk. If the voltage out of the wall at your house is different than (perhaps ~10V lower) the voltage at the shop, you might have a problem and they wouldn't.
Your system would run well on a quality 500W PSU. A Seasonic-built unit (their own, XFX, some Antec, some Corsair) would be a good choice. Rosewill Capstone PSUs are also good. The Corsair "CX" units are not good unless it is a modular version; the non-modular ones use some inferior Samxon capacitors that don't like heat and are known for early failure.

 


They tested my graphics card and there were no red flags. I don't know how hot it got but the computer usually restarts within 10 minutes of launching a game, so I do not think it has enough time to get hot.