[SOLVED] General Tech Support Question

[nickclyne]

Hi all,

Apologies if I have posted this in the wrong area. Didn't really find a general category.
Basically I'm wanting to see if there is a way to check/interpret whether my PC is in dire need of having parts replaced (if that's even possible) or basically just analyse my health check which I have linked below.

My PC is about 9 years old apprx and today it has been shutting down quite regularly. No warning, just switches off completely like I had pulled the plug. This is under very light load and according to "Speed Fan", temps were mostly in the comfortable range.
PSU is Coolermaster 850w 80 plus Silver.

I know this is a bit of a dumb/vague request. I've had it for quite a while so I would like to find out if I should just keep using it til it dies, upgrade or alter it in some way myself or take it into a specialist to have something looked at.

http://

Given the age of the motherboard, perhaps current parts wouldn't be that compatible?
Specs:


OS Name Microsoft Windows 7 Professional
Version 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601
Other OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name GIGABYTE-PC
System Manufacturer Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
System Model To be filled by O.E.M.
System Type x64-based PC
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2700K CPU @ 3.50GHz, 3901 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 8 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date American Megatrends Inc. F7, 11-May-12
SMBIOS Version 2.7
Windows Directory C:\Windows
System Directory C:\Windows\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.1.7601.24335"
User Name gigabyte-PC\gigabyte
Time Zone AUS Eastern Daylight Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 8.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 7.96 GB
Available Physical Memory 3.40 GB
Total Virtual Memory 15.9 GB
Available Virtual Memory 10.2 GB
Page File Space 7.96 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys



My main usage these days consists of web browsing and and video watching. I used to game a fair bit but mainly use my PS4 for that now.

The USB inputs no longer work which is pretty annoying so I guess I'll check on Youtube how to do that.


Any help/guidance is gratefully received.

TIA
Nick

 

[Darkbreeze]

If all you are doing is browsing the web and watching video, then that i7-2700k is still quite capable, even for gaming it would be at least marginally capable when paired with a modern graphics card. 8GB of DDR3, which is what you have, is plenty for a non-gaming and non-professional application usage machine as well.

Are you using the integrated graphics or do you have a graphics card, because I don't see any graphics information in what you posted.

Also, your link doesn't work, whatever it was supposed to be for.

How long have you had that power supply? That is the most likely culprit although with a 9 year old motherboard, the motherboard could certainly be at fault as well. If that power supply has been in use for 9 years, it's DEFINITELY time to replace it.

If you are still using the graphics on that CPU that is part of the CPU, the integrated graphics, then you might also want to consider adding a more modern but lower end graphics card that supports some video codecs that might not be supported by the graphics adapters from that era.

If changing the power supply is something you do not feel capable of doing, then finding a local systems builder or taking it to a repair shop might be you only option. Honestly, the expense of doing that might not be justified considering the age of the platform. If you're going to spend 150-250 bucks for a power supply and labor, assuming that is what the problem ends up being, that might be money better spent towards a newer system instead.

 

[nickclyne]

Hi there,

Many thanks for taking the time to respond. My graphics card is a GTX670 2GB

The link was to a System Diagnostics report but on a second look at the URL (which did not seem to post properly) I doubt it would have been able to be opened externally. I thought it might be useful for someone to look at to see if various settings etc are ok or if I have messed things up along the line. I don't know, I'm probably talking crap with that expectation. Am I?


The power supply I have had from day 1. In fact nothing has been replaced since I had the rig built. Might only be 8yrs rather than 9. Either way, having everything last as well as it has for that length of time is pretty good going I suppose.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Do you own or have access to a DVOM or analog volt meter? If not, you can find them pretty cheap at places like building centers and hardware stores, Walmart, Harbor freight or most tool stores. Nothing fancy is necessary to simply test the voltages on the power supply. If you have access to one or have one, and feel like that is something you are capable of doing along with a video tutorial that shows you exactly what to test for, then this would be helpful in determining whether the power supply was to blame or not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac7YMUcMjbw


They also sell PSU testers.

https://www.amazon.com/HDE-Power-Supply-Tester-PCI/dp/B005UZHB6G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1549213209&sr=8-3&keywords=PSU+tester

Alternatively, if you can get into windows and install HWinfo (Which I'd recommend doing in place of Speedfan anyhow, for future reference, at least for monitoring of fan speeds and full system sensor monitoring), you can take screenshots of the system voltages for 3v, 5v and 12v and post them here. Click below for detailed instructions on how to do this.

Spoiler

HWmonitor, Open hardware monitor, Realtemp, Speccy, Speedfan, Windows utilities, CPU-Z, NZXT CAM and most of the bundled motherboard utilities are often not the best choice as they are not always accurate. Some are actually grossly inaccurate, especially with certain chipsets or specific sensors that for whatever reason they tend to not like or work well with. I've found HWinfo or CoreTemp to be the MOST accurate with the broadest range of chipsets and sensors. They are also almost religiously kept up to date.

CoreTemp is great for just CPU thermals including core temps or distance to TJmax on AMD platforms.

HWinfo is great for pretty much EVERYTHING, including CPU thermals, core loads, core temps, package temps, GPU sensors, HDD and SSD sensors, motherboard chipset and VRM sensor, all of it. Always select the "Sensors only" option when running HWinfo.

In cases where it is relevant and you are seeking help, then in order to help you, it's often necessary to SEE what's going on, in the event one of us can pick something out that seems out of place, or other indicators that just can't be communicated via a text only post. In these cases, posting an image of the HWinfo sensors or something else can be extremely helpful. That may not be the case in YOUR thread, but if it is then the information at the following link will show you how to do that:

*How to post images in Tom's hardware forums



Run HWinfo and look at system voltages and other sensor readings.

Monitoring temperatures, core speeds, voltages, clock ratios and other reported sensor data can often help to pick out an issue right off the bat. HWinfo is a good way to get that data and in my experience tends to be more accurate than some of the other utilities available. CPU-Z, GPU-Z and Core Temp all have their uses but HWinfo tends to have it all laid out in a more convenient fashion so you can usually see what one sensor is reporting while looking at another instead of having to flip through various tabs that have specific groupings.

After installation, run the utility and when asked, choose "sensors only". The other window options have some use but in most cases everything you need will be located in the sensors window. If you're taking screenshots to post for troubleshooting, it will most likely require taking three screenshots and scrolling down the sensors window between screenshots in order to capture them all.

It is most helpful if you can take a series of HWinfo screenshots at idle, after a cold boot to the desktop. Open HWinfo and wait for all of the Windows startup processes to complete. Usually about four or five minutes should be plenty. Take screenshots of all the HWinfo sensors.

Next, run something demanding like Prime95 version 26.6 or Heaven benchmark. Take another set of screenshots while either of those is running so we can see what the hardware is doing while under a load.

*Download HWinfo


For temperature monitoring only, I feel Core Temp is the most accurate and also offers a quick visual reference for core speed, load and CPU voltage:

*Download Core Temp

"IF" temperature issues are relevant to your problem, especially if this is a build that has been running for a year or more, taking care of the basics first might save everybody involved a lot of time and frustration.

Check the CPU fan heatsink for dust accumulation and blow or clean out as necessary. Avoid using a vacuum if possible as vacuums are known to create static electricity that can, in some cases, zap small components.

Other areas that may benefit from a cleaning include fans, power supply internals, storage and optical drives, the motherboard surfaces and RAM. Keeping the inside of your rig clean is a high priority and should be done on a regular basis using 90 psi or lower compressed air from a compressor or compressed canned air.

Use common sense based on what PSU your compressor is set to. Don't "blast" your motherboard or hardware to pieces. Start from an adequate distance until you can judge what is enough to just get the job done. When using canned air use only short blasts moving from place to place frequently to avoid "frosting" components.