Help Diagnosing PC problem(most likely hardware related)

[wajahath]

I'm not certain if it is hardware related, but from what research I've done most people attribute my symptoms with hardware. It's be fantastic if there was a software fix, but I'm not sure of any.

The problem with my pc is that it keeps shutting off under heavy loads. Specifically games. I use other pretty heavy software like autodesk maya and adobe premiere, but none of these cause my pc to completely shut down.
Its not a blue screen, my pc just shuts down.
I mostly play skyrim and it happens at random. Sometimes I can play for a couple hours without disturbance and then I crash, sometimes it takes 5 minutes
Sometimes its during loading phases of the game, other times its while I'm mid battle.

I've cleaned out my pc, added new thermal paste, made sure fans were working properly, and it still happens. It happens on other games other than Skyrim as well, such as fornite, although some games I have never crashed on like Paladins.

Some attribute my symptons to graphic card issues but I've reinstalled drivers countless times
Others attribute to PSU, I thought my psu would work fine, it had good reviews...

I've downloaded MSI afterburner to try to diagnose it. The temps on both my CPU and GPU look fine, especially after replacing thermal paste on CPU.
Here is my build, is there anyway I can diagnose software or hardware in order to find out the problem?
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/KCQDdC

 

[kiss-method]

It would be your power supply. A video card will not turn off your PC, screen would go dark and the PC would run.

I suggest you look if you still have warranty on your unit and claim an RMA. You can try and buy better parts to avoid this, but crap happens, things break. Just because it's better hardware doesn't mean it's unbreakable.

As for replacement, I would recommend EVGA G2 unit, you can do 550-650w unit

 

[wajahath]

It would be your power supply. A video card will not turn off your PC, screen would go dark and the PC would run.

I suggest you look if you still have warranty on your unit and claim an RMA. You can try and buy better parts to avoid this, but crap happens, things break. Just because it's better hardware doesn't mean it's unbreakable.

As for replacement, I would recommend EVGA G2 unit, you can do 550-650w unit

Thanks for the reply, do you know of any possible way to test the psu. Like and software tool to run that can help me verify that the psu is the problem, cause I don't wanna spend a lot of money on a new psu just to find out later its my motherboard or someother piece that was the problem.

 

[kiss-method]

There is software to "help" diagnose further. But it'll be checking only voltages (which is usually more than enough to give you an idea). Hardware monitor (that's the name) is an easy and understandable program to use. I'm going to include a link for this test, it's a post from a few years back, scroll down to the solved answer selection and follow that guide. One note on that guide, Do NOT use furmark if you value your graphics card. On top of this, you have a 5 year warranty with your power supply manufacturer (I checked), so if you would have your receipt, you could call em up, but the swap will end up taking 3 weeks (that's what it took for me, but I Live in Canada and Corsair RMA service was in California, if you live in the States it'll likely be faster)



You could try and smell your power supply.... See if it smells burnt.


But as you said, when you're playing games it shuts off. Why? Unstable power. To me it's quite clear, but it's always good to double check because there is a small chance of it being something else. I would also Reseat the power plugs on the motherboard for cpu (top left), 24 pin on mid right, and the graphics card plug. Maybe a plug is not making a good contact and with heat/use it could be causing issues, so recheck those as well.


Here's that link

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/290251-28-testing-stability

 

[wajahath]

There is software to "help" diagnose further. But it'll be checking only voltages (which is usually more than enough to give you an idea). Hardware monitor (that's the name) is an easy and understandable program to use. I'm going to include a link for this test, it's a post from a few years back, scroll down to the solved answer selection and follow that guide. One note on that guide, Do NOT use furmark if you value your graphics card. On top of this, you have a 5 year warranty with your power supply manufacturer (I checked), so if you would have your receipt, you could call em up, but the swap will end up taking 3 weeks (that's what it took for me, but I Live in Canada and Corsair RMA service was in California, if you live in the States it'll likely be faster)



You could try and smell your power supply.... See if it smells burnt.


But as you said, when you're playing games it shuts off. Why? Unstable power. To me it's quite clear, but it's always good to double check because there is a small chance of it being something else. I would also Reseat the power plugs on the motherboard for cpu (top left), 24 pin on mid right, and the graphics card plug. Maybe a plug is not making a good contact and with heat/use it could be causing issues, so recheck those as well.


Here's that link

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/290251-28-testing-stability

thanks I appreciate it. I made a support ticket yesterday for the warranty, hopefully I can get it.

 

[wajahath]

There is software to "help" diagnose further. But it'll be checking only voltages (which is usually more than enough to give you an idea). Hardware monitor (that's the name) is an easy and understandable program to use. I'm going to include a link for this test, it's a post from a few years back, scroll down to the solved answer selection and follow that guide. One note on that guide, Do NOT use furmark if you value your graphics card. On top of this, you have a 5 year warranty with your power supply manufacturer (I checked), so if you would have your receipt, you could call em up, but the swap will end up taking 3 weeks (that's what it took for me, but I Live in Canada and Corsair RMA service was in California, if you live in the States it'll likely be faster)



You could try and smell your power supply.... See if it smells burnt.


But as you said, when you're playing games it shuts off. Why? Unstable power. To me it's quite clear, but it's always good to double check because there is a small chance of it being something else. I would also Reseat the power plugs on the motherboard for cpu (top left), 24 pin on mid right, and the graphics card plug. Maybe a plug is not making a good contact and with heat/use it could be causing issues, so recheck those as well.


Here's that link

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/290251-28-testing-stability

Hey I was trying out the software you offered, because I got a message back from the company asking me to double check(trying to make sure it is the psu that is the problem) and the software HWmonitor has every section but a battery monitoring section when I turn it on. I looked up video and mine doesn't have the battery section indicated in the videos that has the 12V that was being discussed in the guide thread. Any suggestions?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yxvGBA6-q4o8KW1h3npOV4t_jbWSRVZL/view?usp=sharing

 

[wajahath]

There is software to "help" diagnose further. But it'll be checking only voltages (which is usually more than enough to give you an idea). Hardware monitor (that's the name) is an easy and understandable program to use. I'm going to include a link for this test, it's a post from a few years back, scroll down to the solved answer selection and follow that guide. One note on that guide, Do NOT use furmark if you value your graphics card. On top of this, you have a 5 year warranty with your power supply manufacturer (I checked), so if you would have your receipt, you could call em up, but the swap will end up taking 3 weeks (that's what it took for me, but I Live in Canada and Corsair RMA service was in California, if you live in the States it'll likely be faster)



You could try and smell your power supply.... See if it smells burnt.


But as you said, when you're playing games it shuts off. Why? Unstable power. To me it's quite clear, but it's always good to double check because there is a small chance of it being something else. I would also Reseat the power plugs on the motherboard for cpu (top left), 24 pin on mid right, and the graphics card plug. Maybe a plug is not making a good contact and with heat/use it could be causing issues, so recheck those as well.


Here's that link

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/290251-28-testing-stability

Actually I just fond a diffrent software to run the test on that works with my mother board sensors. When i ran the test, the Voltage seemed perfectly fine almost unmoving. The cpu was exceptionaly high in certain sections hitting critical temperature, which is odd. When I use Msi afterburner to test the cpu never fluctuates that High and I recently chenged the thermal paste

I've tried it a second time, The actual Cpu collumn under my mother board is completely fine at 39 degrees solid, but some of the other cpu sections have rows like Cpu Package thats at 99 C and some of the cores are at 99 C and some are thermal throttling(idk what that means, its just marked in red). And yet the overall cpu section at the motherboard is fine, moreever the Voltage at the mother board is unmoving, well above 12V, in the first section, very stable.
I have no idea what this information means.


New info; looking at the collums, Current, Minimum, Maximum, Average, the Average and Minimumof the critical sections are fine. The average lies at 50-75C. But the Maximum is at 100C and most of the Currents are also at 100C.
What does this mean? Does it mean the CPU temp is flucuating really fast if its jumping from the minimum of 50 to the max of a 100? Or is something wrong with the sensors, because during the test the current section always displayed the max 100C and never showed me the minimum of 50 or 60 C?





yo, I know this a lot, but I just wanna keep this up-to-date. I did some research on this and found a thread talking about my exact problem with core overheating. The thread suggested that it was actually the version of prime95 that was bugged and linked to a diffrent version of prime95. I stressed test this one and the temp levels have drastically decreased, none of them reaching 100C which was the case before. Again the motherboard cpu is at 30C or something as its always been. But the core cpu are now much lower many of them in the 60-85C range. The CpuPackages row did creep into the 90C range, but none of them touched 100C

and no I have no idea what to do or what leads to follow, because the Voltage is still very stagnant and stable, with healthy ranges.

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

Overheating another possibility that springs to mind --- that'll cause sudden shutdowns, a classic symptom.

 

[kiss-method]

Try running prime 95 and have a look at how your cpu temperatures are with hw monitor or motherboard utility. You said you reapplied thermal paste and that temps were much better, how did you check that afterwards? Running prime 95 would be the proper way to do it

You said your voltages are well above 12v? How high? There is over voltage protection too. It should not exceed 12.5~7v depending on the unit (manufacture spec, can be found on the sticker that is on the power supply, get to it later)



Take it at your pace, there is alot of info. Your PSU ticket should be good for 21 days anyway, don't rush yourself. Shutting down under loads with good temps is pointing to PSU, but since you found some spikes, you need to check your thermals again with proper software. Are you using the stock cpu cooler that came with the cpu?

 

[wajahath]

Try running prime 95 and have a look at how your cpu temperatures are with hw monitor or motherboard utility. You said you reapplied thermal paste and that temps were much better, how did you check that afterwards? Running prime 95 would be the proper way to do it

You said your voltages are well above 12v? How high? There is over voltage protection too. It should not exceed 12.5~7v depending on the unit (manufacture spec, can be found on the sticker that is on the power supply, get to it later)



Take it at your pace, there is alot of info. Your PSU ticket should be good for 21 days anyway, don't rush yourself. Shutting down under loads with good temps is pointing to PSU, but since you found some spikes, you need to check your thermals again with proper software. Are you using the stock cpu cooler that came with the cpu?

I ran some prime95 tests yesterday. Today I did em again and wrote down the exact data that might have relevance to this problem.

First off my Voltage still seems stagnant and in a very healthy range;
Current: 12.355, Max:12.355, Min: 12.355 Average: 12.355
Current: 3.376 Max: 3.376 Min: 3.392 Average: 3.381
Current: 5.088 Max: 5.088 Mine:5.122 Average: 5.088
Current: 3.424 Max: 3.424 Mine: 3.440 Average: 3.427


According to the Thread linked above regarding Prime95 tests for Voltage, those seem very stable and in healthy ranges.

However I did find a problem with particulat Cpu sections, not all but a few were showing red critical highlights.

Core#0 99C red critical
Core#1 97C Red Critical
Cores 2 and 3 seemed fine or at least not in a critical red highlight, thought I would include their temps anyways
Core 2 88C
Core3 86C

These rows were also in red:
Cpu Package 99C
Core Max 99C
Core 0 Throttling; yes
Package/Ring Thermal Throttling; yes
Cpu Package 99C
Cpu UIA Cores 99C

This is all even more odd because the Cpu temps listed under the Motherboard section are completely fine; stable 39C
Which I think is the number MSI afterburner would always show me when I was looking to see if the CPu or GPU was overheating during games.


I am using a stock cooler.

 

[kiss-method]

You should make sure that the fan for the cpu cooler is plugged in as well as reapply thermal paste, you could have some air pockets.

It would be good to try and use another program to confirm temps. Try "core temp" program to confirm readings while checking temps through mobo software or other

 

[wajahath]

You should make sure that the fan for the cpu cooler is plugged in as well as reapply thermal paste, you could have some air pockets.

It would be good to try and use another program to confirm temps. Try "core temp" program to confirm readings while checking temps through mobo software or other

I just ran prime95 against core temp, and it said all 4 of the cpu's were under 100% load and their temps grew until they stagnated at around
Core #0 95
Core#1 91
Core#2 83
Core#4 82


I'm presuming this is very dangerous and that there is something wrong with my cooling system, I'm open up my case, check the plugs and if needed reapply thermal paste and reinstall the stock fan.

 

[wajahath]

You should make sure that the fan for the cpu cooler is plugged in as well as reapply thermal paste, you could have some air pockets.

It would be good to try and use another program to confirm temps. Try "core temp" program to confirm readings while checking temps through mobo software or other

yo I just got done re applying thermal paste and reinstalling the fan. The difference is huge when I stress test it. So far with the two diffrent tests I've done with both Core Temp and HwInfo, both tests showed that the cores that had previously been in the 100C were now in the 60-70C, although the longer the tests lasted slowly the number was creeping up higher and higher, is that normal?

I'm load up some games and see if the crashing problem is fixed, I'll update soon.

 

[wajahath]

Yo, this goose chase has lead me back to where i started.

Although the cpu temps are in now much safter temps(max ive seen is 82c under prime95), the video game Skyrim still shuts the whole pc down and then it reboots again.
If its the psu i sure cant tell by the stress tests because they seem solid, any chance they are inaccurate?
Any ideas?

 

[wajahath]

Anybody got any ideas?
I redownloaded Fortnite and played it for a little bit and so far I no longer have the pc shut down I use to have. But skyrim still shuts down after 5-10 mins of play or if I go into load screens.