PC shutting off & progressively shutting off faster.

[HolyGrail]

My pc has been doing this for a few months now. The problem fixes itself temporarily if i keep the pc turned off for a week but it starts shutting off again after 2-3 days of use. At day 4, when it turns off the fastest, after pressing the power button, the lights show up for a second or two and a weird squealing sound (perhaps the sound is always there and im only hearing it because it is turning off so fast) comes from the PC and the pc turns off. If by any chance i get past the log in screen and into my desktop without the PC shutting off (some times the PC decides to turn on but it usually turns off again at the log in screen) & start up Star Wars Battlefront 2 quickly (the old 2005 one), the pc wont shut off (i usually play for 1-2 hours). But after quitting the game, the pc instantly turns off (I don't know if it will do the same for other games). My PC specs are..

-intel Core i3 550
-Intergrated Intel Hd igpu
-2GB ddr3 1333MHz transcend ram ( 1 stick)
-400W unbranded psu
-an unbranded mobo
-500GB seagate hard drive
-a samsung cd drive

I haven't overclocked the cpu and I'm running stock cpu cooler & It's very dusty in there.

Can you guys give me a solution that doesn't have me buying new parts? I don't plan on spending any more on it. Unless It's the only solution.

 

[smorizio]

with an old pc the first step i would do is pick up some new thermal paste and a new cpu cooler to start. paste going to be 10.00 and a cheap replacment cooler about the same. this rule out the cpu is overheating. for power issue download hardware info set it to logging and sensor see if the power supply rails are holding. on the power supply the rails may be good but the fan on the unit may have a bad berring and is overheating. there are sales of 400w power supplys all the time i seen them go as low as 17.00 with rebate. if you have a few friends see if one of them has a test power supply.

 

[CaptainCretin]

First thing is not the above, the first thing it to CLEAN it. All that dust will be clogging up the cooling vents and fan blades/spindles.

I am betting the squealing will be a fan that is clogged, most probably in the psu.

All that dust will also severely limit cooling, so the shutdowns will probably be thermal shut down of either the cpu or the psu.