I've just finished my first home built machine, and am having stability problems that seem to relate to the power supply.
Here are the specs:
PSU: Antec NEO HE 550W
running
Case: Antec P180
Mobo: Asus P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6400
CPU Fan: Zalman CNPS9500
RAM: 2GB Corsair DDR2 800 (PC 6400)
GPU: Geforce 7950GX2 (Gigabyte)
Monitor: Dell 2407FPW (24" LCD)
Sound: Creative X-Fi Platinum (Card and 5.25" front)
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (320 MB)
DVD: Nec 16x DVD/CD R/W
Floppy: NEC 3.5"
Fans: 4 x 120mm
Everything booted on the first run, and all drivers installed without difficulty. On the mobo, I have disabled onboard audio (because of the XFi), onboard gameport, and the onboard LAN (I'm still on dialup . . . don't ask!) Device manager looks smooth, and there are no apparent problems with the configuration.
Everything works fine in normal, non-gaming usage: fast, precise, very good. My CPU temp at idle is 35C; my GPU temp at idle is 55C - 60C.
However, in games, after a short period of time, the machine shuts down: slowing, then a frozen screen with looping sound. Oblivion shuts down after 2 - 3 minutes in the first location; Pacific Fighters takes longer to shut down, but will do so fairly quickly; even Galciv2 shuts down after about 5 minutes of play. Setting video options lower extends the times before freezing, but it still freezes.
I did some careful temperature checking during the short periods that I can use a game. My CPU temp rises to 37C, and my GPU to 65 - 70, nothing alarming, but in truth I can't run the games for too long before freezing: these are readings after only 2 - 3 minutes and an exit. Still, I don't think that it's a temperature problem.
Rebooting after a freeze usually works fine, although I will occasionally get a BSOD during Windows logon, with a "MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION" error. I have occasionally had to boot into safe mode, then restore, but in general it will go to where I want it to go.
I've been scanning these boards, and this sounds like a power supply problem. So my question:
Is 550W simply not enough for this rig? Are my symptoms the result of inadequate power? Or is there something else that I should check? If it is the PSU, I'm ready to spring for a more powerful unit: but how much more should I go? and do you have any recommendations?
Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it,
Alex
Here are the specs:
PSU: Antec NEO HE 550W
running
Case: Antec P180
Mobo: Asus P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6400
CPU Fan: Zalman CNPS9500
RAM: 2GB Corsair DDR2 800 (PC 6400)
GPU: Geforce 7950GX2 (Gigabyte)
Monitor: Dell 2407FPW (24" LCD)
Sound: Creative X-Fi Platinum (Card and 5.25" front)
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (320 MB)
DVD: Nec 16x DVD/CD R/W
Floppy: NEC 3.5"
Fans: 4 x 120mm
Everything booted on the first run, and all drivers installed without difficulty. On the mobo, I have disabled onboard audio (because of the XFi), onboard gameport, and the onboard LAN (I'm still on dialup . . . don't ask!) Device manager looks smooth, and there are no apparent problems with the configuration.
Everything works fine in normal, non-gaming usage: fast, precise, very good. My CPU temp at idle is 35C; my GPU temp at idle is 55C - 60C.
However, in games, after a short period of time, the machine shuts down: slowing, then a frozen screen with looping sound. Oblivion shuts down after 2 - 3 minutes in the first location; Pacific Fighters takes longer to shut down, but will do so fairly quickly; even Galciv2 shuts down after about 5 minutes of play. Setting video options lower extends the times before freezing, but it still freezes.
I did some careful temperature checking during the short periods that I can use a game. My CPU temp rises to 37C, and my GPU to 65 - 70, nothing alarming, but in truth I can't run the games for too long before freezing: these are readings after only 2 - 3 minutes and an exit. Still, I don't think that it's a temperature problem.
Rebooting after a freeze usually works fine, although I will occasionally get a BSOD during Windows logon, with a "MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION" error. I have occasionally had to boot into safe mode, then restore, but in general it will go to where I want it to go.
I've been scanning these boards, and this sounds like a power supply problem. So my question:
Is 550W simply not enough for this rig? Are my symptoms the result of inadequate power? Or is there something else that I should check? If it is the PSU, I'm ready to spring for a more powerful unit: but how much more should I go? and do you have any recommendations?
Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it,
Alex