Strange PC behaviour - freezing and unable to boot

[adapt132]

Hi there. This is my first time posting so I'm sorry if I break some rules.
Basically, last Saturday, my PC started to behave pretty worryingly.
But essentially it was early morning and my brother got on. Immediately I noticed the graphics card fan was very loud, but I didn't think much of it because it was an old graphics card and I simply thought I'd clean it and buy a new fan for it later in the day (it was only like 9 o' clock). About an hour later, the PC froze for a couple of seconds and later shut down and wouldn't reboot. It tried to reboot itself for like 5 minutes but to no avail. Alright, at this point I told my dad (I'm only 15) to take the computer to a local tech shop so they can troubleshoot it. Days pass until yesterday, when we finally got word from the shop telling us that the computer apparently worked fine when they tried to boot it. It was beyond confusing. Today I turned on the PC and it actually worked fine, I even played the game Hearts of Iron IV without any problems for 30 minutes - 1 hour (except the graphics card fan which was still very loud). This is behaviour I have never seen and even the tech shop had no idea what it could be.

Specs:
Intel Pentium G3260 Dual Core (3.3 GHz)
8 GB RAM
Nvidia Geforce 210
(I don't know if you need more specs but I'll find out if needed)

A couple other things to note: the graphics card I recently got (about a week or so ago) and when I first installed it the PC froze (although it was because my monitor cable wasn't put on properly and was loose and came off and I didn't notice). Then I removed the graphics card and the PC wouldn't boot up, having the exact same effect as it did on Saturday. When I put the graphics card back, the computer magically started working again.
- I've never cleaned the computer's power supply, so it could be that but I'm not sure
Is the motherboard rejecting the graphics card? I've only been having this issue ever since I got it. And if so, why did the computer work flawlessly for a week only to suddenly implode?
Please help, I'm out of ideas.

 

[Retro420]

Could be a problem with the pcie lane, try using a different one if possible. Could also be a driver issue. Sorry I don't have any idea why it's working then not, but it's worth trying different things. Could even be that the GPU is just on its way out, that is quite an old one

 

[adapt132]

Yeah, I'm thinking it's either the GPU (which the one my friend gave me is about 5-6 years old by now and it's been probably overused) or the power supply that I've never cleaned. Still, I don't know why when I first installed it the computer wouldn't boot up without the graphics card...

 

[Retro420]

Give the power supply a good clean if you can. I don't know how the 210 is powered (motherboard/6 pin/8 pin etc), but make sure everything is connected properly. Try cleaning the GPU as well if you can. Compressed air should do the job. If doesn't work, try drivers and a different pcie lane. If that still doesn't work, you might need to cut your losses and get a new GPU.

 

[mortemas]

What's the wattage on your PSU and how old is the computer? The card is not a power hog, but NVIDIA specs a minimum 300w PSU and with age a PSU can't be expected to provide the max power it was originally rated for. You might want to check the PCIE slot and the edge connector on the graphics card to make sure there's no dust bunnies - it could cause a bad connection. Also, make sure the card is fully seated. Did your system come with a graphics card? Is it supposed to work without one (integrated graphics)?

 

[mortemas]

As far as GPU fan, is it loud when just in the windows desktop without any programs or games running?

 

[adapt132]

What's the wattage on your PSU and how old is the computer? The card is not a power hog, but NVIDIA specs a minimum 300w PSU and with age a PSU can't be expected to provide the max power it was originally rated for. You might want to check the PCIE slot and the edge connector on the graphics card to make sure there's no dust bunnies - it could cause a bad connection. Also, make sure the card is fully seated. Did your system come with a graphics card? Is it supposed to work without one (integrated graphics)?

The power supply's wattage is 400W. The computer is only 2 years old, so I don't think there's a problem there either. The card IS fully seated as far as I'm aware (or else it wouldn't work normally for a week). Dust - definitely could be a problem. I've never yet cleaned the PC. And the PC didn't come with a graphics card, it has an integrated Intel HD Graphics card that I've been using for 2 years until I changed it recently.

 

[adapt132]

As far as GPU fan, is it loud when just in the windows desktop without any programs or games running?

It used to be only loud when I booted it up, but now it's loud no matter what happens. It gets a smidge louder when I played the game but that's about it.

 

[Retro420]

Definitely give it a good clean. If it has integrated graphics make sure you have selected your GPU and not the on board graphics. I know most of these answers seem trivial but it could easily be something small messing up the whole thing. Good luck with it.

 

[adapt132]

I'm 100% sure that it's using the Nvidia (or at least dxdiag says so).
But thanks fellas, I'll try all these suggestions.

 

[Retro420]

Sometimes you have to check everything, no matter how mundane, and you find that it's the tiniest thing that has ruined the whole setup. Just give everything a go and good luck.

 

[mortemas]

download GPUz and run it. Look at the "Sensors" tab. If the GPU is idle, all those numbers and percentages should be low (GPU load, Power Consumption, the clocks, etc.). If the fan is spinning and the GPU usage is low, there might be something wrong with the heatsink. If you have high usage while in windows with noithing running, maybe you have a coin mining virus or something. Also check task manager to see any apps running and the cpu usage to try and track down if something is loading your GPU.

 

[adapt132]

download GPUz and run it. Look at the "Sensors" tab. If the GPU is idle, all those numbers and percentages should be low (GPU load, Power Consumption, the clocks, etc.). If the fan is spinning and the GPU usage is low, there might be something wrong with the heatsink. If you have high usage while in windows with noithing running, maybe you have a coin mining virus or something. Also check task manager to see any apps running and the cpu usage to try and track down if something is loading your GPU.

Well, CPU usage is at 0-1% on desktop. I'm 100% sure I don't have a virus, I simply think the graphics card and power supply need a good clean since both of them have never been cleaned in years. Also, I've realized I might be using 90-100%~ of the power supply's wattage or whatever it's called, so I might have to get a better one soon. Thanks, though, I'll try it, definitely.