# PC Randomly restarts while playing games



## OxygenBr (Jan 27, 2016)

Hello everyone, at first i would like to apologize for my "bad" english  

So, recently I've been having an issue with my computer where he randomly shuts down and restart. (PC shuts down, stay for about 2 to 3 seconds off, then power up again by itself)
I've been doing some research to figure this thing out and so far it seems the most likely i have a faulty GPU, PSU, or RAM. Also, I should mention that the random restarts only occur when I am playing games.
At first I thought it was the RAM , so I scanned it with memtest86 for about 25 hours straight (all the 13 different RAM testing algorithms), and no errors were found. My GPU apparently is normal, 
there is no overheating or showing artifacts, same thing for the CPU. 

I've already reinstalled the GPU Driver with DDU; Cleaned my entire rig; installed some exhaust fans, but none of that works. 

The PC restarts even if the game is old, like RACE DRIVER GRID (The PC restarts minutes after the game being open) or I can play hours before rebooting (Like GTAV or CSGO). 


My config is: 16GB DDR3 (2x8GB Corsair Vengeance)
Intel 4770 cooled by Corsair H75
Gigabyte Z87X-D3H
EVGA ACX GTX780 FTW
All of that powered by an Zalman ZM700GX and running W7 Ultimate 64 Bits

I am 99% convinced that something is really wrong, but I need to be sure before I go spending any unnecessary money, since PC parts are really expensive where i live.
I'm looking forward to your responses, everyone. 
If you need any other info, just say it.
Thank you!


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Hi and Welcome to TSF!

Where did you acquire Windows 7 Ultimate?

Inside the BIOS, what are the 12V, 3.3V, 5V, and VCORE voltages?


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## OxygenBr (Jan 27, 2016)

Hi there! 
I bought an original copy from a local store;

3.3V = 3.324V
5V = 5.100V
12v = 11.952V
CPU Vcore = 1.128V


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Let's take a look at your system temperatures. Follow this guide here:

How to check your system temperatures - Tech Support Forum


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## _nobody_ (Jan 1, 2016)

Couple of hints.

[1] Do reset BIOS. Please, plug-out your power cord, wait for a good minute, then take out coin battery, for a good minute, then do in reverse order (put back battery, then plug-in power cord). This should bring your BIOS to default.

[2] If this does not work, please, go to BIOS, and disable turbo mode.

If this all does not work, I'll give you the new instructions. One instruction (for beginning two) at the time. :whistling:

_nobody_


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## OxygenBr (Jan 27, 2016)

Masterchiefxx17 said:


> Let's take a look at your system temperatures. Follow this guide here:
> How to check your system temperatures - Tech Support Forum


Sorry for the late response, I was at work/college.
But here you go: 
About 15 Mins of Idling/Web Browsing









About 15 Mins of GTA V gameplay















_nobody_ said:


> Couple of hints.
> 
> [1] Do reset BIOS. Please, plug-out your power cord, wait for a good minute, then take out coin battery, for a good minute, then do in reverse order (put back battery, then plug-in power cord). This should bring your BIOS to default.
> 
> ...


[1] - Didnt work. PC restarted while playing;

[2] - Turbo mode would be the INTEL TURBO BOOST TECHNOLOGY?


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## _nobody_ (Jan 1, 2016)

OxygenBr said:


> About 15 Mins of GTA V gameplay
> http://i.imgur.com/wJMB0Nc.png


Your CORE Temp. (Haswell I7: Intel® Coreâ„¢ i7-4770 Processor (8M Cache, up to 3.90 GHz) Specifications) is All Good, as I see.

If I correctly recall. Junction Temp. on HSW DT skus are ~ +105C (or maybe +95C, but NOT less), TDP ~ 90W.



OxygenBr said:


> [2] - Turbo mode would be the INTEL TURBO BOOST TECHNOLOGY?


Yes, it would, wouldn't it? :whistling:
_______

*Jesus Christus, your GPU is burning... @ max +80C, and power consuption @ max. is 97.73%... This is the (ad-hoc estimation) 99% failing!* :banghead:

Please, immediately disable Turbo Boost! And tell/show us after 30 minutes the same table! :grin:

_nobody_


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## satrow (Feb 4, 2012)

CPU temps are fine, no need to mess with turbo settings for the CPU.

Nvidia give 95C as the maximum for that GPU, the default temp. _target_ being 79C, though I would suggest using PrecisionX to increase the fan speed curve and reduce the temperature target - or remove any overclock settings, set it up as per the defaults for a stock GTX 780 during testing.


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## OxygenBr (Jan 27, 2016)

_nobody_ said:


> Your CORE Temp. (Haswell I7: Intel® Coreâ„¢ i7-4770 Processor (8M Cache, up to 3.90 GHz) Specifications) is All Good, as I see.
> 
> If I correctly recall. Junction Temp. on HSW DT skus are ~ +105C (or maybe +95C, but NOT less), TDP ~ 90W.
> 
> ...


But, why disable Turbo Boost if the CPU temps are fine? 
Also, 80c for the GPU it's "ok". I think that 95~100c its the maximum temp for de GTX780; And i live in a tropical country, so its REALLY hot in here. (Almost 40c in the day, and 29c at night) :sad:






satrow said:


> CPU temps are fine, no need to mess with turbo settings for the CPU.
> 
> Nvidia give 95C as the maximum for that GPU, the default temp. _target_ being 79C, though I would suggest using PrecisionX to increase the fan speed curve and reduce the temperature target - or remove any overclock settings, set it up as per the defaults for a stock GTX 780 during testing.


I am using MSI Afterburner to control my custom curve, and the GTX 780 its already in default settings.
My guess is that the power supply cannot deliver the requested power to the GPU or something; But I am not sure if that's correct, because sometimes I can play normally, but on other days, its almost impossible.


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## satrow (Feb 4, 2012)

Ok, if you're sure the GPU is at stock settings, the next thing to check is that the airflow in the case is enough to prevent any 'pooling' of hot air around the GPU that just recycles back through the GPU cooling fans, causing an accelerated heat buildup.

(A better option for hot climates/smaller cases might be the non-ACX 'blower' type GPU coolers that push hot air out through the back PCI slots.)

Test with the side off the case and a household fan blowing into the case,


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## OxygenBr (Jan 27, 2016)

satrow said:


> Ok, if you're sure the GPU is at stock settings, the next thing to check is that the airflow in the case is enough to prevent any 'pooling' of hot air around the GPU that just recycles back through the GPU cooling fans, causing an accelerated heat buildup.
> 
> (A better option for hot climates/smaller cases might be the non-ACX 'blower' type GPU coolers that push hot air out through the back PCI slots.)
> 
> Test with the side off the case and a household fan blowing into the case,


Gonna try that.
My friend also said to unplug the GPU, and use the onboard video and see if reboots while gaming (RACE DRIVER GRID, because the game cant even pass the menus without rebooting my pc), going to try that too.


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## _nobody_ (Jan 1, 2016)

OxygenBr said:


> Also, 80c for the GPU it's "ok". I think that 95~100c its the maximum temp for de GTX780; *And i live in a tropical country, so its REALLY hot in here. (Almost 40c in the day, and 29c at night)* :sad:


This elevates this problem. Which is good, since even in these circumstances it should work uninterruptible. 



OxygenBr said:


> My friend also said to unplug the GPU, and use the onboard video and see if reboots while gaming (RACE DRIVER GRID, because the game cant even pass the menus without rebooting my pc), going to try that too.


Very good idea (for the test). :thumb: Although INTEL GFX socks. Not ment for high profile arcade games. :nonono:
_______

BTW, I did not read that you already tried sans/without Turbo Boost?! Why? It is very simplistic test. Any problem with this? :uhoh:

_nobody_


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## OxygenBr (Jan 27, 2016)

_nobody_ said:


> This elevates this problem. Which is good, since even in these circumstances it should work uninterruptible.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I've deactivated the Turbo boost. Didn't work.
Removed the GPU and 1 stick of RAM; Worked
Inserted the 2nd RAM stick; Worked
Inserted the GPU; Reboot. 

BUT. Seconds before the reboot, i've managed to hear some coil whine in the GPU, and when I looked to the FPS COUNTER, the FPS was high as a kite (almost 650fps).

So I thought; What if I limit the frames per second ? So I did it, by RivaTuner ( I limited to 150fps ) ;

Next result was : Opened up the game ; Game got "stuck" at 150fps , without restarting . Tested over and over again (tonight I will test other games and see if it works 100%) .
Now.. Why the coil whine/high fps was making my PC restart?
It's the power supply that can't deliver enough energy when the GPU is at its "peak"? :banghead:


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## OxygenBr (Jan 27, 2016)

I cant edit, so: quick update:

Limit the FPS was a workaround, but the PC keeps rebooting in heavier games
:angry:


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## satrow (Feb 4, 2012)

If it reboots with the side panel off and a household fan blowing air in, it's pretty sure to be the PSU - but do you know someone who could safely test your GFX card for you to rule that out?


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## OxygenBr (Jan 27, 2016)

satrow said:


> If it reboots with the side panel off and a household fan blowing air in, it's pretty sure to be the PSU - but do you know someone who could safely test your GFX card for you to rule that out?



Tomorrow I will try the household fan blowing air inside the PC;

And nah, i can't test it anywhere. I do have a friend who owns a gaming pc too, but its not so powerful like mine, his power supply its a little weak for the 780. (450w I guess).
But since I locked the FPS in RiveTuner, the PC seems to be really stable.


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## OxygenBr (Jan 27, 2016)

Tried the fan blowing air inside the PC; Didn't worked. 
PC restarted while playing APB :banghead:


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## satrow (Feb 4, 2012)

It sounds like it'e time to spend money 

I'm still not sure which component is faulting though, is there a Mom and Pop type computer store nearby? Maybe a local college/school that might have an IT person there?


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## OxygenBr (Jan 27, 2016)

satrow said:


> It sounds like it'e time to spend money
> 
> I'm still not sure which component is faulting though, is there a Mom and Pop type computer store nearby? Maybe a local college/school that might have an IT person there?


Nope. That's i'm affraid. 
Buy new PSU; GPU is broken.
Buy new GPU; PSU is broken.


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## _nobody_ (Jan 1, 2016)

Have no idea what the problem with Ur PC is. From now on, I'll ask you the things which seem whatsoever crazy, e.g. without any visible (to you) logic... :whistling:

Could you, please, disable all C-states in your CMOS (except C0), reboot, and report back if this disabling has any influence on the problem, namely:
[1] Speeds the problem up?
[2] It is unchanged/same behavior?
[3] Slows down the problem (system behaves better)?
[4] Desperate hope: system works without any problem, since! :uhoh:

_nobody_


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## satrow (Feb 4, 2012)

@ _nobody_, where are you seeing any signs/evidence that this is CPU-related?

OxygenBr, if this problem is being caused by a bad PSU (and your ZM700GX is an unknown quantity to me), the more you stress it, the greater the chances of it failing, PSU failures can, and do, cause damage to other components, like your hard drive, motherboard, etc.


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## _nobody_ (Jan 1, 2016)

satrow said:


> @ _nobody_, where are you seeing any signs/evidence that this is CPU-related?


I said already (please, read my posts very carefully, since they are from real experience, but not all of it is available to the PUBLIC domain): I am trying to catch falling knife. OK? :angel:

_nobody_


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## OxygenBr (Jan 27, 2016)

_nobody_ said:


> Have no idea what the problem with Ur PC is. From now on, I'll ask you the things which seem whatsoever crazy, e.g. without any visible (to you) logic... :whistling:
> 
> Could you, please, disable all C-states in your CMOS (except C0), reboot, and report back if this disabling has any influence on the problem, namely:
> [1] Speeds the problem up?
> ...


Didn't worked. Tried to play BF: Hardline, system restarted for about 5mins of gameplay


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## OxygenBr (Jan 27, 2016)

satrow said:


> @ _nobody_, where are you seeing any signs/evidence that this is CPU-related?
> 
> OxygenBr, if this problem is being caused by a bad PSU (and your ZM700GX is an unknown quantity to me), the more you stress it, the greater the chances of it failing, PSU failures can, and do, cause damage to other components, like your hard drive, motherboard, etc.



But how we can be sure if its the PSU? 

There's a way that I can stress test it without blowing up my entire rig?


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## _nobody_ (Jan 1, 2016)

OxygenBr said:


> Didn't worked. Tried to play BF: Hardline, system restarted for about 5mins of gameplay


OK. The same, then... You could not enter your BIOS UEFI shell, can you?










I don't think so. But you can try, to hit <F11>, or whatever... Maybe <F7> which gives you the boot menu. I do not expect BIOS writers to give you these extras (possible entry: UEFI shell)... Well! :banghead:

Could you post make and version of your BIOS? Just for me to think more... :whistling:

_nobody_


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## OxygenBr (Jan 27, 2016)

_nobody_ said:


> OK. The same, then... You could not enter your BIOS UEFI shell, can you?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nope, i can't.
--
Bios:


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## _nobody_ (Jan 1, 2016)

More crazy things to come (sans/without explanation)... Can you, please, check for me the following in BIOS? Something like this (or similar): :whistling:










Three things (based upon WIN 7 64 usage, I believe, correct???):
[1] What is your Secure Boot Control setting? Should be [disabled]!
[2] Load Legacy OP(tion)ROM setting? Should be [enabled], correct?
[3] What is your Boot Mode setting (or similar)? MUST be [CSM] or [Legacy], correct?

Please, do note that these options may look in defferent form, with the different CMOS screens! I have given to you just an (for me very known) typical example from the net! Please, report here.

Thank you,
_nobody_


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## OxygenBr (Jan 27, 2016)

_nobody_ said:


> More crazy things to come (sans/without explanation)... Can you, please, check for me the following in BIOS? Something like this (or similar): :whistling:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


As the names may vary, i took a photo of the options. Here you go:


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## _nobody_ (Jan 1, 2016)

OxygenBr said:


> Nope. That's i'm affraid.
> Buy new PSU; GPU is broken.
> Buy new GPU; PSU is broken.


Suddenly taking another route... Looked into the inside of the GFX NVIDIA card... :grin:





 
So, let us look into/investigate the power budget, a bit.

PSU ~700W:
CPU (i7 4770K) ~90W (of the top of my head)
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-D3H Mainboard Review: Close to Perfection. Page 10 - X-bit labs 100% load: 125W/overclocked ~180W
GFX card: ~250W: https://www.techpowerup.com/gpudb/b2363/evga-gtx-780-dual-ftw-w-acx-cooler.html

125W/overclocked 180W+250W+90W ~470W/overclocked ~520W

I'll assume that the GFX card takes about 20% more, as well as mobo (CPU does not). This gives additional ~375W/overclocked ~430W x .2 = ~75W/overclocked ~86W, which gives max consumption ~550W/overclocked ~600W.

From these measurements, I should say that you should request new PSU, since I doubt that you GFX card is faulty. Considering monies you need to pay for excellent GFX PCIe card (~$600 USD) and for good PSU (in this case probably 10x less: ~$60 USD). :whistling:

My best guess (you need at least 800W PSU minimum, it seems to me)!

_nobody_


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## OxygenBr (Jan 27, 2016)

_nobody_ said:


> Suddenly taking another route... Looked into the inside of the GFX NVIDIA card... :grin:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUWvpHFZm_U
> 
> ...


I was looking for the EVGA SUPERNOVA 750W G2.
Too bad that here in Brazil, to buy 1USD we need 4,20R$ (our currency).
So the PSU is highly overpriced. 
Amazon: 99USD (Converting to R$ would be something around 500, thats not expensive at all)
But in hardware sites over here, its almost 1000R$. That's really expensive :angry:

So yeah, I'm going to spend a lot of money


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## _nobody_ (Jan 1, 2016)

OxygenBr said:


> So yeah, I'm going to spend a lot of money


Before to do this/spend monies... Please, go to some PC junkyard, and buy for cheap one older scrapped PSU for some pennies of the buck, with ATX connectors, just to verify the theory. OK? :thumb:

At least, I have this opportunity, to take lot of scrap for free, if I need to experiment (I know that 99.999% people do not have this opportunity)... Lucky me! :whistling:

_nobody_


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## OxygenBr (Jan 27, 2016)

_nobody_ said:


> Before to do this/spend monies... Please, go to some PC junkyard, and buy for cheap one older scrapped PSU for some pennies of the buck, with ATX connectors, just to verify the theory. OK? :thumb:
> 
> At least, I have this opportunity, to take lot of scrap for free, if I need to experiment (I know that 99.999% people do not have this opportunity)... Lucky me! :whistling:
> 
> _nobody_


Gonna try it. But it's going tobe really hard to find. :c


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## Superion (Oct 3, 2014)

I would be careful getting scrap PSUs. A PSU that isn't working properly can damage your system. If it were me I would get a multimeter and test the scrap PSU before using it. On the other hand, if you get a multimeter you may as well use it to test your current PSU.


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## OxygenBr (Jan 27, 2016)

Superion said:


> I would be careful getting scrap PSUs. A PSU that isn't working properly can damage your system. If it were me I would get a multimeter and test the scrap PSU before using it. On the other hand, if you get a multimeter you may as well use it to test your current PSU.


Can't seem to find my multimeter :facepalm:
But i've managed to find the e-mail of the store that i've bought the PC. It happens that one of the sellers is a friend of mine, in the college, so i'm gonna see if I can buy a new PSU, test it on my pc, if works, case closed, if not, I'll return the PSU and pay the difference in the new part.


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