Computer Randomly Reboots... 1

[weevilofdoom]

Every so often, my computer just decides to reboot, and when Windows XP pops back up, it says a driver has caused a problem, and windows has recovered from a serious error. Well, I'm not really sure how to figure out which driver is causing the problem, or if there is a way.

At the moment, my CPU temperature is 57C (athlon XP 2000+), ambient temperature is almost 90F, not sure what that is in C, sorry. It doesn't always reboot, either, just when anything intensive in any way is going on... say when I have a big project in Visual Studio building, or when playing a game, or just doing some rational modelling (oh that's so frustrating!!), anyway, I was wondering if there would be any tips. I don't think it's the powersupply, I have a 480W Enermax, I believe is the brand, but I'm not sure, though it is name brand.

COMP SPECS: Athlon XP 2000+,
ECS K7S5A Mobo
512 MB PC133 Ram (1 stick)
CDRom, CD-RW, Harddrive,
Belkin PCI Wireless card,
GeForce 2 MX ?? 64MB
Windows XP Pro, Service Pack 2
Though it rebooted before I installed SP2, so
Anything else, I'm sure doesn't matter too much...

Thanks in advance for suggestions/help

The weevil of doooooooooom
-The eagle may soar, but the weasel never gets sucked up by a jet engine (Anonymous)

 

[paparazi]

weevilofdoom
In the past we had a lot of dealings with this motherboard.
All I can tell you is that "issues" generally were much more common when using PC133 ram.
It was almost a pre-requesite to change to DDR to get some kind of stability.
This was especially true with the first versions of this mainboard.
Secondly is that 57C idle? if so that will probably turn into 60/64C max? So definately creaping up to "FLAKEY" territory.
Have you got adequate case cooling? have you checked the CPU fan/heatsink is clean and spinning freely, I would look at the possibility of fitting a better heatsink/fan and or case fan/fans if you havn't already got them.
Martin

We like members to GIVE and not just TAKE.
Participate and help others.

 

[Sky14657]

one thing is sure: your cpu went to hot. that may be the cause of the reboot. 57C are 160F - you get the point?

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Everybody has the right to be stupid -- but some people abuse the privilege. (a quote from Stalin - and I am one of the abusers, sometimes...)
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Experienced in the IT-chaos since 1984...

 

[Crowley16]

it certainly sounds like overheating, cos it's rebooting when under heavy load...

57C is already creaping up to overheating issues, and load can easily put another 10C on a cpu...

do you have a temp monitor or something which can log temperatures to a file which you can check later to see at what temp your cpu is when it reboots?

 

[tazuk]

Try downloading and running "Motherboard Monitor". It helped me resolve similar issues with heating (See Thread602-895256) - I also use the K7S5A board.

HTH

TazUk

Blue-screening PCs since 1998

 

[weevilofdoom]

well, I have one intake in the front, and one in the rear, right below the power supply. Not sure if this is adequate, but it's all my case supports. As for cooling, I have a Coolermaster HH100 or something like that, with the heat pipe technology, and all copper heatsink, so it shouldn't be that, but it could be, I'm just not sure, all the thermal paste is on correctly, been cleaned, reapplied... weirdness, anyway, if this is not an adequate cooling solution, I was thinking of buying a Zalman CNPS-7000A cooler anyways.

The weevil of doooooooooom
-The eagle may soar, but the weasel never gets sucked up by a jet engine (Anonymous)

 

[paparazi]

Well it certainly should be adequate for an XP2.0+
You didn't say which way the fan was top rear, it should be exhausting OUT of the case.
All the thermal paste? you just need the smallest amount on the raised core of the CPU, about one to two rice grains in volume.
The recess in the base of the heatsink must be positioned so it sits over the raised cambox of of the CPU socket, failure to do this means that the heatsink does not sit properly on the CPU core (so overheats) this is an extremely!!!! common mistake on socket "A" CPU's
Martin


We like members to GIVE and not just TAKE.
Participate and help others.

 

[weevilofdoom]

What I meant by "All" the thermal paste was that the correct
amount was placed onto the core of the processor, as per
arctic silver's website instructions. The heat sink is on
correctly, as it only goes on one way, as I can see, and it
spins at full, I just have had it a while, so it's probably
crapping out on me or something. And the top fan is exhausting, sorry Thanks for the help though!! I just think I need a new case, and a cooler, for it's pretty cramped as it is in there.

The weevil of doooooooooom
-The eagle may soar, but the weasel never gets sucked up by a jet engine (Anonymous)

 

[weevilofdoom]

OK, thanks for all your input!! I dusted out the case/heatsink with some air, and reapplied the thermal grease (arctic silver III), and after playing quake 3 arena for 3 hours, the temp only got up to 59C, which is plenty lower than my max temp was before, for sure! As we speak, just after playing, it is cooling down rapidly, and is sitting at 53C, not quite at an idle temperature, but it is going down! So thanks buddies

The weevil of doooooooooom
-The eagle may soar, but the weasel never gets sucked up by a jet engine (Anonymous)