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[SolVanderlyn]

You may recall a thread about FF14 killing someone's PC a while back. Well, that was me, and now it dies when I play any old game for about 20 minutes.

I was initially very wary about building a PC for this reason. I spent a good $2k on it, which is more than I've actually spent on any hobby related thing ever, and it worked very well for about two years with no problems, but now it's acting up to the point where I can hardly use it. I love the way it looks, but the fan is always, always super loud and at this point I'm thinking it would be more pragmatic to drop the $$ on a better, pre-built PC rather than spend hundreds of dollars updating the cooling system and graphics cards. Current specs are as follows:

For someone who's not a serious PC gamer, would it be better to

A) Give up and go back to consoles

B) Try to figure out why it keeps struggling and dying and upgrade (I'm 95% sure it's overheating/needs better power source and cooling)

C) Get a pre-built gaming PC or laptop

I figure on an enthusiast forum like this the overwhelming response will be "upgrade your PC you dolt," but I am a bit strapped for cash at the moment and am looking for the safest option. I really can't be bothered to constantly switch out parts when they stop working, but if this is a normal, once every two-to-three-year thing it might be doable.

TL;DR: I'm a PC noob who built his own PC and is scared it's not working now and want an opinion from people who are much better at this than me

UPDATES:

I'm willing to bet the heatsink isn't touching the CPU or there CPU is covered in thermal paste.

- Remove the fan and heatsink from the CPU.
- Wipe the thermal compound off the CPU.
- Apply a pea sized amount of thermal compound to the center of the CPU. Do not spread it or put more than that. The heat will expand the paste to the entire CPU by itself when it heats up.
- Carefully screw the heatsink and fan back on to the CPU and make sure it firmly in place
- Make sure to reconnect the fan on the CPU to your motherboard

If your case is not to the touch, you may also have your fans positioned incorrectly and the air can't escape. If you have front fans, they should be sucking air into the machine while all other fans on the back/side/top should be blowing out. There are typically arrows on the fans showing which direction the air will flow but you can easily test it by putting a piece of paper over them. It will either suck the paper in or blow it away.

Worst case, take pictures of the inside of your case and post them here.

Tried this... or rather, I had my friend who built my PC and fixes computers for a living do it for me.

I replaced the thermal paste and reset my CPU and it runs much quieter now...

BUT it still can't play games without shutting down. The temp dropped about 10 degrees and runs at about 50 while idle now.

Ordered Hyper 212 Evo cooler. Will check back to see if that works, also will dust inside and check PSU fan. Next step is new PSU if none of that works.

Also this, because I didn't consider that most people don't factor in other things when talking about PCs:

PS: OP, update the OP so people know that you didn't spend 2k on the PC. You spent about 1k, and another 1k on the monitor and such. Make that more clear that way you can end that part of the discussion.

 

[Durante]

Well, first of all, "dying" is a bit unspecific. Are we talking about graphics driver crashes, game crashes (to desktop) or entire system crashes?

What temperatures do you see on the GPU and CPU in games before issues occur?

Have you ever cleaned your heatsinks since getting the PC? Does your case have dust filters on intake fans?

 

[60EffPeeEss]

Post your full spec. Use something like Speccy to give us all the details.

Just showing us your GPU tells us nothing. Spending $2K and only getting a 760 though...I'm curious to see where all the money went. When did you build this?

 

[data]

You paid $2k for a PC with a GTX 760?

Try taking the GPU out and running on your integrated graphics?

 

[PhillipCostigan]

Did you take the advice of others in the previous thread and change out your PSU?

They're not very expensive these days and buying one could save you a rebuild if you don't want to upgrade anyway.

 

[Vuze]

You only posted a screencap of your GPU specs (which look fine). Use Speccy or HWMonitor to show us temps / fan speeds etc.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

Well, first of all, "dying" is a bit unspecific. Are we talking about graphics driver crashes, game crashes (to desktop) or entire system crashes?

What temperatures do you see on the GPU and CPU in games before issues occur?

Have you ever cleaned your heatsinks since getting the PC? Does your case have dust filters on intake fans?

Dying as in it totally shuts down and needs to sit for a while before I can turn it back on. Entire system crash.

Not sure how to check temps, but my case is always super hot when I touch it afterwards.

I don't even know what heatsinks are, but I did clean out the inside of it recently.

Downloading Speccy now

 

[plainr_]

Could be as simple as changing the thermal compound for the CPU. You should try that first. You should also clean the heatsink while you're at it.

 

[Dance Inferno]

Guys, the OP said he built this PC 2 years ago.

 

[Woorloog]

Dying as in it totally shuts down and needs to sit for a while before I can turn it back on. Entire system crash.

Not sure how to check temps, but my case is always super hot when I touch it afterwards.

Thermal crash, obviously. Something is wrong with your computer's cooling, badly.

 

[Smokey]

Spent 2k...and have a GTX 760?

 

[Durante]

Dying as in it totally shuts down and needs to sit for a while before I can turn it back on. Entire system crash.

Not sure how to check temps, but my case is always super hot when I touch it afterwards.

I don't even know what heatsinks are, but I did clean out the inside of it recently.

Downloading Speccy now

Well, that does sound like either a PSU issue or critical overheating.

Check the in-game temperatures for CPU and GPU using something like Rivatuner's overlay and get back to us.

 

[Easy_D]

Dying as in it totally shuts down and needs to sit for a while before I can turn it back on. Entire system crash.

Not sure how to check temps, but my case is always super hot when I touch it afterwards.

I don't even know what heatsinks are, but I did clean out the inside of it recently.

Downloading Speccy now

That sounds like an overheating issue, it shuts down to prevent permanent damage and it probably refuses to turn back on until it's cooled down?

 

[SmartWaffles]

Get Real Temp and monitor CPU temperature and let us know, also you might want to tell us about your PSU.

 

[Hip Hop]

Guys, the OP said he built this PC 2 years ago.

That's still alot of money for a PC using a 760. What was the price for that when it was out, $250? Where did the $1,750 remaining go to?

 

[SolVanderlyn]

This is just while browsing GAF. Will try this Rivatuner's overlay in a sec. I'll use Guild Wars 2 as a test run, since that's what killed it last

 

[Rawket Lawnchair]

Did you really spend 2k and got a shitty PSU and cooler? Who gave you the list of components to buy?

I built my own PC two years ago using GAF's component suggestions ("I want to build a new PC" topic) I have not come across too many issues. Last one was back in January when it would not turn on and it turned out I had not installed correctly some new RAM - a fellow GAFfer helped me solve it.

But if you really did spend 2k, might as well post your specs, tell people what the problems are, and we'll all help you.

 

[Costia]

To me it sounds like a fan is failing. Either on the CPU or the GPU. Which makes it overheat and shutdown until it cools.
Might be the PSU as well.

Edit:
Also, how exactly did you clean it? Did the problems begin afterwards?
For example if you use compressed air you need to hold the fans so they wont spin and be careful not to cool part to the point that moisture might build up.

 

[CosmicQueso]

Your case should not be hot to the touch. That's bad.

Yo you have a CPU temp issue, clearly. This is easily fixable.

You don't need to run any more tests really. Problem is identified.

 

[Upinsmoke]

those temps seem high for a amd cpu?

i thought amd reading's were normally lower than intel? IIRC my 3570k usually hovers around 33 idle

 

[DownGrader]

I don't even know what heatsinks are

I actually feel bad for scoulding you, but think you should have built few office machines for practice before building a two-grand rig without knowing what the heatsinks are...

That being said, we are all here to help you. Please post the list of PC components... maybe some photos of the inside too.

 

[Alucrid]

those temps seem high for a amd cpu?

pretty high, especially for being basically idle

 

[Corpekata]

Your CPU should not be at 67 degrees while internet browsing. That's likely the culprit. I would try reseating the fan with new thermal paste. If it is that high idle, it's likely very high while gaming and causing your shutdowns.

 

[Lady Siara]

What are you doing with it when it shuts down? If you're just sitting on the desktop, then it's probably not an overheating issue. If it's while you're playing an intensive game, it very well could be that it's overheating. Also possible that it's a power supply issue in that it's failing or isn't providing enough power. I'd download something to monitor your cpu/gpu temps and get back with us when you try gaming on it. I use Core Temp and Afterburner respectively.

Outright buying a prebuilt when you've already built your own is an option, though it'd be a lot cheaper if you just upgraded the components incrementally. Abandoning the PC completely is not a sound choice as somewhere down the line, you'll probably wish you had one for something!

 

[60EffPeeEss]

This is just while browsing GAF. Will try this Rivatuner's overlay in a sec. I'll use Guild Wars 2 as a test run, since that's what killed it last

You shouldn't be getting 67C idle on your CPU. You need to check if your heatsink is properly attached, and re-apply thermal paste too. It's probably your CPU that is getting battered and causing you to shut down.

 

[vocab]

run furmark with a temp monitor in the background. You'll know what the problem is instantly.

My prediction is your cpu cooling is just trash/not working correctly. 60ishC while browsing the internet is horrible.

 

[DizzyCaffeine]

Good lord, if your CPU is that hot while idling, it's gonna be a furnace while playing a game.

 

[Rawket Lawnchair]

Your CPU needs new thermal paste, 67oC while browsing is not normal.

Get some Arctic Cooling MX-4 and watch YouTube videos on how to correctly apply it.

 

[lame gag]

First thought was overheating. Looking at that CPU temp, I'm thinking, definitely overheating. There's no way that should be 67 while browsing the web. Check the paste and the fan. Make sure the heatsink is sat down correctly.

Just checked my AMD cpu temp. It's 33 while browsing and that's with not so great cooling.

 

[Omnii-chan]

Sounds like something is wrong with your cooling.

Get "HW monitor" and check your temperatures.

You may need to re-paste your Heatsink/ CPU.

I had a Corsair liquid cooler's pump fail on me and my computer would shut itself off to save the CPU from overheating. Sounds a lot like that.

 

[Alucrid]

didn't the fx 8350 launch at like...$200? where did all that money go?

 

[Upinsmoke]

Your CPU should not be at 67 degrees while internet browsing. That's likely the culprit. I would try reseating the fan with new thermal paste.

Yeah this.

So remove your Heatsink (that's the fan over your cpu) . Remove old thermal paste with some isopropyl alcohol and cotton bud. Re-apply new thermal paste and make sure your heatsink is mounted properly.

Your PC is likely shutting down to stop your CPU basically dying.

Also if your still running whatever heatsink came with your cpu buy a new one, they're really cheap.

 

[Drifters]

In this order:
Check all connections
Reseat everything (including your CPU Cooler w/ some new thermal paste)
Make sure you do not have any extra risers on your case to your motherboard you aren't using (you may be getting a short)
Any odd smells?
Always wear a wrist strap.

Hope that helps.

 

[Felix Lighter]

A tip, always have some kind of temp monitoring software on your tray. I use RealTemp.

 

[Omok]

Dude, 67 C browsing internet..thats pretty awesome

 

[Easy_D]

those temps seem high for a amd cpu?

i thought amd reading's we're normally lower than intel? IIRC my 3570k usually hovers around 33 idle

That's under load, at least that's how I read the little graph next to it, if not, then yikes. And nah, from my experience, Intel CPU's run cooler, that may be down to AMD's assy stock coolers though. My 6300 reaches room temps while idle with Cool/Quiet on, at one point I saw 18 C during winter (twas cold in my apartment . )

I replaced it with my brothers 8 year old heatsink and it works a *ton* better, uses a heatpipe design too, pretty impressive by stock standards. But yeah, OP should probably replace his thermal paste if that's his idle temps.


Edit: 67 while browsing the internet? Yeah OP, you really need to reattach your heatsink with some new thermal paste :lol, I thought my CPU ran hot at 40 C while browsing, it hardly reaches those levels while I'm gaming.

 

[Sir Abacus]

OP are you anywhere near metro Boston? I have spare case fans and heat paste and can help you install/reinstall the CPU cooler.

 

[Soldiussnaku]

Yeeesh, that 67C cpu temp is a red flag, could likely very well be the culprit, the 8 series amd fx series run hot, but not THAT hot whilst browsing.

Get someone to stick new paste on it, and an aftermarket cooler as well.

Stock coolers do just about enough to keep the cpu cool, but are not that great for serious, heavy gaming over a long period of time.

 

[DownGrader]

Yikes. My CPU is around 50°C on idle after few hours, but my PC is a tight-ass mITX build (so motherboard sensors show similar values too) and I am using on-GPU graphics. I cannot imagine near-70°C value or a properly built/maintained full-tower system.

 

[Easy_D]

Yeeesh, that 67C cpu temp is a red flag, could likely very well be the culprit, the 8 series amd fx series run hot, but not THAT hot whilst browsing.

Get someone to stick new paste on it, and an aftermarket cooler as well.

Stock coolers do just about enough to keep the cpu cool, but are not that great for serious, heavy gaming over a long period of time.

Eh, I'm using a stock cooler and it does just fine, fan is a tad loud but I play with headphones anyway. But if he has cash to burn and is gonna reseat everything anyway he might as well get an aftermarket cooler, yeah.


Edit: OP mentioning that the fan is always super loud in the OP should have been all the info we needed, really.

 

[dxdy]

Your CPU is overheating. That's more than likely it. Re-apply the thermal compound. Or better yet, drop $30 for Hyper 212 EVO, which will make the CPU ice-cold without breaking the bank.

GTX760 had a launch price of $249. It launched in 2013, not 2014, when the system was build, hence it had it's price cut too. CPU was $200. Where the hell rest of the money went? o.o You got a CaseLabs case, or what?

 

[JBwB]

Yeah this clearly looks like an overheating issue with the CPU. Reapplying new thermal paste should do the trick.

Also does the $2000 that was put into this PC also include the cost of the monitor / other peripherals? That amount seems incredibly high for those specs.

 

[Sir Abacus]

Eh, I'm using a stock cooler and it does just fine, fan is a tad loud but I play with headphones anyway. But if he has cash to burn and is gonna reseat everything anyway he might as well get an aftermarket cooler, yeah.

212 only costs $30 it's not like a massive imposition.

 

[Durante]

Yeah, my CPU sits at 35°C when browsing the web, and that's significantly overclocked and with a very passive fan curve at the lower end. There's clearly something wrong thermally.

OP, have you checked whether all your fans (including the case fans and the one in the PSU) actually spin?

 

[kswiston]

You CPU is overheating. That's most likely it. Re-apply the thermal compound.

GTX760 had a launch price of $249. It launched in 2013, not 2014, when the system was build, hence it had it's price cut too. CPU was $200. Where the hell rest of the money went? o.o You got a CaseLabs case, or what?

I am going to guess that $2k included accessories of not inconsiderate price. You can easily spend a third to half of that on a monitor, KBM, and sound system without going completely crazy.

 

[Easy_D]

212 only costs $30 it's not like a massive imposition.

My monetary standards are a tad lower than being able to spend 30 bucks on a cooler, unfortunately, that's a couple weeks of food

 

[SolVanderlyn]

Looks like I need to do some research on thermal paste.

Temp sitting at around 70, just booted up GW2. Says max temp goes up to 75. Also, 2k includes the monitor and other accessories, yeah. I also built it in Fall of 2013, not 2014.

 

[Specialmias]

Maybe it would be helpful if we could get a picture of the inside? Maybe we will be able to see something?

 

[Kindekuma]

Sometimes it's a <$30 fix that'll do the trick, ended up saving OP hundreds.

Definitely a CPU overheat issue.

 

[Durante]

Actually, a very simple thing you can try is running your system with the side door off. That will tell you whether you have an issue with case airflow or with the CPU cooling itself.