Hi,

I just got a new computer and it is running dual-boot Windows XP and SuSE 9.3. I just installed SuSE yesterday. During these 2 days, the computer has unexpectedly switched off by itself twice and I couldn't switch it on again until I've waited for maybe half-an-hour or one hour.

Is the computer overheating? How do I check it? And I'm not sure if SuSE is the cause of the problem. The first time it happened, I have not installed SuSE yet. The 2nd time it happened was after I installed SuSE. My motherboard is ABIT VT7 and I read that it has ThermalGuard and will automatically cut electricity to the com if there's overheating. But I thought it is supposed to also give a warning beep if the temperature goes beyond a certain value.

Can somebody please help me troubleshoot .... before the computer gets fried or something???

Have you contacted the manufacturer? That would be the first thing I'd do. If it did that right out of the box, without you messing around with it too much, it might be a common problem, or maybe you can get it replaced.

i read this paper and i got the impression there wouldn't be a beep if the temperature activates the thermalguard function...

anyways, if you are sure that the cpu fan is working properly, and that you actually don't have any temperature issues, then the next thing to think about would be the power supply...

however, i suggest you first check your bios settings, maybe the thermalguard has a setting you need to tinker with...

I don't know about working properly. The fan near the power supply is spinning and blowing hot air out. I have another fan at the side of the casing, which is also working but the air coming out from there is cool. Took the casing off, the fan for the processor is also working.

Logged into Windows and took a look at the Hardware Doctor utility. CPU fan running at 2080 - 2109 rpm (somewhere around that range). Aux fan not detected. System temperature: 38 Celcius. CPU temperature 39 Celcius. According to the BIOS, 'Active Temperature' (I don't know what that means) is 70 Celcius.

What is going on? And so far, the computer has not switched off for 2 hours.

I just took a peek inside my com again. There are THREE fans running which are attached to the casing. One at the rear, one at the side and one at the front. Only the fan of the power supply is blowing hot air out. Surely the com won't overheat with so many fans?

Since this is a brand new computer (which I'm assuming you mean is less than maybe a week old) then if it's acting up there is a reasonable chance that it's defective in some way. I'd take a few minutes confirm that the fans are installed properly (in other words, that airflow is all in one direction. Typically this means that the front fans are blowing inward while the rear fans are blowing outward. If all the fans are inward or they're all outward, you will not be getting the proper cooling that you need.

Additionally, I would suggest running memtest on your RAM. If you are using brand new RAM or have recently installed new RAM, I think it's always a good idea to let memtest run for a few cycles just to confirm it's OK.

Lastly, are there any system errors that are being displayed, and if so, what are they? Overall, if you cannot find any likely culprits, then I'd return it to the vendor and ask for a replacement while the it's still under warranty. -- J.W.

Hi!

The computer is actually a month old. But it hasn't been used much during the previous month - long story. Anyway, cut the story short, the computer's been pretty idle until a few days back. I checked the fans. The ones at the rear, the power supply and at the side are blowing outwards while the one in front is blowing inwards.

Doesn't seem to have any system errors. I have a theory, but it's pretty weird and I haven't been able/don't dare to reproduce it.

The fan at the side of the casing has a cone-like thing and it faces directly towards the processor's fan. Just now, I noticed that once in a while I hear some 'clacking' sound - quite soft and only once in a while. I removed the side casing to have a look and the sound was gone. When I put the casing back, the sound came back and this time it was quite distinct. I noticed that the bunch of yellow and red cables from the power supply were hanging very near the processor's fan but not touching it. So I concluded that perhaps, the cone of the casing's fan was pushing the cables towards the processor's fan and sometimes when I'm loading a cd or something, the cables move a little and interfere with the fan, stopping and slowing it down, thus causing overheating.... does that sound like a load of bull to you?

Actually the first time the computer switched off was when I was running 'memtest' using the SuSE CD1 before I started installation. So didn't finish the memtest. Will run it again just to check.

It seems that overheating is not the problem. As said, run memtest.
Yes, it does sound like bull. But not fully =P. Maybe your power supply cables ARE interfering with the fans. And fans that are running at the default 2000rmp+, you will hear a long, loud annoying crackles. So thats not your problem.

--SAK

If you've got stray cables hitting the CPU fan, then that definitely could be a factor, but as securehack mentioned, it probably would be making a noticeable sound (unless the other fans were noisy enough to drown it out, or if the cables were stopping the fans from spinning completely) I'd take care to make certain that the fans all have adequate clearance, but definitely let memtest run for at least 4 or 5 consecutive cycles. Good luck with it -- J.W.

Thanks for all the feedback. I ran 'memtest' for 3 cycles yesterday night and there was no error. So now I don't know what to do. I retied the cables inside the com and now just observing the computer to see if it is going to shutdown suddenly again.

I've got a similar problem. My computer has started to randomly reboot itself. i just installed a new dvd-rom drive. I've got two HDs and two CD drives. Is it possible that this is overloading my power supply? I see, to remember it was 300 or 350 watts. Really can't say. What wattage should be used on a pc with four IDE devices?

Heh. 300 to 350W should run the system perfectly fine without overloading. One of my systems run 2HD (linux/win) and dvd and cd and played under stress very well. Never rebooted or shutdown. This is on a 145W ps I believe it is either your system has serious viruses/*wares (spy, ad, mal, etc.) or you need to get new wires.

okay, thanks again. On th off-chance that it actuially is a windows thing, I'll not ask more about in the linux forum
but I did run norton, spysweeper, and ad-aware full sytem scan from safe mode.

Hi!

Just to give you all an update on what has happened to my computer. Until a week ago, it still switched off by itself once in a while, but not if I remove the casing and switch on the air-conditioning unit. Took it to the shop. The guy there couldn't find anything wrong. Apparently they switched it on and let it run for a few hours and even played a game on it for a day or so and it never switched off. (Is that how they are supposed to check computers for malfunctioning parts??! ) So after 4 days they told me to take it back and gave me a new power cord...

Back home, computer decided to act up and refused to startup altogether. Pressed 'on' button, fans started running for a full 10 seconds before eveything switched off. Took it back to the shop. They said it was power supply problem and changed the power supply. Com still refused to startup. Today they called and said that it's the motherboard that has gone kaputt and will be sent for RMA in China or Taiwan and it will be a month, a month and a half, maybe 2 before I get a replacement motherboard. So they asked me to go take back my PC, without the motherboard, and wait for them to call me when the replacement finally arrives...

Well... it wasn't the fans after all. Thanks to everyone who replied.

Just read this thread. Most obvious case of PSU overheat I've seen .The won't reboot for half an hour or so clinched it as that is the cooling time.

I don't know what part of the world you're in but as we ran most of it once :-) you've probably got the right to say "Stuff your RMA to China and give me my money back or a replacement right now."

Luck.