gooboo Posted September 2, 2015 Posted September 2, 2015 I've had good luck asking people for help here with hardware problems before, so I thought I'd ask another question. My computer has been randomly shutting off, and I'm totally at a loss as to why. At first I thought it might be the temperature, but it's been shutting off when the temperature is around 107-110F degrees, which is far below the maximum. I opened up the computer and cleaned out the dust anyways. I've downloaded the latest drivers for me graphics card, so I don't think that's it either. I also did a virus scan with Malwarebytes and nothing came up. I read somewhere that it could be my psu is failing, but I'm not really familiar with what all of these voltage numbers mean, and whether these are good or not. I took a screenshot of CPUID HWmonitor- can someone tell me if these numbers are good or bad? I'm currently using a Corsair CX500. I upgraded my graphics card and psu about a year ago, so I would be kind of surprised if my psu is already falling apart, but I don't know so that's why I'm asking here. Thanks!
QuiteTheTail Posted September 2, 2015 Posted September 2, 2015 Could be that. Or you need to put a film of thermal paste over your processor. Check the fan speed with a dedicated software (CPU Fan, for instance). (I didn't see the posted image). Check if the PSU fan is operational, first, and the Core(s) temperatures. I'm not very informed about voltage values, but you can check the spreedsheet provided by the CPU manufacturer. I had similar problems lately, and it was the PSU. The heat partially damaged my HDD too, so try to be quick about it! Of course, there can be also other causes.
gooboo Posted September 2, 2015 Author Posted September 2, 2015 Here is a full screenshot of the CPUID HWmonitor, in case that helps at all. I don't think the heat is causing problems, but I might be wrong.
QuiteTheTail Posted September 2, 2015 Posted September 2, 2015 Core temperatures look fine to me. How long has the machine been running? Keep those values under observation, though. If not the overheating/ PSU problem, could be also a driver problem (but you seem to have ruled out that one as well). Are you overclocking? Everything is been fine for about a year, you say... No hardware changes... and now, suddenly... Have you checked the CPU manual/spreedsheet to compare the voltage values?
gooboo Posted September 2, 2015 Author Posted September 2, 2015 No, I'm not overclocking the graphics card. I've updated the graphics card recently, the only other updates I saw for it (Geforce gtx 750 ti) were updates that said they were related to specific games, like Witcher 3, Metal Gear Solid, etc. I didn't download any of those.
AnnaFly Posted September 2, 2015 Posted September 2, 2015 Greetings. Hi Gooboo. It's seams you have a serious problem with your Power Supply ... something looks strange in the +5V line ( and the +12 is not "perfect" ). Can you post us the CPU model and the model of your Power Supply .... by the way , when you "clean" your computer take a look inside the Power Supply too ... Are you usung all the memory slots of your Mother Board ? In fact what is the model of your Mother Board ? Cheers.
gooboo Posted September 2, 2015 Author Posted September 2, 2015 System Model: Dell Vostro 460 Processor: Intel Core i5-2500 CPU @ 3.30 GHz (4 CPUs), ~3.3GHz Memory: 8192MB RAM Graphics Card; NVIDIA GeForce GTx 750 ti DAC Type: Integrated RAMDAC
gooboo Posted September 2, 2015 Author Posted September 2, 2015 Also, the power supply is a Corsair CX 500
RitualClarity Posted September 2, 2015 Posted September 2, 2015 Here is a full screenshot of the CPUID HWmonitor, in case that helps at all. fullscreen.jpg I don't think the heat is causing problems, but I might be wrong. I am not aware of this program however I tried it on my system that works fine. I believe you aren't getting the proper volts from your Power supply. The 3, 5, and 12 volt system should be at least sending 3, 5, and 12 volts. There will be some times it is above and sometimes rarely slightly below but your capture is severely off. Chances are it isn't able to supply the correct amperage either. This can seriously harm your system's hardware almost as much as having too much voltage. Under and over voltage can lead to damage. Also this shutting down randomly can lead to corruption of your OS. I would try to back up your data as soon as possible if not remove the drive (if separate from the OS drive) If it is less than 1 year old (power supply) you might be able to get a replacement from the manufacture.
AnnaFly Posted September 2, 2015 Posted September 2, 2015 Hi. 350 watts from an OEM Manufacturer ? ... that's not enough for your machine. That's just my point of view ...at the first view. Try to disconnect some materials not immediatly necessary ... first . And check inside your power Supply too . To be continued... Cheers. PS , sorry i didn't saw the post about your "Corsair" model ... but check it inside too ... PPS : i think it's better to check the voltage via your Bios informations ... HWmonitor seams to not report the voltage correctly , the -5 Volts line is really " crazy" ...and others too ...
gooboo Posted September 2, 2015 Author Posted September 2, 2015 Okay I reinstalled the old 350 watt psu to see what the voltages would be, (I've never had any random shutdowns when I was using this psu from around 2011- April 2014) but these numbers look pretty bad too. What is going on here?
RitualClarity Posted September 2, 2015 Posted September 2, 2015 Hi. 350 watts from an OEM Manufacturer ? ... that's not enough for your machine. That's just my point of view ...at the first view. Try to disconnect some materials not immediatly necessary ... first . And check inside your power Supply too . To be continued... Cheers. PS , sorry i didn't saw the post about your "Corsair" model ... but check it inside too ... PPS : i think it's better to check the voltage via your Bios informations ... HWmonitor seams to not report the voltage correctly , the -5 Volts line is really " crazy" ...and others too ... It is a possibility. Like I said I am not familiar with this program. Okay I reinstalled the old 350 watt psu to see what the voltages would be, (I've never had any random shutdowns when I was using this psu from around 2011- April 2014) but these numbers look pretty bad too. What is going on here? 350watt.jpg What is the voltage coming from the wall? Might be you aren't getting the proper voltage from the wall. It happens often during summer when the air conditioner or when hair driers are used. It can wreck havoc on computer systems especially those that require more than your typical computer. This is all guess work. It could be something as simple as the processor getting to hot and shutting down the computer for protection. It could be a short or problem in the motherboard itself that is causing "resistance" and not allowing either power supply to work properly (well actually supply the power supply to the motherboard components causing the shutdown. Short of using a voltemeter to check directly on the power supply we can only speculate. http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolsofthetrade/ht/power-supply-test-multimeter.htm DO NOT DO THIS UNLESS YOU FULLY UNDERSTAND THE INSTRUCTIONS AND KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING. YOU CAN HURT OR EVEN KILL YOURSELF, START FIRES ETC. If this is step that is desired it might be best to have someone certified to check the power supply. On another note however not as reliable you can get a power supply tester from a computer store or web. It will at least give you pretty close to accurate readings from teh computer without any interference from the motherboard or other components. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16899705003&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC-_-pla-_-PC+Tools+%26+Testers-_-N82E16899705003&gclid=CKHYj6-N2ccCFUQvgQod-gsNwQ&gclsrc=aw.ds You could just have a short where something is touching the case and grounding the power supply. The supply is designed to turnoff for safety when conditions like this, heat, power feedback etc occur. The issue is so broad that it might be time to take it to a certified tech for diagnosis. The info you have already gained will be very helpful when explained what you have done and the results. Sorry for the bad news. You have done everything that one can be expected to do on their own. On a separate note I notice your computer log on name is NOODLES.. .. Wouldn't happen to be NOODLES from another gaming site.
gooboo Posted September 2, 2015 Author Posted September 2, 2015 I'll try plugging my computer into a different wall/outlet and see if that changes anything. I tried out a different monitoring program (HWiNFO64) to make sure it wasn't just CPUID that was wrong, and I got the same voltages for both programs, so I think it's accurate. Besides I loaded up my computers BIOS and I didn't even see an option anywhere that told me what the voltages are, so I'm not sure what to do. I named my computer NOODLES because my first Xbox was named NOODLES, so no I don't think I'm the NOODLES you're thinking of, lol. If I can't figure this out on my own I guess I'll have to take it to a pc repair shop and see what they can do.
AnnaFly Posted September 2, 2015 Posted September 2, 2015 Greetings. @ Gooboo. I 'will not agree with the comments about the voltage that comes from " the wall" ... but that's another story... Well with your older power supply this is not much better. So check these voltage via your BIOS ( so restart your system and go to your Bios setting. I'm not familiar with your CPU ( my last CPU is an "older" I7 950 'LGA 1366) and i use a power supply of 700 W ... but my Graphic card needs much more power than yours ... So now about your CPU ; check the settings you made because the CPU can " reduce " some lines voltage when they are not necessary but not so as reported by your HWmonitor ... I don't have this one on any of my computer, i only use the utilities that came with the Asus Mother board ( all my computer are "clone model " assembled by ...me of course ( that's was my job by the past , with my uncle ...) i have only one OEM ... model ) . i'll try to download the " technical manual " of your mother board to see how your BIOS "looks " ... but from an OEM Manufacturer there is no such settings you can made ... the OEM Bios are very " limited " most of the time. I'm living in Belgium so i 'll probably be redirected to a French site ... i hope i would be able to download this kind of manual from there. Cheers.
AnnaFly Posted September 2, 2015 Posted September 2, 2015 Hi. I cannot find the option to download an "User's Manual" ... ( i was on a "french "site from Dell) so i've choose a another country - United Kingdom ) for your facilities ... you have a Diagnostic tool from Dell ( and maybe already in your computer ) so , try it . http://www.dell.com/support/home/uk/en/ukbsdt1/product-support/product/vostro-460/diagnose Without any information about the settings you can get via your Bios , i 'm not able to hep you more at this moment. Cheers. PS ... ok i found the link for the manual ...sometime i'm really "stupid " ... i'm probably getting old ... ;°) http://www.dell.com/support/home/uk/en/ukbsdt1/product-support/product/vostro-460/drivers#./manuals?&_suid=144122585816105016227623854925 Coming "soon" .
gooboo Posted September 2, 2015 Author Posted September 2, 2015 This is what I see when I go to my computer's BIOS settings. I've clicked on all of the tabs, and I never saw anything about voltages.
AnnaFly Posted September 2, 2015 Posted September 2, 2015 This is what I see when I go to my computer's BIOS settings. I've clicked on all of the tabs, and I never saw anything about voltages. screen1.jpg screen2.jpg Hi , Well i've checked the manual ...very poor informations about your Bios settings. Firstly i recommand to Disable 2 options ( In the Advance Features ) : The Intel SpeedStep and the Intel TurboBoost Technology ( especiall) this one ) . The Hyper -threading support isn't supported by your CPU, so i suppose this setting is already set to " Disabled " right ? http://ark.intel.com/fr/products/52209/Intel-Core-i5-2500-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_70-GHz I'm quiet sure you can see something about the voltages , temperatures etc in your Bios , i'm searchinf in which section ... check them once again. Thehe is something i don't understand from the manual , it's about your original power supply ... any idea ( sorry english isn't my native language ) , take a look at the screenshot : Cheers. PS , take a look at the picture 02 ... there is something about the displaying ... PPS : the two screenshots you provided are very " poor" , you need to expand each branch ( clic the "Enter" key opf your keyboard. PPPS : sometimes when a "hardware fealure" occurs, the voltage 'll drop down ... i suppose you have a DVD rom installed ( it's often a "fragille " piece of hardware ,...) so disconnect it for a test if your voltages are really low .
gooboo Posted September 2, 2015 Author Posted September 2, 2015 I pressed enter on the branches and I didn't get any info that said anything about voltages.
AnnaFly Posted September 2, 2015 Posted September 2, 2015 I pressed enter on the branches and I didn't get any info that said anything about voltages. I've posted 2 "PS" in the last post ... Well once in your Bios ... select an option ( exemple " Post Behavior " , and if the "enter key " doesn't work , use the F2 ( yes , the same you use to enter your Bios ....) : No others "tips" atvthis moment ,i 'll probably need to check the Dell's forum ( beurk ...) if there is one. ...it seams i 'll need to wait for some time ... " service is temporarily unavailable " It's impossible a Bios would not display some informations about the temperature , voltages etc ... "Coming soon" .
AnnaFly Posted September 2, 2015 Posted September 2, 2015 In their forum i found a very similar question and "screenshot" , is this yours ? ... je parie que oui ! http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/t/19651160 Cheers. NB : Oh i saw there this person ( probably you ) upgrated his operating system from that "lovely" Windows7 ( i really like it ) to Windows 10 ... uhmmm in this case i suppose that HWmonitor doesn't works and report thing correctly ... that's just my " supposition "... Uhm, my english increased +1 : PSU ... Power Supply Unit ( i didn't knew the english term in fact for the Power supply bloc ) PS : just to be sure , wich version of HWmonitor is ruuning on your machine ...? This tool is compatibe with Windows10 since the version 126 ( December 02nd 2014 ) : http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html#version-history PPS ; see here if you cannot unlock some setup features ( 2nd screenshot).
gooboo Posted September 3, 2015 Author Posted September 3, 2015 Yes, that's my posting on the Dell forums. The Dell forums suck- you're lucky if you get one response in a day, that's why I asked here as well. I upgraded to HWMonitor 1.28, and I still get the same readings. I'll keep trying to find a way to see the voltage through the BIOS.
RitualClarity Posted September 3, 2015 Posted September 3, 2015 Yes, that's my posting on the Dell forums. The Dell forums suck- you're lucky if you get one response in a day, that's why I asked here as well. I upgraded to HWMonitor 1.28, and I still get the same readings. I'll keep trying to find a way to see the voltage through the BIOS. Keep on trying with that but you can also get a power supply tester to see if your results are close to what you get from the HWMonitor.
bjornk Posted September 3, 2015 Posted September 3, 2015 What do you see when you press Enter while on Power Management? Isn't there another screen that shows you temperatures and voltages? You may also try Speccy to read voltages. As others have said voltages are pretty odd. It may be the PSU, but it might also be a problem with one of the connected devices, or even cables in your system (make sure they are all attached properly), or the chip on the motherboard that reads these voltages is not functioning properly. Also, is the power outlet properly grounded? This is the first thing you should check. Many years ago, a friend of mine needed some assistance for a very similar problem (random resets). Did what I could do, but couldn't find anything wrong with the PC. Later, it turned out that the power outlet wasn't grounded. BTW, the Corsair CX series are very crappy in terms of component and build quality. You might want to change your PSU if you have the budget. Here's how the voltages should look like: Supply [V]: Range (min. to max.) Your reading +3.3 V: +3.135 V to +3.465 V ~2.8 V(*) +5 V : +4.75 V to +5.25 V ~2.78 V(*) +12 V : +11.40 V to +12.60 V ~10.9 V(*) −12 V : –10.80 V to –13.20 V ~-8.9 V(*) −5 V : –4.50 V to –5.50 V ~-8.9 V(*)+5 VSB: +4.75 V to +5.25 V ~2.8 V(*) (*) Out of spec, although these readings may not be accurate at all. For reference: Power Supply Voltage Tolerances ATX standard (includes voltage tolerances) Using a multi-meter to check voltages Testing an ATX PSU
gooboo Posted September 3, 2015 Author Posted September 3, 2015 When I press enter on power management, I get the second screenshot I posted. It doesn't say anything about voltages on there, nor on any of the other tabs either.
bjornk Posted September 3, 2015 Posted September 3, 2015 When I press enter on power management, I get the second screenshot I posted. It doesn't say anything about voltages on there, nor on any of the other tabs either. Even if you could see that, those would probably be identical to what you get in HWMonitor, so it doesn't actually matter. You may try Speccy to double check the values but I highly doubt that you'd get different results with other software. They all come from the same chip on your motherboard. Normally, on an AMI BIOS there should be a section in Power Management that shows the voltages (see the pic below), but apparently Dell used a stripped-down version of the BIOS. Best thing you can do is to measure and check voltages with a multi-meter while the PSU is not connected to the motherboard (or any other device). With a multi-meter, you can also check the voltage at the outlet and also whether or not it's grounded. You probably don't have one, so you may want to call an electrician to do that for you.
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