System keeps shutting down usually with graphic heavy stuff.?

Question

I can hear my sys fans (at least one of the 3in the case) really get going when I am using any sort of graphics heavy app; online or off. It'll rumble quite loudly for a few mins then "BLINK!" off it goes. If I wait a few mins and restart it is fine untill I use the graphic heavy items again. What gives?
2.8 Ghz with processor fan, 2 additonal fans, .1 GB ram, XP pro, only using the on-board video, motherboard is MSI PM8PM-V What else do you need to know...?

New post: My processor fan speeds up (and is blowing downward, onto the processor) and the side mounted fan that blows outward speeds up. the rear fan that I added doesn't seem to speed up but it is blowing inthe right direction. I can remove it pretty easy if you think it's messing up the flow...

Answer 1

Sounds like a classic overheating problem.
Verify proper PC ventilation & use a can of compressed air to clean all fans.

** sometimes adding fans NOT designed to work in a particual postion in a case will actually disrupt proper airflow rather than aid it **

regards,
Philip T

Answer 2

OK, well I can't see your PC case, don't know what you have for a power supply, and don't know who built the box, so I have some suggestions only.

This sounds like heat when under load, this should be pretty easy to t-shoot
First, you mention all those fans, are you POSITIVE the case fans have the correct orientation? (Rear fans blow out, front fans suck in) The air coming out of the power supply, is it blazing hot, cool, just trickling out? there should be a fair volume of hot air blasting out when under load.

I trust the board (I like MSI) but this sounds like heat, could also simply be an inadequate processor fan or badly installed and unable to properly cool.

Identify which fan is the one which speeds up under load and answer the questions above in your next post. We'll fix this sucka.

OK you mention a fan on the side, that isn't directly over the processor, is it? If so it should be blowing in.

You didn't mention the rough-guess temperature and airflow from the power supply, this is important. If your machine is under significant load I expect VERY warm air to be pumping out like crazy.
Open the side of your PC, run it open and stress it a bit, is it hot inside the chassis in general?

Tim

Answer 3

Clean between the fins on your processor heatsink. If your fan blows down, they are probably clogged to heck and back with dust. you will need to dismount the heatsink, so get some arctic silver paste to reinstall it correctly.