Shutdowns

[Kruger]

During the last few weeks, I've been getting alot of sudden shutdowns while playing Aces High. Usually it happens after 15 min or more of playing. I get no warning message or anything, the computer just powers off, leaving the cooling fan running. I am however able to restart it immediately and everything seems to be working normally. Could this be an overheating issue? If so, how come this problem arises so suddenly, with no problems previously whatsoever (I've had this computer for about a year now). Or could this possibly be a hard-disk-related problem?

The shutdowns have occurred only while playing Aces High (though I don't play any other games at the moment). I have an AMD Athlon 64 3000+ with 512 MB RAM and an ATI All-In-Wonder 9800 with 128 MB RAM. Drivers are up to date. The hard disk (170 GB with plenty of free space) has been recently defragmented.

Many thanks for all help. I'm really no good with computers so please excuse my incorrect use of terms!

Kruger

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

Originally posted by Kruger
During the last few weeks, I've been getting alot of sudden shutdowns while playing Aces High. Usually it happens after 15 min or more of playing. I get no warning message or anything, the computer just powers off, leaving the cooling fan running. I am however able to restart it immediately and everything seems to be working normally. Could this be an overheating issue? If so, how come this problem arises so suddenly, with no problems previously whatsoever (I've had this computer for about a year now). Or could this possibly be a hard-disk-related problem?

The shutdowns have occurred only while playing Aces High (though I don't play any other games at the moment). I have an AMD Athlon 64 3000+ with 512 MB RAM and an ATI All-In-Wonder 9800 with 128 MB RAM. Drivers are up to date. The hard disk (170 GB with plenty of free space) has been recently defragmented.

Many thanks for all help. I'm really no good with computers so please excuse my incorrect use of terms!

Kruger

Check your power management settings (found in the control panel). I've seen them get altered by updates or other changes in software (intentional or inadvertant).  The power management settings MIGHT interpret Aces High as a lack of activity.

[Blammo]

Check for heat issues.  AH hits the CPU more than a lot of games and much more than it hits your graphics card.  If your whole system just suddenly shuts down, the CPU may be overheating.  
If you have a motherboard monitoring program installed, have it running.  Most of them will alarm are designed to alarm if temperatures get to high or a fan fails/doesn't run properly.  One way you might be able to find out if it is a heat issue is to immediately restart your PC and go into the BIOS (if it has an area to chow you temperature, etc).

I recently had a simiplay problem happen.  My issue ended up being a failing chipset fan.  AMD boards generally do not have chipset fans, but the CPUs run hotter than Intel chips.  So they are a little more sentsitive to problems like a failed fan.

Hope that helps.

[Kruger]

Thanks for the advice!

I checked the BIOS after a shutdown. It said the CPU temperature was 85 °C. That's bad, right? I'm still wondering why this problem has appeared all of a sudden, since the cooling fan is still spinning in there. Or is it maybe spinning at a slower rate than before (According to the BIOS it is spinning at about 1600 rpm)? What should I do next?

Kruger

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

Originally posted by Kruger
Thanks for the advice!

I checked the BIOS after a shutdown. It said the CPU temperature was 85 °C. That's bad, right? I'm still wondering why this problem has appeared all of a sudden, since the cooling fan is still spinning in there. Or is it maybe spinning at a slower rate than before (According to the BIOS it is spinning at about 1600 rpm)? What should I do next?

Kruger

You may need to clean your heatsink, and put thermal transfer paste on it. Or your fan may be spinning but not spinning as it should. In fact, at 1600 RPM, your fan is WAY slow. THERE is your problem.

I suggest you get a new fan, and if you want, to prevent this in the future, invest in the best fan and heatsink you can afford. I use a Thermaltake heatsink and a Vantec fan. My CPU never exceeds 45C, under extreme load, in hot weather.

Every so often, you need to remove the heatsink from the CPU and clean it thoroughly. Then use a good quality thermal transfer paste (I use Arctic Silver Ceramique, available at good computer shops or from NewEgg or Excaliber PC) as required, then reinstall the heatsink to the CPU.

The above should completely solve your problems, UNLESS you have damaged your CPU, or you have something else that is driving your temperature up, like excessive voltage. But with a fan speed of 1600 RPM, I think the fan is the problem.

[13Promet]

I am actually experiencing same problem, with no overheating issue.
Also i know one of my squadmates experiencing the same problem.
I never experience such problems, even with more CPU demanding games.
It looks like a bug to me.

HTC, any hint for this ?

Thank you in advance


Promet

[Easyscor]

Clean the cooling fins on the heat sink and check the BIOS for multiple fan speed settings, set if for the highest fan speed.

I hope this will fix it for you.

[StarOfAfrica2]

Originally posted by 13Promet
I am actually experiencing same problem, with no overheating issue.
Also i know one of my squadmates experiencing the same problem.
I never experience such problems, even with more CPU demanding games.
It looks like a bug to me.

HTC, any hint for this ?

Thank you in advance


Promet

There is NO more CPU demanding game than a flight sim.  Period.  And Aces High is one of the most demanding there is.  Nothing out there right now that I know of hits the CPU like Aces High does.

[13Promet]

Still, I have no CPU overheating

[StarOfAfrica2]

And there can be lots of reasons for it.  Overheating is just one.  Sending Skuzzy a copy of your Direct X Diagnostic report is generally the best place to start.  You can email to him at support@hitechcreations.com or you can post it here on the BBS.  You'd probably get faster Skuzzy response via email.

[Schutt]

Dust builds up in the fans so the heat problem starts after a while of trouble free running.

Other than that it might be that now it is summer time and your room temprature is higher than in the winter, which makes the cooling less effective.