PC randomly turning off in game

[jamiehavok]

Have you tried any other games? if you haven't got anything else graphic intensive try downloading heaven or valley benchmark, see if same thing happens.

Corsair psus are decent and a 650 watt will easily handle a single 780 but it could be a dodgy psu if it happens on other graphic intensive games and you've ruled out overheating.

 

[jackb885]

Well the only other game I really have is Shadows of Mordor and that used to work on Ultra settings now it has the same problem as Witcher

 

[Phalzyr]

If those are your load temps something is wrong there,

He said... Oh ninja'd...

I'll let @GuyNwah answer the power supply thing... GPU min PSU is 600 so with CPU and other periphs could be coming close to limit and not all PSUs perform well when near max..

 

[SeasonedWitcher]

Well I barely get into the game and it shuts down the PC. Didn't notice much but as I said there wasn't much warning prior to shutdown.

---------- Updated at 08:38 PM ----------

Also surely an updated driver wouldn't stop me from playing Shadows of Mordor when I used to be able to play it on ultra settings.

An updated driver that's pushing the graphics card harder than a previous version will. Your PSU is borderline powerful enough for that setup if it's single rail, if it's not, then it isn't up to the job, simple as that. You also didn't answer if there are drops in performance before shutdown.

 

[Phalzyr]

Well the only other game I really have is Shadows of Mordor a

Have you tried simply doing a stress test or such and hwmonitor etc?

 

[jamiehavok]

Try doing a fresh driver install, update or rollback, if that doesnt solve it then yeah its probably the psu, though because its faulty not because its not powerful enough, corsair are good quality (usually) and gpu manufacturers overstate the min wattage to cover there backsides. hes likely only using less than 500 watts

 

[jackb885]

Just tried heaven bench mark and the same problem happened. Noticed no drops in performance.

 

[muh3yxap4e]

Check your CPU temp ... in the BIOS there are ususally serveral protections for over heating and shutting down the PC

 

[PrincessMassacre]

if it's restarting in all those under heavy load, then yea. but possibilities are literally endless. from bad ram to psu, etc...

quickest/easiest way to perform those tests is:

check event viewer, crash logs, etc... for any info that may give you a clue as to the problem.

test ram using memtest86+/windows memory diagnostics(latter only supports 4gb). or test with both, for several hours/several passes.

test HDD for bad sectors using chkdsk c: /r (can also cause shutdowns, especially if in registry, system or pagefile).

if it's an ssd: flash/nvram corruption is just as bad an issue in some cases. sometimes, the drive won't handle them properly or detect them as bad. sometimes manufacturer will provide some diagnostics tools (but they might not detect error in all cases, or intermittently)...

test system files using sfc /verifyonly (to just check), or /scannow (to replace corrupt files), may need windows w/service pack disc.

make a backup at this point, if you plan to tinker with hardware, and disconnect your HDD.

inspect your m/b and other components for enlarged/corroded capacitors, if your board still uses electrolytic types.

clean the dust out of your junk and test components/power supply. testing ps/u you prob don't have the tools for anyways and there's potential for serious damage if you play around with a faulty power supply. ;p (oh and don't blow dust into your ps/u, lest it get wedged somewhere and start building up heat).

turn it back on for a few mins and make sure it doesn't blow up (will make a big boom, hard to miss), before reconnecting HDD.

update bios/drivers? reinstall directx? reinstall windows?...

with all that ruled out, bad drivers can still cause bsod/instant reboot, but you should have checked all that in event viewer and crash dumps.

pictures of busted capacitors while u wait ;p... curiously, this board continued to function with 100% uptime for a few months before i even noticed there was a problem when it came to cleaning out my PCs (yes, all from a single board... literally walking corpse). haha. but that rarely happens, usually fatal error (this was some demon/jesus board).

 

[etsubmariner13]

PSU not keeping up with power needs combined with updates and heavy game needs, etc. Easily solved by ordering a much higher PSU (say 800 or better), trying it, and if it still craps out, that rules out the PSU and you can ship the unit back for refund.

As for low temperatures while gaming, any good rig will keep the temp down, so that's hardly odd. I think my own got up to 40 degrees once.

 

[GuyNwah]

It's not necessarily a higher power PSU, but a PSU that can deliver its power within spec, and components that don't pull the ripcord.

No modern single GPU needs more than a 550 watt PSU. That includes the GTX 780. But a PSU that doesn't deliver with solid regulation and ripple control will fail even if it has a much higher capacity.

Recent Corsair power supplies are a mixed bag. Corsair is not a manufacturer; they have other firms manufacturing power supplies to their specifications. Many recent Corsair models are made by Channel Well, a reputable manufacturer, even if they're not so good as earlier Seasonic-made Corsairs.

When you have a computer that is going spontaneous black screen under load like that, the PSU, GPU, and motherboard are all suspects. The GPU and motherboard in particular have regulation that steps the power supply's 12V down to 1.0 or 1.2 or whatever each chip requires in its current operating mode. Without a substantial lab on hand, you can't test each directly; you have to make guesses from when and how failures occur, and replace suspect components in the order of ease of replacement.

In short, you want it to be the power supply, because it's the least expensive of the components and the easiest to remove and replace. But if you get failures only in games or benchmarks like Heaven or Furmark that are stressing the GPU, or only in CPU tests like Prime 95 or Intel Burn Test, you have to suspect the GPU or the motherboard.

 

[etsubmariner13]

No modern single GPU needs more than a 550 watt PSU.

A GTX 980 needs 500, however, combine that with the power requirements for motherboard, CPU and cooling systems and other items, and you will find a 650 or 700 too little (if the PSU can also provide steadily, no matter how much wattage). I also had PSU problems early on setting up my newest rig, and that was a 900w. Diagnostics and testing results = that PSU was doing a good job at steadiness, but it just wasn't enough wattage. PC would simply shut off.

 

[Zanderat]

No. Guy is right. I am running two GTX 760's in SLI with a FX 8350 and 750 watts works just fine.

 

[PrincessMassacre]

most 500s will give you some 350-450w on the 12v rail (have to check your specs). 980 only needs 165w, plus some 60w maybe from system components. more than enough including some 50-100% overhead (should have at least 30%)... 650w is more than enough even for most dual-card setups. in total, that system probably only draws 300-400w (not incl monitors/peripherals).

 

[jamiehavok]

A GTX 980 needs 500, however, combine that with the power requirements for motherboard, CPU and cooling systems and other items, and you will find a 650 or 700 too little (if the PSU can also provide steadily, no matter how much wattage). I also had PSU problems early on setting up my newest rig, and that was a 900w. Diagnostics and testing results = that PSU was doing a good job at steadiness, but it just wasn't enough wattage. PC would simply shut off.

wrong, a 780 on its own requires about 230 watts (give or take a few depending on manufacturer overclock etc) The wattage requirement that gfx cards state takes into account the rest of the system as well, so will not need more than 600 watts on a decent psu, probably less as the stated requirement is exaggerated to cover there backsides. a 980 only requires about 165 watts on its own, so a 500 watt decent psu is fine.

I say decent psu as like the guy above me said it's not just about wattage, you need decent amps on the 12v rail etc. There's a big difference between a psu manufactured by Channel Well or Seasonic who are decent, compared to a CiT or Acbel who are pretty bad, I'd never power any decent gfx card on 1 of those no matter what the wattage

 

[PrincessMassacre]

lol who coulda figured, a 780 draws more than 980... yea, always check your specs. ;p yea 650 is fine (altho i will say i once had a complete failure of a corsair 650 that was literally incredible... after connecting it to a ps/u tester, the thing just went dead... fan still spinning, all that, but no power output...) was during a test i was doing for intel on one of their boards producing mechanical vibration from northbridge when running with a certain quad core cpu. otherwise ps/u was fine... connect tester... dead...? (the vibration was unrelated to ps/u btw).

reliability is also highly misleading in that regard. i've yet to have a knockoff ps/u fail... even the cheap brands like enermax/ultra... yet i've had 1 of 2 corsairs fail. in fact, i rarely see failed ps/us in this line of work. unless they're like 400w-450w - 20$ garbage. (omg, they now sell 600w for 30$, disaster waiting to happen).

 

[etsubmariner13]

wrong, a 780 on its own requires about 230 watts (give or take a few depending on manufacturer overclock etc) The wattage requirement that gfx cards state takes into account the rest of the system as well, so will not need more than 600 watts on a decent psu, probably less as the stated requirement is exaggerated to cover there backsides. a 980 only requires about 165 watts on its own, so a 500 watt decent psu is fine.

I say decent psu as like the guy above me said it's not just about wattage, you need decent amps on the 12v rail etc. There's a big difference between a psu manufactured by Channel Well or Seasonic who are decent, compared to a CiT or Acbel who are pretty bad, I'd never power any decent gfx card on 1 of those no matter what the wattage

Right, actually. 500 watts on a GTX 980 only takes into account the card and a basic rig setup. It does not take into account actual motherboard and CPU requirements that each person may own, which on a decent gaming rig run 700 or 800w (combined) easily. As I clearly mentioned in my post, after diagnostics and tests (using my old Navy submarine term-usage), 900 was insufficient for the needs of my system. I ran those software and hardware tests myself using my electronics tech equipment. I can assure you, 500 watts for a basic system just won't let that GTX980 sing, nor do anything like W3 needs from it on ultra settings.

If the PC is shutting off while playing this game, upgrade the PSU to a much higher version with good ratings, and if that doesn't work, it tells you bundles about your next steps.

 

[GuyNwah]

A GTX 980 needs 500, however, combine that with the power requirements for motherboard, CPU and cooling systems and other items, and you will find a 650 or 700 too little (if the PSU can also provide steadily, no matter how much wattage). I also had PSU problems early on setting up my newest rig, and that was a 900w. Diagnostics and testing results = that PSU was doing a good job at steadiness, but it just wasn't enough wattage. PC would simply shut off.

No, a GTX 980 doesn't use anything remotely resembling 500 watts. nVidia's own specification is total system power requires a 500 watt power supply, and even that is exaggerated. A GTX 980 running full power (not overclocked, that adds some) is about 165 watts, and a full system running a GTX 980 on a load like Furmark is about 300 watts. (Note this is a lot less than earlier nVidia GPUs like the 780, which can double as space heaters.)

Please do not spread misinformation. Misinformation that causes people to buy expensive components they do not need is cheap when it is not your money.

 

[jamiehavok]

Right, actually. 500 watts on a GTX 980 only takes into account the card and a basic rig setup. It does not take into account actual motherboard and CPU requirements that each person may own, which on a decent gaming rig run 700 or 800w (combined) easily. As I clearly mentioned in my post, after diagnostics and tests (using my old Navy submarine term-usage), 900 was insufficient for the needs of my system. I ran those software and hardware tests myself using my electronics tech equipment. I can assure you, 500 watts for a basic system just won't let that GTX980 sing, nor do anything like W3 needs from it on ultra settings.

If the PC is shutting off while playing this game, upgrade the PSU to a much higher version with good ratings, and if that doesn't work, it tells you bundles about your next steps.

lol, my i7 920 overclocked which uses more power than later intel cpus, and a radeon r9 290 which is one of the most power hungry gpus right now, a long with an ssd and 2 fast hard drives barely uses 500 watts at full load let alone a lower powered 980. I wouldn't recommend running this system on a 500 watt psu, I'd stick to the minimum 600 watt it says on the gfx card box as some headroom is always good but fact remains you're grossly exaggerating what is needed. You really need to get your facts right!

 

[RedBehrend]

Not sure where the high wattages come from but the cards DO NOT use 500watts lol.
If your running a single card, MB, hard drive, ram, etc.. You can get away with 500w to 650w power supply easy
There is a reason the 500w power supply is the most sold power supply and it's not because it's under wattage for computers it's because it's pretty much overkill for the common computer (none-gaming).

You want quality over wattage, so get a nice solid gold certified 525w-650w power supply try not to go any higher than 750 by one of the major brands like corsair, seasonic, etc..
You want your rails to be a solid voltage and clean power, that matters much more than having extra watts that you will probably never use as computers are getting more and more energy efficient.
If you are unsure check out newegg and read the reviews, you'll find the ones that die on people pretty fast.

I always tell people to go a little higher on power supplies, just say the 500 works, then go 525, 600, etc.just so the load isn't as much on the PSU so it lasts forever! A 1000w power supply on a 500w rig is less efficient than a 650w power supply on the same rig (generally).