4
0
I'm running Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (RTM) on a box with the following specifications:
- Core 2 Duo E6600 (2.4 GHz)
- 4 GB DDR2 667 RAM
- Built-in Realtek 888 audio
- ATI Radeon 4890 graphics card
- Shuttle SD39P2 with 450 watt Shuttle PC-55 power supply
- 320 GB Western Digital 7200 RPM hard drive
Whenever I fire up the Sims 3 or Trine on my machine, each game seems to crash my machine at the same point. I don't get a BSOD or crash to desktop with an error; the entire system just turns completely off (and won't turn back on again unless the master power switch on the back of the case is flipped). I can play other games without any issues.
I'm using the very latest drivers for my sound and graphics as of 2009-08-23. Any ideas?
Quick test if it's a heat problem: does it run a little longer with the case open? – Nelson – 2009-08-23T23:02:04.983
Nope, crashes at the same point with the case cover off. :( – Kyle B. – 2009-08-23T23:02:49.863
hardware diagnosis is always tricky if you don't have access to the computer. but when i read the specs the 450w PSU immediately rang an alarm bell. you're already 10% below the manufacturer recommendation. and if you're running a demanding program/game, this could very well cause the system to shut down.
doesn't necessarily have to be a new game. remember Diablo 2? almost 10 years old now but no matter how powerful the CPU, the game will crank up the workload to a maximum. it's just the way it was coded, which was OK back then when a 450 MHz processor was top of the range :) – None – 2009-08-24T01:06:14.683
Since my temps seem to be in line and my RAM is fine, power seems like the issue here. It's a shame that Shuttle doesn't offer a 500W unit as an upgrade; only the latest barebones models seem to have them. :( – Kyle B. – 2009-08-24T01:29:01.167
Try dropping the resolution of your game. I'm stuck with a 350W Shuttle PSU but running games at 720p instead of 1080p doesn't seem to tax the graphics card enough to cause power problems. – Richard – 2012-07-14T18:48:20.723