Computer shuts down automatically while watching video files

[S!X]

For the past 2 months or so, my computer has been shutting down at random when I watch any kind of movie file. This happens with either windows media player, or VLC..and I have the latest K-lite codec pack installed. I've checked to make sure all the fans inside my tower are running, and free from dust (which they all are). I also checked the capacitors on my mobo, and I don't see any issues there with bulging/leaking. Could it be some kind of software issue?

OS is Win 7 ultimate, specs:

Corsair 520W PSU
AMD X2 4200 Manchester @2.77GHz w/Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro
XFX 8800GTS 320MB
ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe
OCZ Platinum EL PC3200 1GB 2X512MB DDR400
Seagate Barracuda SATA 250GB

Temps pic:

116040

[Artemis]

For the past 2 months or so, my computer has been shutting down at random when I watch any kind of movie file. This happens with either windows media player, or VLC..and I have the latest K-lite codec pack installed. I've checked to make sure all the fans inside my tower are running, and free from dust (which they all are). I also checked the capacitors on my mobo, and I don't see any issues there with bulging/leaking. Could it be some kind of software issue?

OS is Win 7 ultimate, specs:

Corsair 520W PSU
AMD X2 4200 Manchester @2.77GHz w/Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro
XFX 8800GTS 320MB
ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe
OCZ Platinum EL PC3200 1GB 2X512MB DDR400
Seagate Barracuda SATA 250GB

Temps pic:

116040

I have seen this before, the fast answer is you haven't rebuilt your O/S in a long time and a rebuild will resolve it. Your whole machine will benefit from the rebuild anyway, since with a fresh install the registry will be more compact and the computer will physically be faster.

You can try and repair the offending codecs/dlls that are causing the shutdown, but the time and effort since this may be a time consuming trial and error process since there are several possible causes, as opposed to a rebuild which fixes the problem(s) and speeds the PC up overall ,which takes 2-3 hours (install + drivers & apps). So it is a question of where you want the effort to go?

[S!X]

For the past 2 months or so, my computer has been shutting down at random when I watch any kind of movie file. This happens with either windows media player, or VLC..and I have the latest K-lite codec pack installed. I've checked to make sure all the fans inside my tower are running, and free from dust (which they all are). I also checked the capacitors on my mobo, and I don't see any issues there with bulging/leaking. Could it be some kind of software issue?

OS is Win 7 ultimate, specs:

Corsair 520W PSU
AMD X2 4200 Manchester @2.77GHz w/Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro
XFX 8800GTS 320MB
ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe
OCZ Platinum EL PC3200 1GB 2X512MB DDR400
Seagate Barracuda SATA 250GB

Temps pic:

116040

I have seen this before, the fast answer is you haven't rebuilt your O/S in a long time and a rebuild will resolve it. Your whole machine will benefit from the rebuild anyway, since with a fresh install the registry will be more compact and the computer will physically be faster.

You can try and repair the offending codecs/dlls that are causing the shutdown, but the time and effort since this may be a time consuming trial and error process since there are several possible causes, as opposed to a rebuild which fixes the problem(s) and speeds the PC up overall ,which takes 2-3 hours (install + drivers & apps). So it is a question of where you want the effort to go?

I was actually planning on doing a reformat, just to see if that would fix the issue....but I don't know where it lies. Haven't reformatted my computer for quite a while now (my guess would be about a year).

[Artemis]

In 99% of the cases a reformat/rebuild of the O/S will resolve this problem, and it will do it alot quicker than trying to fault find the offending codecs that have become corrupted. As I said I have seen this particular problem quite a few times before, in virtually every case a rebuild resolves the issue. If not there are some serious hardware issues at play, but this is VERY unlikely.

[stan]

Most likely to be the splitter working at the lowest level . VLC uses its own codecs.

I agree best to format . Next time avoid codec packs . Vlc does not need any so just install the exact ones you need for Windows media player .

[S!X]

I just did a reformat, seems that Apple QuickTime player has a .mp4 in it, so right now I'm able to watch my downloaded shows. Gonna give it a run and see if it shuts down again.

EDIT: About 3/4 of the way through watching a tv episode, it shut down again. :frusty::angry:

[mjmacky]

By shutdown, do you mean a full shutdown (process), a BSOD, or it just abruptly cuts out like it lost power?

[S!X]

or it just abruptly cuts out like it lost power?

This.

[Artemis]

or it just abruptly cuts out like it lost power?

This.

Which is unfortunate. But now that we have eliminated the most likely software problems I have some bad news for you. The problem you are now describing (after eliminating the O/S and codecs as the source) is hardware related. While I said it is very unlikely it still happens, and you are one of the lucky winners. This problem is specifically caused by thermal overload and is due to one of the thermal sensors detecting too much heat and shutting the system down as a protective measure. The first thing you need to do is physically inspect the motherboard for dust and in particular the CPU Heatsink/Fan since the most likely sensor is the C.O.P. or CPU overheat preventer. Also though check for dust build up on the motherboard specifically around the RAM modules and inspect inside the PSU with your eyes to see if there is too much dust in there as well.
The best way to remove extraneous dust from components is to buy an air duster can from your local electronics store and spray it at 15cm from the surface you want to remove the dust from in short bursts.
Without in anyway trying to be harsh though, these components are quite old, you may be looking at an end of life component failure.

[S!X]

Which is unfortunate. But now that we have eliminated the most likely software problems I have some bad news for you. The problem you are now describing (after eliminating the O/S and codecs as the source) is hardware related. While I said it is very unlikely it still happens, and you are one of the lucky winners. This problem is specifically caused by thermal overload and is due to one of the thermal sensors detecting too much heat and shutting the system down as a protective measure. The first thing you need to do is physically inspect the motherboard for dust and in particular the CPU Heatsink/Fan since the most likely sensor is the C.O.P. or CPU overheat preventer. Also though check for dust build up on the motherboard specifically around the RAM modules and inspect inside the PSU with your eyes to see if there is too much dust in there as well.
The best way to remove extraneous dust from components is to buy an air duster can from your local electronics store and spray it at 15cm from the surface you want to remove the dust from in short bursts.
Without in anyway trying to be harsh though, these components are quite old, you may be looking at an end of life component failure.

Disappointing news. I've already sprayed the inside pretty well with "Dust-off"...I'd like to know what exactly is causing this, cause as you can see from the temp screenshot I posted, everything looks alright. :unsure:

[johhny]

it might be from a missing video driver or it's somethingh wrong with your chipset.

[Artemis]

Which is unfortunate. But now that we have eliminated the most likely software problems I have some bad news for you. The problem you are now describing (after eliminating the O/S and codecs as the source) is hardware related. While I said it is very unlikely it still happens, and you are one of the lucky winners. This problem is specifically caused by thermal overload and is due to one of the thermal sensors detecting too much heat and shutting the system down as a protective measure. The first thing you need to do is physically inspect the motherboard for dust and in particular the CPU Heatsink/Fan since the most likely sensor is the C.O.P. or CPU overheat preventer. Also though check for dust build up on the motherboard specifically around the RAM modules and inspect inside the PSU with your eyes to see if there is too much dust in there as well.
The best way to remove extraneous dust from components is to buy an air duster can from your local electronics store and spray it at 15cm from the surface you want to remove the dust from in short bursts.
Without in anyway trying to be harsh though, these components are quite old, you may be looking at an end of life component failure.

Disappointing news. I've already sprayed the inside pretty well with "Dust-off"...I'd like to know what exactly is causing this, cause as you can see from the temp screenshot I posted, everything looks alright. :unsure:

For this reason alone diagnosing a problem like this long distance can be frustrating. I agree all of the temps look exactly as expected. We now have to look at the list of possible suspects based upon the age of the system. The two most likely candidates are first either the power supply is overheating (hard to tell since this is a sealed unit but dust build up can affect the PSU), or option b back to the HSF on the CPU again. The fan itself can become intermittent in operation which will also cause a shutdown on some motherboards (ie if they see the CPU fan speed as zero they will shutdown to prevent damage). At this point I am starting to speculate on a list of possible hardware causes that would cause a thermal shutdown like you are experiencing. If you have or can borrow a spare PSU and try that in the PC to see if that is the problem that will eliminate the most likely suspect. If not that the next thing to try is another Heatsink Fan with some replacement thermal paste.

[mjmacky]

If it isn't overheating, thus not a thermal safety shutdown, my next guess is it's power related. I learned my laptop battery doesn't supply sufficient power vs. AC when it comes to utilizing my graphics during gaming. The result is instant-off, and working the graphics processor is the only time I have such an issue. I'm wondering if you might be having a similar issue, a power supply not being able to deliver enough amps/watts or whatever. You could try replacing the power supply if you're already thinking about upgrading hardware.

[kinn]

Me too
My computer when I play game Counter strike source my computer shuts down automatically :cry:
And when I watching video is very lag :cry:

[mjmacky]

Me too
My computer when I play game Counter strike source my computer shuts down automatically :cry:
And when I watching video is very lag :cry:

You'll see me again in your trade thread if when you screw up.

[Appzalien]

Have you ever tried looking in the event viewer to see if it lists any issues there? It's unlikely, since a power off shutdown leaves little time for the app to respond, but its worth a look. Also running temps may look good but a quick spike would be very hard to see and would cause the system to shut down immediately. Do you have another video card to try? Even a slower one might give you some indication that the 8800 maybe faulty.

[Raiuc]

Maybe the videocard is kaput

[S!X]

It's now been randomly shutting down when just browsing the internet, or just doing whatever....not only when watching video, like it was at first. Pretty sure the video card okay, I can't figure out what's overheating though :frusty:

[lordgamar]

I went through the same issue. Ended up being the psu.

[S!X]

Guys, how do I increase the fan speed on my videocard? This is what the temps are currently sitting at, under zero load...yet the comp still shuts off at random regardless if I'm watching videos or not. I'm beginning to think that the "GPU Diode" temp is a bit high?:unsure:

116941

[Glen@DB]

Replacing the thermal paste would be a starting point PSU could also be at fault but overheating is the main cause of abrupt shutdowns.
Get a better CPU fan and ensure good air flow inside the case.

[manker]

Guys, how do I increase the fan speed on my videocard?I recently downloaded an app called Speedfan (http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php). It's freeware.
It detects all the fans in your system so that you can control their speeds through the app.

It sorted a problem I had but on reading this thread, I don't think cooling will fix your problem. Your temps look absolutely fine.

[Artemis]

Although AIDA64 is a good system utility for looking at your overall specs and performance it isn't telling me much about the specific chipsets for the CPU or GPU (different chips have different thermal tolerances) that being said 49 degrees is well within safe parameters. Two additional freeware tools you can download to give specific info about your CPU (and also mainboard and memory) are CpuZ and GpuZ just do a google search on both. As Manker said speedfan is an excellent freeware utility for looking at the temps on all the affected components to do with your system and can indepently control their fans.
I am another one that is strongly suspecting your PSU as the culprit in your on going problems though, especially as you are now being affected by this problem while under minimal load.

[bijoy]

Guys, how do I increase the fan speed on my videocard?

1. Which video card are you using?
2. MSI After Burner or EVGA Precision tuner are some of the good apps to control 'unlocked' graphics cards. THis is the reason I wanted to know the model of the graphics card you are using.

[naek]

Well from my experience it is a hardware problem in combination with a bad device driver. If this happens only when watching videos but not when playing some demanding games though it bring it closer to a driver/software problem.
What would I try:
- check that memory is working on the right voltage(some biso fail reading the right voltage and memory runs undervolted which could bring to this kind of BSOD). It is deffinetely a BSOD in combination with some settings in windows to not show BSOD and bios to remain power off I would say.
- try to update the latest drivers for chipset and video. Maybe you should search for you video card maybe there are some bugs and some versions have issues.
- I would say 99% that it is not a psu or codecs issue.

[S!X]

Ive got the latest codecs, drivers etc. I do have my system overclocked though, It's been OC'd since 2007...and I've never had any issues with overheating/shutdowns etc. I guess there's a good possibility that the OC has something to do with this...even though the temps are within the acceptable range.

[mjmacky]

Ive got the latest codecs, drivers etc. I do have my system overclocked though, It's been OC'd since 2007...and I've never had any issues with overheating/shutdowns etc. I guess there's a good possibility that the OC has something to do with this...even though the temps are within the acceptable range.

Why on earth would you not trying running it without the overclock settings for awhile? Anyways, that's sort of standard operating procedure when dealing with system hangs and power offs and such.

[Artemis]

Well from my experience it is a hardware problem in combination with a bad device driver. If this happens only when watching videos but not when playing some demanding games though it bring it closer to a driver/software problem.
What would I try:
- check that memory is working on the right voltage(some biso fail reading the right voltage and memory runs undervolted which could bring to this kind of BSOD). It is deffinetely a BSOD in combination with some settings in windows to not show BSOD and bios to remain power off I would say.
- try to update the latest drivers for chipset and video. Maybe you should search for you video card maybe there are some bugs and some versions have issues.
- I would say 99% that it is not a psu or codecs issue.

What color are the trees on your planet? 'It is deffinetely a BSOD in combination with some settings in windows to not show BSOD and bios to remain power off I would say.' Really? That is an idiotic answer. The system doesn't go unstable it shuts down. a BSOD is an attempt to dump a memory error into a temp file for review, not a power down.
If you read through the whole thread instead of leaping in with half cocked theory you would realise that the operating system is a fresh install. If there was a memory error it would have shown up during the decompression of the Windows files, the Windows install would have failed.
This is a hardware fault on 3-4 year old hardware, it suddenly powers down completely. The obvious culprits are thermal overload on the CPU or GPU, the northbridge (unlikely) or the PSU.

To the OP your CPU is a DualCore Socket 939 . The thermal threshhold is 65degrees C
Your Video Card is an NVidia 8800 series. These run very hot threshhold is around 75 degrees C

The fan speeds and temps from your system utility are all well within the normal ranges one would expect.

Install speedfan as well to see this will give additional information for each individual chip/fan.

I think the strongest suspect is your PSU, which of course will not show up on any of these tests.

[bijoy]

^^ Well, in that case exact model number of the PSU will be of great help.

[S!X]

^^ Well, in that case exact model number of the PSU will be of great help.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139001

Comp specs are in the first post.

[clocker]

I think the strongest suspect is your PSU, which of course will not show up on any of these tests.
I agree the PSU is the most likely suspect but I'd say the hard drive is number two.

Just recently I was getting random blue screens and shutdowns as my drive decided to crap out.
Run a disk check and see what happens.

Also many apps (like Everest or SIW) will log voltages...you could run them and hit your vid card and CPU with something intensive and see if the voltages are stable.

[mjmacky]

With hard drive problems I've had the system just lock up completely. You have a decent enough PSU by the way, however I have had a power surge take out one of my Corsairs during a lightning storm (popped capacitors and goo was all over the place). I have since invested in a better UPS.

[naek]

Well from my experience it is a hardware problem in combination with a bad device driver. If this happens only when watching videos but not when playing some demanding games though it bring it closer to a driver/software problem.
What would I try:
- check that memory is working on the right voltage(some biso fail reading the right voltage and memory runs undervolted which could bring to this kind of BSOD). It is deffinetely a BSOD in combination with some settings in windows to not show BSOD and bios to remain power off I would say.
- try to update the latest drivers for chipset and video. Maybe you should search for you video card maybe there are some bugs and some versions have issues.
- I would say 99% that it is not a psu or codecs issue.

What color are the trees on your planet? 'It is deffinetely a BSOD in combination with some settings in windows to not show BSOD and bios to remain power off I would say.' Really? That is an idiotic answer. The system doesn't go unstable it shuts down. a BSOD is an attempt to dump a memory error into a temp file for review, not a power down.
If you read through the whole thread instead of leaping in with half cocked theory you would realise that the operating system is a fresh install. If there was a memory error it would have shown up during the decompression of the Windows files, the Windows install would have failed.
This is a hardware fault on 3-4 year old hardware, it suddenly powers down completely. The obvious culprits are thermal overload on the CPU or GPU, the northbridge (unlikely) or the PSU.

To the OP your CPU is a DualCore Socket 939 . The thermal threshhold is 65degrees C
Your Video Card is an NVidia 8800 series. These run very hot threshhold is around 75 degrees C

The fan speeds and temps from your system utility are all well within the normal ranges one would expect.

Install speedfan as well to see this will give additional information for each individual chip/fan.

I think the strongest suspect is your PSU, which of course will not show up on any of these tests.

Green.
On the other question I made a reasonable assumption that "If this happens only when watching videos but not when playing some demanding games though".

Off-topic:
watch your language sir, if in your city it's ok replying "idiotic" to unknown people it doesn't mean that it's generally ok. The noob you replied to was a driver developer once, and it may know things you may not know.

[Artemis]

What color are the trees on your planet? 'It is deffinetely a BSOD in combination with some settings in windows to not show BSOD and bios to remain power off I would say.' Really? That is an idiotic answer. The system doesn't go unstable it shuts down. a BSOD is an attempt to dump a memory error into a temp file for review, not a power down.
If you read through the whole thread instead of leaping in with half cocked theory you would realise that the operating system is a fresh install. If there was a memory error it would have shown up during the decompression of the Windows files, the Windows install would have failed.
This is a hardware fault on 3-4 year old hardware, it suddenly powers down completely. The obvious culprits are thermal overload on the CPU or GPU, the northbridge (unlikely) or the PSU.

To the OP your CPU is a DualCore Socket 939 . The thermal threshhold is 65degrees C
Your Video Card is an NVidia 8800 series. These run very hot threshhold is around 75 degrees C

The fan speeds and temps from your system utility are all well within the normal ranges one would expect.

Install speedfan as well to see this will give additional information for each individual chip/fan.

I think the strongest suspect is your PSU, which of course will not show up on any of these tests.

Green.
On the other question I made a reasonable assumption that "If this happens only when watching videos but not when playing some demanding games though".

Off-topic:
watch your language sir, if in your city it's ok replying "idiotic" to unknown people it doesn't mean that it's generally ok. The noob you replied to was a driver developer once, and it may know things you may not know.

Off-Off-topic: I don't know how else to couch your reply, would moronic be a suitable substitute? You did not read the whole thread through before coming in with an answer that did not fit with the problem that was being defined, If you had read it through you would have realised that your reply did not fit the problem. I see this all the time and the fact that you are not a teenager with an attention deficit disorder, means there is even less of an excuse.

While not a driver developer, I was an I.T. Manager/ Network Technician for some large companies here in my country for a quite a few years, so I wouldn't consider this a hobby.....




I think the strongest suspect is your PSU, which of course will not show up on any of these tests.
I agree the PSU is the most likely suspect but I'd say the hard drive is number two.

Just recently I was getting random blue screens and shutdowns as my drive decided to crap out.
Run a disk check and see what happens.

Also many apps (like Everest or SIW) will log voltages...you could run them and hit your vid card and CPU with something intensive and see if the voltages are stable.

Well that's the frustrating part about doing this from afar through a forum, even with a telephone call you can ask the client to do things and hear the machine in the background, with this it's just relying on what the poster is reporting to you which is a bit frustrating.

[naek]

sory for mess.
@Artemis sorry man, I didn't know this is so important for you. Peace!

[S!X]

I think the strongest suspect is your PSU, which of course will not show up on any of these tests.
I agree the PSU is the most likely suspect but I'd say the hard drive is number two.

Just recently I was getting random blue screens and shutdowns as my drive decided to crap out.
Run a disk check and see what happens.

Also many apps (like Everest or SIW) will log voltages...you could run them and hit your vid card and CPU with something intensive and see if the voltages are stable.

What program would you recommend for doing the disk check? Ever since I bought this hard drive, it's been making an like a chirp sound from time to time. Not sure what that's all about, it was an OEM from ncix.com

[AlexanderR]

Hi there! you can try http://www.seagate.com/support/downloads/ In the utility section you can download a diagnose tool. There is also this one http://www.dtidata.com/windowssurfacescanner/. Both are free, you have other paid soft like http://www.oo-software.com that is very good also. Hope it helps

[bijoy]

^^ Well, in that case exact model number of the PSU will be of great help.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139001

Comp specs are in the first post.

Well, in that case, this PSU would not be (most likely) the culprit. So, I can short the reason down to two components:
1. HDD, whose clusters are getting bad, or,
2. Motherboard's VRM is starting to have issues, which causes the shutdown after running for a random period of time.

[Artemis]

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139001

Comp specs are in the first post.

Well, in that case, this PSU would not be (most likely) the culprit. So, I can short the reason down to two components:
1. HDD, whose clusters are getting bad, or,
2. Motherboard's VRM is starting to have issues, which causes the shutdown after running for a random period of time.

Why? are corsair psu's infallible in your esteemed opinion?

[S!X]

So there's another issue now. If the comp isn't shutting off at random, when I try to watch a video my monitor will just go into sleep mode... but I can hear it playing still. What the hell is going on here?

[gamelink]

So there's another issue now. If the comp isn't shutting off at random, when I try to watch a video my monitor will just go into sleep mode... but I can hear it playing still. What the hell is going on here?

We need an old priest and a young priest

[mjmacky]

So there's another issue now. If the comp isn't shutting off at random, when I try to watch a video my monitor will just go into sleep mode... but I can hear it playing still. What the hell is going on here?

We need an old priest and a young priest

You currently hold best good post/total post ratio.

[bijoy]

So there's another issue now. If the comp isn't shutting off at random, when I try to watch a video my monitor will just go into sleep mode... but I can hear it playing still. What the hell is going on here?

Definitely motherboard problem.





Well, in that case, this PSU would not be (most likely) the culprit. So, I can short the reason down to two components:
1. HDD, whose clusters are getting bad, or,
2. Motherboard's VRM is starting to have issues, which causes the shutdown after running for a random period of time.

Why? are corsair psu's infallible in your esteemed opinion?

Failure rate in Corsair HX/AX series PSUs are very very low. It goes even lower if we exclude some DOAs. That is the main reason behind my point in that post.

[Artemis]

So there's another issue now. If the comp isn't shutting off at random, when I try to watch a video my monitor will just go into sleep mode... but I can hear it playing still. What the hell is going on here?

Same as the other posters, this can only be a motherboard problem, since you have recently reinstalled the O/S. I had exactly the same random fault recently on my own PC amongst a couple of other deteriorating errors, the motherboard was slowly failing and causing more errors.
I faced facts and have updated my machine, although the PC was an LGA775 based quad core with DDR2 1066 RAM so I have reused the components in another PC. You seem at this point to have two choices, you can replace the faulting components with secondhand components i.e. a compatible Socket 939 motherboard, but you have no guarantee of how of it's stability or how long it will last, also they are relatively expensive, or obviously b, based on your budget look at upgrading your PC.

If you need some suggestions about upgrades we can probably give you some good pointers, I think in all honesty this is the best course, repairing a system with secondhand parts is a hit and miss affair and often the repair only lasts a few months at best.

[S!X]

So there's another issue now. If the comp isn't shutting off at random, when I try to watch a video my monitor will just go into sleep mode... but I can hear it playing still. What the hell is going on here?

Same as the other posters, this can only be a motherboard problem, since you have recently reinstalled the O/S. I had exactly the same random fault recently on my own PC amongst a couple of other deteriorating errors, the motherboard was slowly failing and causing more errors.
I faced facts and have updated my machine, although the PC was an LGA775 based quad core with DDR2 1066 RAM so I have reused the components in another PC. You seem at this point to have two choices, you can replace the faulting components with secondhand components i.e. a compatible Socket 939 motherboard, but you have no guarantee of how of it's stability or how long it will last, also they are relatively expensive, or obviously b, based on your budget look at upgrading your PC.

If you need some suggestions about upgrades we can probably give you some good pointers, I think in all honesty this is the best course, repairing a system with secondhand parts is a hit and miss affair and often the repair only lasts a few months at best.

Yeah I think once this thing packs it in, I'm just gonna buy a laptop. Who makes a good laptop these days? I don't game at all, so I won't need anything too expensive.

[mjmacky]

I'm currently not disappointed in Lenovos as far as value goes.

[bijoy]

Same as the other posters, this can only be a motherboard problem, since you have recently reinstalled the O/S. I had exactly the same random fault recently on my own PC amongst a couple of other deteriorating errors, the motherboard was slowly failing and causing more errors.
I faced facts and have updated my machine, although the PC was an LGA775 based quad core with DDR2 1066 RAM so I have reused the components in another PC. You seem at this point to have two choices, you can replace the faulting components with secondhand components i.e. a compatible Socket 939 motherboard, but you have no guarantee of how of it's stability or how long it will last, also they are relatively expensive, or obviously b, based on your budget look at upgrading your PC.

If you need some suggestions about upgrades we can probably give you some good pointers, I think in all honesty this is the best course, repairing a system with secondhand parts is a hit and miss affair and often the repair only lasts a few months at best.

Yeah I think once this thing packs it in, I'm just gonna buy a laptop. Who makes a good laptop these days? I don't game at all, so I won't need anything too expensive.

Asus K53X series. Those are some very nicely priced i7 laptops.

[Hole69]

No laptop can match the sheer speed and feel of a desktop. Build a $500 3870k based system that will last for at least 5yrs (this is an office all rounder after all, unless you want a gaming system) with quality parts and you won't look back. There are squillions of guides and posts on how to do it if its your first time.

[mjmacky]

No laptop can match the sheer speed and feel of a desktop.

Naturally, but laptops have the appeal of taking up very little space and their portability. That's the trade off, and I'm sure every consumer is aware of that.

[S!X]

No laptop can match the sheer speed and feel of a desktop. Build a $500 3870k based system that will last for at least 5yrs (this is an office all rounder after all, unless you want a gaming system) with quality parts and you won't look back. There are squillions of guides and posts on how to do it if its your first time.

I'm well aware of that fact, however for basic use a laptop will suffice. I put my current pc together myself, but I just don't want to be bothered doing it again.

[mjmacky]

I'm well aware of that fact, however for basic use a laptop will suffice. I put my current pc together myself, but I just don't want to be bothered doing it again.

You could have just +1'd me with the +1 button.

[fuzzylogics]

I am also facing the same problem so i would like to share my views with you that first check either the fan is working properly and other thing is may be your computer is old enough and while watching the video and anything you are doing in your system do put the laptop on any solid surface.