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How can I find out what my PSU is? I have Windows XP. Word searches found no match.

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Originally posted by gambit3
How can I find out what my PSU is? I have Windows XP. Word searches found no match.
If you know the make and model numbers of the computer you can find out at the manufacturers website.

Or else look in the documentation that came with it.

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Will the AMD Opteron Dual Core 265 make a good gaming computer processor? It is priced at $316. Is the AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 3800 maybe a better processor for gaming? It is priced at $354.

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Originally posted by gambit3
Will the AMD Opteron Dual Core 265 make a good gaming computer processor? It is priced at $316. Is the AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 3800 maybe a better processor for gaming? It is priced at $354.
I'd go for the 3800.

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There has been many changes in the game of [url=http://www.alienpoker.com]poker[/url] especially after it got online, well you can call this my personal opinion but I believe that there will be many who would agree with me in this regard. Over the years the game seems to have changed from the contemporary strategic one to the hardcore gambling and as you know that gambling is something to which you got to rely on the fate, this is what I dislike the most. Those earlier days when we used to roll our cards in the casino were more interesting.

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Originally posted by gambit3
How can I find out what my PSU is? I have Windows XP. Word searches found no match.
Open up your computer's case and look at the label.

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Right.

Seeing as there are so many people clued up on computers here, I thought I'd list my problem that I've been experiencing for a year now.

I have a Pentium Dual Core 3 Ghz processor, Asus or Gigabyte motherboard (not sure) with PCI - E, SATA RAID II (or something like that), Ge Force 7900 GT, Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum, 2 x 250 Gig HDD and a 500 W PSU and 1 gig of 533 Ram

However

If I play Company of Heroes, Darkstar One, Titan Quest or most of the new games, the game crashes at random points.

Initially I thought it was heat (because my CPU runs at 75 - 80 degrees Celsius), so as an experiment I underclocked it and turned the voltage down. That brought the temp down 5 degrees, but the games still crashed.

FEAR didn't though which is quite strange.

Anyway, so I changed the graphics card to a GeForce 7600 and it runs perfectly.

So I thought the fault was the graphics card.

I swapped it and I had the same problem.


Then I tried a mates 6800GT and same problem.

It must be heat.

Any ideas?

Another thing, have I permanently damaged my CPU by running it in such a high temperature zone?

Could this be the cause of the problem?

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Originally posted by ASROMA
Right.

Seeing as there are so many people clued up on computers here, I thought I'd list my problem that I've been experiencing for a year now.

I have a Pentium Dual Core 3 Ghz processor, Asus or Gigabyte motherboard (not sure) with PCI - E, SATA RAID II (or something like that), Ge Force 7900 GT, Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum, 2 x 250 Gig HDD and a 500 W ...[text shortened]... CPU by running it in such a high temperature zone?

Could this be the cause of the problem?
Test for heat: play a game that you know is going to fizzle out on you. When your pc switches off, turn it back on and try to play the game again. If it dies again then it's definitely heat.

The GeForce 7900GT kicks ass, you should make an effort to keep it. You've got a lot of kit in that box though, pay careful attention to your wiring in there, try to keep it as neat and as spacey as possible to allow airflow.

My intuition is that your problem is due to heat, as it seems to happen when you're playing games (i.e. when your GT is under load). You probably haven't damaged your CPU, usually you'll smell it when it starts literally cooking.

You can get an air cooling kit locally for around R400, I think.

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Originally posted by hopscotch
Test for heat: play a game that you know is going to fizzle out on you. When your pc switches off, turn it back on and try to play the game again. If it dies again then it's definitely heat.

The GeForce 7900GT kicks ass, you should make an effort to keep it. You've got a lot of kit in that box though, pay careful attention to your wiring in there, try t ...[text shortened]... arts literally cooking.

You can get an air cooling kit locally for around R400, I think.
Thanks for the help bro.

I'm off to PC Games World in Sandton soon.

Can you recommend an air cooling kit for me?

I've done your test before.

It's definitely heat!

Initially it takes a while to crash (the first time) and then crashes almost immediately.

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Originally posted by ASROMA
Thanks for the help bro.

I'm off to PC Games World in Sandton soon.

Can you recommend an air cooling kit for me?

I've done your test before.

It's definitely heat!

Initially it takes a while to crash (the first time) and then crashes almost immediately.
Before you splash out, might be worth your while to see if all that gear is draining too much power and your PSU can't handle the load. Not sure how to do this, but I'm sure someone else here will.

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Originally posted by jimslyp69
Before you splash out, might be worth your while to see if all that gear is draining too much power and your PSU can't handle the load. Not sure how to do this, but I'm sure someone else here will.
If it was a case of underpowering then there would be noticeable effects prior to system shutdown anyway. I'm pretty sure that nVidia graphics cards let you know if they don't have enough power (can anyone confirm this?).

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If your computer is overheating would it be a good idea to take the tower case off and bore a few holes in it or would it do nothing more then let dust and bugs in?

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Originally posted by Starrman
If it was a case of underpowering then there would be noticeable effects prior to system shutdown anyway. I'm pretty sure that nVidia graphics cards let you know if they don't have enough power (can anyone confirm this?).
I know mine will tell me if I leave the the auxiliary power cord unplugged but I don't know if it would tell me if it was undervolted. Remember, having a too small power supply would mean things were undervolted (they expect 5V and are getting 4.5V or less) and when things are under load (playing a game) things get worse. That's when you start to see random crashes and shutdowns.

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Originally posted by gambit3
If your computer is overheating would it be a good idea to take the tower case off and bore a few holes in it or would it do nothing more then let dust and bugs in?
That would do nothing. It is probably your CPU that is overheating (that's always the hottest thing on my PC) and that's buried under the giant heatsink and fan. What you want to do is take off the heatsink and ensure it has good contact (with thermal paste) to the CPU and that airflow is as expected (the fan works). If that is the case and it still overheats you need better cooling.

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Originally posted by XanthosNZ
That would do nothing. It is probably your CPU that is overheating (that's always the hottest thing on my PC) and that's buried under the giant heatsink and fan. What you want to do is take off the heatsink and ensure it has good contact (with thermal paste) to the CPU and that airflow is as expected (the fan works). If that is the case and it still overheats you need better cooling.
And how does that help the man? To say that after your recommendation of paste, "you need better cooling"? First of all, it's really dumb to recommend that he use "thermal paste" and if you knew half as much about computers as you boast you'd know that. Do you really think "thermal paste" is the deciding factor here?

Here's what the guy should do, XanthosNZ:

1) Open the computer and remove the fan from the CPU chip.
2) Check to make sure there is no dust on the fan.
3) Once the fan has been established as working then go into the CMOS and check the settings for the fan. Your settings should have the fan always ON.
4) If you have excess dust inside the case blow it out.
5) Make sure the fan on the case is clear of dust and is working properly.
6) Make sure the air inlets and exits to the case are not obstructed.
7) If none of the above work then there is a problem with the CPU and you need to consult a computer tech center.