Random reboots while playing certain games

[werdna87]

So i have been having this issue for a while and have no idea what could be causing it. I built myself a new rig in September, and certain games have not worked since. My specs are:
I5 3570K
XFX 4850 1GB
400W corsair PSU
ASRock Extreme4 7ZZ
2X 4GB GSkill Ares DDR3 RAM

What happens is the computer just reboots while playing some games. No warning, no blue screen, it just restarts as if the reset switch is being hit. It happens on games built on cryengine and unreal engine AFAK (happened on bioshock, and crysis 2). It does not happen on other games (like Just Cause 2) that are just as power intensive though so i am kind of confused about that. I just installed a clean win7 Ultimate hoping it would fix my issues but it didnt.

 

[Chalky Emultion]

Your PSU could be the problem. You need a more powerful PSU I think...

 

[werdna87]

Your PSU could be the problem. You need a more powerful PSU I think...

Dont think that is the problem as the max power i have ever seen it pull was 280W

 

[AstaLaVista]

You need to disable the Automatic Restart when the system fails... I do believe there are two ways you can do this.

There is an image here (mid section)... Blue Screen on startup then computer restarts - Windows-XP-General-Discussion - Windows-XP

How To Disable the Automatic Restart on System Failure in Windows 7

Once you see the BSOD and the error code, it will be easier to see what the problem is.

If you have already updated your Audio and Video drivers correctly, the ones that come with the mobo CD are outdated and the ones you can install with Windows Update are more Generic than anything else. In case you don't know... you must uninstall the drivers in the Device Manager, restart and then install fresh copies of each direct from the manufacturer.

You should also check the minimum requirements of your video card when it comes to power... if the PSU you have is not of a good brand, there could be an issue as well even though you say it does not pull that much power.

 

[werdna87]

You need to disable the Automatic Restart when the system fails... I do believe there are two ways you can do this.

There is an image here (mid section)... Blue Screen on startup then computer restarts - Windows-XP-General-Discussion - Windows-XP

How To Disable the Automatic Restart on System Failure in Windows 7

Once you see the BSOD and the error code, it will be easier to see what the problem is.

If you have already updated your Audio and Video drivers correctly, the ones that come with the mobo CD are outdated and the ones you can install with Windows Update are more Generic than anything else. In case you don't know... you must uninstall the drivers in the Device Manager, restart and then install fresh copies of each direct from the manufacturer.

You should also check the minimum requirements of your video card when it comes to power... if the PSU you have is not of a good brand, there could be an issue as well even though you say it does not pull that much power.

I have updated all the drivers, and as i said, it pulls a max of 280W while stress testing. I also disabled the auto-reboot, but there are still no bluescreens or anything.

 

[AstaLaVista]

Well, according to some sites, this is what you need for the 4850 radeon

Radeon 4850 - 30A and a 450W PSU minimum

Even the card suggests it if you look at the details and specs... Newegg.com - XFX HD-485X-ZNFC Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

This may or may not be an issue but you must remember that some of the newer shooters are nothing but shody console ports, they are badly coded so they must use more juice than a dedicated pc game. You keep saying you only pull 280w in the stress test but the issue you are having is noticeable by either heat or power. In the end, it seems you know your way around computers so you will know better.

Look at this deal, it has good reviews and for the price, you can't go wrong... 60 cheeseburgers at the end of the day. It has a 10 MiR as well but, if you act today, you get 20 off with the promotional code! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-112412-Index-_-PowerSupplies-_-17553010-L01B

 

[werdna87]

Well, according to some sites, this is what you need for the 4850 radeon

Radeon 4850 - 30A and a 450W PSU minimum

Even the card suggests it if you look at the details and specs... Newegg.com - XFX HD-485X-ZNFC Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

This may or may not be an issue but you must remember that some of the newer shooters are nothing but shody console ports, they are badly coded so they must use more juice than a dedicated pc game. You keep saying you only pull 280w in the stress test but the issue you are having is noticeable by either heat or power. In the end, it seems you know your way around computers so you will know better.

Look at this deal, it has good reviews and for the price, you can't go wrong... 60 cheeseburgers at the end of the day. It has a 10 MiR as well but, if you act today, you get 20 off with the promotional code! Newegg.com - COUGAR A-Series A760 (CGR B3-760) 760W ATX12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Ultra Quiet Power Supply

that is the card i have and i agree it does say that it needs a 450W PSU, but it ran perfectly fine on my old rig (same PSU as well) which was a core2 duo. If it was reaching near 400w stress testing i would totally agree with you but as i have never seen it even it 300w it hard to believe that's the issue.

 

[AstaLaVista]

Well, then there is that, perhaps you have a friend with multiple PSUs and he can lend you one to test? Perhaps your PSU no longer works as it should and its time for a new one?

You seem like you know your way around computers more than I do so, I wish you good luck since I can no longer suggest other things.

 

[Chalky Emultion]

Well, according to some sites, this is what you need for the 4850 radeon

Radeon 4850 - 30A and a 450W PSU minimum

Even the card suggests it if you look at the details and specs... Newegg.com - XFX HD-485X-ZNFC Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

This may or may not be an issue but you must remember that some of the newer shooters are nothing but shody console ports, they are badly coded so they must use more juice than a dedicated pc game. You keep saying you only pull 280w in the stress test but the issue you are having is noticeable by either heat or power. In the end, it seems you know your way around computers so you will know better.

Look at this deal, it has good reviews and for the price, you can't go wrong... 60 cheeseburgers at the end of the day. It has a 10 MiR as well but, if you act today, you get 20 off with the promotional code! Newegg.com - COUGAR A-Series A760 (CGR B3-760) 760W ATX12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Ultra Quiet Power Supply

that is the card i have and i agree it does say that it needs a 450W PSU, but it ran perfectly fine on my old rig (same PSU as well) which was a core2 duo. If it was reaching near 400w stress testing i would totally agree with you but as i have never seen it even it 300w it hard to believe that's the issue.

According to a large number of reviews and tests founded on the web, the HD 4850 consumes around 240W when full loaded.
400W could be really not enough for your rig. In fact, your pc reboots when you are stressing the card with some intensive graphics engines.

Are you overclocking the card?

A second possibility is that the card is broken and is providing issues. If a Windows 7 clean install didn't solve the problem, something is wrong with your hardware.

Also run a RAM test to see if your memory is working correctly. Broken RAM sticks could cause this issue too.

Anyway, 400W are really scarce for an Ivy Bridge I5 3570K, an HD 4850, and a ASRock Extreme4 7ZZ. I suggest you a PSU upgrade.

 

[sygnus21]

So i have been having this issue for a while and have no idea what could be causing it. I built myself a new rig in September, and certain games have not worked since. My specs are:
I5 3570K
XFX 4850 1GB
400W corsair PSU
ASRock Extreme4 7ZZ
2X 4GB GSkill Ares DDR3 RAM

What happens is the computer just reboots while playing some games. No warning, no blue screen, it just restarts as if the reset switch is being hit. It happens on games built on cryengine and unreal engine AFAK (happened on bioshock, and crysis 2). It does not happen on other games (like Just Cause 2) that are just as power intensive though so i am kind of confused about that. I just installed a clean win7 Ultimate hoping it would fix my issues but it didnt.

Are you overclocked?

And tough your system may be performing well with the 400 watt power supply, It may be a bit underpowered for the system, especially if you're overclocking. Personally I would have at least a 450 in that system.

The other issue is the card could be failing. That 4850 isn't exactly new. I the exact same brand (XFX) back in Apr 2009 so...

The other thing you could try, provided you have the technical know how, is to dissemble the card and replaced the thermo paste and see how it goes. The card could be over heating, and replacing the thermo paste could help keep the temps low.

That said, you might also make sure the card's fan is working and free of dust build-up. Likewise you could check the system is getting adequate cooling.

Just some things to think about.

 

[M1GU31]

Return that psu if you can and get a good 500watt psu. 400 is barely enough imo. More then likely because of lack of power or overheating. It's always better to have extra power then to barely meet power requirements.

 

[werdna87]

Well, according to some sites, this is what you need for the 4850 radeon

Radeon 4850 - 30A and a 450W PSU minimum

Even the card suggests it if you look at the details and specs... Newegg.com - XFX HD-485X-ZNFC Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

This may or may not be an issue but you must remember that some of the newer shooters are nothing but shody console ports, they are badly coded so they must use more juice than a dedicated pc game. You keep saying you only pull 280w in the stress test but the issue you are having is noticeable by either heat or power. In the end, it seems you know your way around computers so you will know better.

Look at this deal, it has good reviews and for the price, you can't go wrong... 60 cheeseburgers at the end of the day. It has a 10 MiR as well but, if you act today, you get 20 off with the promotional code! Newegg.com - COUGAR A-Series A760 (CGR B3-760) 760W ATX12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Ultra Quiet Power Supply

that is the card i have and i agree it does say that it needs a 450W PSU, but it ran perfectly fine on my old rig (same PSU as well) which was a core2 duo. If it was reaching near 400w stress testing i would totally agree with you but as i have never seen it even it 300w it hard to believe that's the issue.

According to a large number of reviews and tests founded on the web, the HD 4850 consumes around 240W when full loaded.
400W could be really not enough for your rig. In fact, your pc reboots when you are stressing the card with some intensive graphics engines.

Are you overclocking the card?

A second possibility is that the card is broken and is providing issues. If a Windows 7 clean install didn't solve the problem, something is wrong with your hardware.

Also run a RAM test to see if your memory is working correctly. Broken RAM sticks could cause this issue too.

Anyway, 400W are really scarce for an Ivy Bridge I5 3570K, an HD 4850, and a ASRock Extreme4 7ZZ. I suggest you a PSU upgrade.

The card I have is actually the mobile version of the chip so it consumes far less power. i recently ordered a 7770 for another rig but ill try it in this one first to see if there are any issues. also, what do you guys think of this PSU? Newegg.com - Rosewill Green Series RG630-S12 630W Continuous @40°C,80 PLUS Certified, Single 12V Rail, Active PFC "Compatible with Core i7,i5" Power Supply

 

[Chalky Emultion]

that is the card i have and i agree it does say that it needs a 450W PSU, but it ran perfectly fine on my old rig (same PSU as well) which was a core2 duo. If it was reaching near 400w stress testing i would totally agree with you but as i have never seen it even it 300w it hard to believe that's the issue.

According to a large number of reviews and tests founded on the web, the HD 4850 consumes around 240W when full loaded.
400W could be really not enough for your rig. In fact, your pc reboots when you are stressing the card with some intensive graphics engines.

Are you overclocking the card?

A second possibility is that the card is broken and is providing issues. If a Windows 7 clean install didn't solve the problem, something is wrong with your hardware.

Also run a RAM test to see if your memory is working correctly. Broken RAM sticks could cause this issue too.

Anyway, 400W are really scarce for an Ivy Bridge I5 3570K, an HD 4850, and a ASRock Extreme4 7ZZ. I suggest you a PSU upgrade.

The card I have is actually the mobile version of the chip so it consumes far less power. i recently ordered a 7770 for another rig but ill try it in this one first to see if there are any issues. also, what do you guys think of this PSU? Newegg.com - Rosewill Green Series RG630-S12 630W Continuous @40°C,80 PLUS Certified, Single 12V Rail, Active PFC "Compatible with Core i7,i5" Power Supply

It is a good PSU. 50A on 12V are good.

 

[AstaLaVista]

It has good reviews