System Won't Stay On

PopJaw

New Member
I've come here because I have a problem. I've built a system with the following:

ASUS P5NE-SLI mobo
Intel Q6600 (retail - w/heatsink & fan)
XFX GeForce 8600 GT
Apevia 600W PSU
2GB PC6400

However, it'll only run for about 60 secs before the power cuts out. This happens whether I go into the BIOS or let it run. If I try to turn it on again right away it will only run for about 30 secs. I've checked and rechecked all the cables and connections, tried 2 diff hdds with and without a FDD and optical drives hooked up. When it's been on all the fans (PSU, CPU, Case, Vid Card) work, as do the lights (hdd monitor, power, optical drives when hooked up). There's been no obvious signs of overheating (smoke, flames, scorch marks, etc). In the limited time I've had in the BIOS I can see that the memory and drives are being recognized. So now I'm beginning to think either the mobo is a dud or I'm missing something simple (then I guess I'd be the dud). Any ideas on what's happening?
 
Thanks for the post, it got me thinking. I initially ruled out the psu, cause I had swapped it into my old system and everything worked fine. However, my old board is a 20 pin, so i guess there could be a problem with one of the 4 pins. I'll have to track down my tester this weekend.
 
Overheating....................... :rolleyes:

Take a household fan and blow it at the computer. Take the side panel off first though.
 
The psu passed with flying colors. I tried the house fan, it didn't make any difference. At this point I've tried everything I could think of and I'm sick of messing with this thing. I'll be sending the mobo back.
 
is it the same amount of time each time? It might be the automatic shutdown due to heat? im not sure but it could be that or the PSU. Check the temps i doubt its that but maybe something is wrong with cooling or something.
 
im not sure but it could be that or the PSU

Day late and a dollar short dougland, as usual. Please don't regurgitate info others have already suggested AFTER it's already been ruled out. Le sigh...

Anyway, PopJaw, as of right now, the culprit does indeed sound like an overheating issue. You mentioned all the fans were running, but there could still be a heat problem. How long ago did you build this system? Did you use a good quality thermal paste or something generic. It's possible that the paste is no longer effective in transferring the heat away from the CPU. When the system is POSTing, do you see anything out of the ordinary, such as an error code upon reboot after a shutdown?

Also, since your MoBo is supplying power to the components and you can enter BIOS, I'd rule that out as a culprit as of right now.
 
It also depends what applications you were running at the time. If you started Crysis, then it crashed, I'd think unsufficient PSU... although overheating DOES sound like the culprit.

Re-apply thermal paste and make sure the HSF is properly seated.
 
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