Problem -- Computer keeps turning off... Please help!

[enhancedstudios]

I built my own computer over a year ago... It has an Abit KX7-333 motherboard and an AMD 2100+ processor. It has run perfectly smooth for a very long time... And then, just recently... It just shuts off for seemingly no reason, and then the power button will no longer turn it back on.

The motherboard has two lights on it. An amber light, and a green light. The amber light comes on if the board is receiving power, but is off. And both lights are on when it is powered up. I have found that the only way to get it to come back on is to either turn off the power supply in the back, or unplug the power cable from the power supply... and leave it off or unplugged for about 5-10 seconds until the amber light goes out. Then when I plug the power back in, or if I turn the switch back on, then the computer powers back up without me even pressing the power button. At first the computer could be on for anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours before it would just shut off again. However, the past couple of days it won't even stay on for 5 minutes before it shuts off.

What could the problem possibly be? Can someone please help me??

Thank you so much!

[kane2g]

I would check:
PSU
Temp.
If youre overclocking, check that too.

[enhancedstudios]

Not overclocking... And it's not the temperature. It was running hot quite a bit, but I got a new heatsink/fan months ago and it hasn't run hot since.

PSU?

I don't know why I'm thinking this--but is this what would be happening to a computer if the power supply wasn't powerful enough?

About a month ago I took out a cd-burner and replaced it with a Sony Dru-510a dvd-burner... and 2 weeks later this starts happening... I don't know if that would have anything to do with it... I don't see how it could...

[enhancedstudios]

I have a 430 watt power supply... And I have a Sony DRU-510a and another dvd drive... two hard drives... an internal 250mb zip drive... RIVA TNT2 Pro graphics card... Soundblaster Audigy 2 Platinum sound card with the live drive... 3 case fans... Thermaltake Volcano 11+ Xaser Edition cooler w/ front manual fan speed control...

I also have some USB devices hooked up as well.. Cordless keyboard and mouse... an Epson printer... External 80gb hard drive... Half of which I have hooked up through a USB hub... I'm not really sure if that uses any power from the computer's power supply or not.

How would I be able to tell how much power is being used and if I need more?

[Wiggo]

Are ya powerin' the V11+ off the mobo or the PSU? :?:

[enhancedstudios]

Motherboard

[Wiggo]

Then that is likely ya prob as high performance fans should only be powered from ya PSU (just let the mobo monitor the fan).

[enhancedstudios]

Aha... I didn't even know that the PSU *could* power the fan... I'll have to check that out...

I'm not positive... but I think that if I disconnect the fan from the fan1 plug on the motherboard, it won't even power up at all because it thinks there is no fan...

i don't know, i'll check that out and see if it fixes the problem... that sure would be great.

[enhancedstudios]

Anybody know where I could get a cheap convertor to convert the three pin fan connector to a power connector from the power supply?

[Wiggo]

Well ya can. No1 in the pic below is the PSU connection while No2 is the monitorin' connection which must be connected to the mobo. Powerin' from the mobo itself draws power away from the system which not only makes it unstable but can also result in damage to the mobo itself.

[enhancedstudios]

Oh wow... I had no idea that it could cause damage... Do you know where I can get that connector that will let me power it from the PSU?

[Wiggo]

It comes standard with that HSF and has done so since the Volcano 7 so check the packagin' again.

[enhancedstudios]

That's the problem... I have no idea where the packaging is... or if I even still have it. I installed that fan at least 4 or 5 months ago, and I have moved to a new house since then... so there is no telling if I still have it.

[Wiggo]

Most good PC stores will carry those 3pin to 4 pin adaptors.

[enhancedstudios]

Thanks, I just placed an order at bestbyte.com... I sure hope that fixes my problem, because if that's not it, I don't know what it could be.