03-12-2013, 03:24 PM
If it's sudden, general lockups for no apparent reason, in and out of games, bad RAM can be a culprit.
If it's only in games it's more likely heat but could still be RAM.
There are pain-in-the-ass RAM diag tools out there. Maybe Diggles knows a good one. Easy method is remove half your RAM, run with it, if it locks up, try the other half.
If you mean a sudden shutoff (as in not a lockup but bam, hey, my computer is turned off) it sounds like power supply (but could maybe still be heat? don't some motherboards shut you down if heat gets too high?). Usually heat/RAM/driver issues cause lockups, reboots or bluescreens; not sudden power offs.
If it's only in games it's more likely heat but could still be RAM.
There are pain-in-the-ass RAM diag tools out there. Maybe Diggles knows a good one. Easy method is remove half your RAM, run with it, if it locks up, try the other half.
If you mean a sudden shutoff (as in not a lockup but bam, hey, my computer is turned off) it sounds like power supply (but could maybe still be heat? don't some motherboards shut you down if heat gets too high?). Usually heat/RAM/driver issues cause lockups, reboots or bluescreens; not sudden power offs.