PC problems (take it as a challenge for all you tech wizards)

[Lucifer dern]

I've been having a rather strange problem with my laptop atm.
Recently started playing star craft 2, and it had been working fantastically.
No lag on medium settings my zerglings where a fast moving weapon to behold.
Then about a week ago my laptop started just dying...
It happens about half an hour into gameplay, I can have the game minimized and it won?t crash at all...
No lag beforehand no forewarning, just a sudden shutdown, and no error message upon reboot.
I expected over heating since it only ever happens when I'm playing games, but putting down all the settings to low did nothing, still the same sudden and total crash...

So I pitch it to you escapist geniuses, you've helped me with course work, boredom, and stopped me spending money on poor games, can you stop my laptop dying?

 

[Johnnyallstar]

Well, if the laptop had been getting overly hot while gaming, you could have damaged your video card prior to turning your settings down. If damage did occur, turning the settings down now is like only putting a light load on a broken ankle; the damage is already done, easing the burden won't fix the problem.

 

[Snowalker]

Its overheating, doesn't matter what your setting are. Also, this belongs in the advice forum. My suggestion, if you plan to game on a laptop, buy a cooler that straps to the bottom, it will probably save on your computer, and fix your problem.

 

[Lucifer dern]

Hmm fair point... it's odd because I had no lag and no problem before hand, it's not like I was straining the thing...

 

[Lucifer dern]

sorry I posted in the wrong forum.... is there a mod around to move the thread? Hmm I like your idea snowalker, but I'm not convinced overheating is the problem...

 

[Irridium]

Sounds like an overheating problem. Snowalker's solution will probably help.

If it doesn't, all I can suggest are these steps:

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[Vonnis]

Have you actually checked the temperature before concluding it's an overheating problem?

 

[Kaymish]

looks like over heating its such a common problem that many laptops have a program in the BIOS or OS that detects heat and shuts the computer down if it gets too hot and will not let it restart untill it is cool enough i think it may be that your machien lacked such a program so now the damage is done your laptop is literly fried so i would just trow it away and gat a new one

 

[Lucifer dern]

I never concluded it was an overheat problem, I was wondering if anyone could tell me how to check temperature (This is why I didn?t post on a teck forum... guys on those things tare people like me apart ) but as far as I can tell my laptops not getting any hotter than normal, as a side not I actually set it up so there was a fan blowing on the underside of it... didn?t seem to help...

 

[New Troll]

Could it be a bad memory cluster? I've had the exact same issue happen on desktops and that was always the issue. Good thing too considering RAM is so inexpensive.

 

[Vonnis]

Ah, well google and download GPU-Z and see check that when your GPU is under load. Might want to keep a log as well in case the laptop crashes again (just tick the log box in the GPU-Z window).

 

[Lucifer dern]

Hmmm I'm liking the suggestions but not sure what I can do with them, I was hoping for some way to determin exactly what it was... because walking into a repair store and saying "fix my laptop" is a fine way of getting ripped off..

 

[Plumerou]

its really probable it is an overheating problem, when you played did your laptop felt hot? if the answer is yes, then something has already been damaged, i know its not the best news but next time do as snowalker says, it makes a world of a difference because laptops get really hot really easily

 

[Lucifer dern]

Nice one vonnis, doing that now. one thing that seemed odd to me is the fact I can minimise the game, and go about normal pc stuff, and it wont crash... but then I guess the games only partially running in the background.

 

[thelonewolf266]

Ehhmmm I can't help you with your computer problems but wouldn't it be tech not teck?

 

[Lucifer dern]

helping with spelling problems is good 2

 

[SaltyOrange]

Starcraft 2 has an overheating bug,Blizzard confirmed it back in 2010.If you didn't patch it,do that and if you did you should probably check the GPU temperatures with GPU-Z or HWMonitor to see if it is an overheating problem.

-snip-

That Oatmeal,he's so silly

 

[Lucifer dern]

I'm running tests as we speak, to describe the dying part, with no lag or any previouse sign, no noises or buzzes, the thing just switches off, the screen goes black and everything turns off. And I'm running on windows 7 I'll post my specs once I'm done testing this

 

[BlueMage]

Sounds like an overheating problem. Snowalker's solution will probably help.

If it doesn't, all I can suggest are these steps:

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

You sir, are my new hero.

To OP: If you're up to it (and you don't mind potentially voiding your warranty) it may be worthwhile cracking the case open, cleaning off the CPU and applying a better thermal paste - the stuff they put on there at build-time isn't always the greatest, nor properly applied.