I've tried searching the forums to see if this problem has been addressed before, but nothing I could find. So I hope someone has a glimmer of an idea for me.

I have a custom built computer my hubby helped me build about 2 YEARS ago. Only problem was a bad power supply which we replaced last winter. For a while things were fine, but for the past two months I've been experiencing random shutdowns. These are so bad that I have to physically unplug the computer, flip the power switch, plug it back in, flip the switch back to "on" before I can hit the power button to restart it.

Hoping it was a software or registry problem, and it having been awhile since I'd reloaded, I did a fresh reload of Win2K. It shut down during the reload, and it's been shutting down more frequently now.

So, I'm thinking hardware problem, but not SURE where to start. I do not have the money to just keep buying parts until the problem goes away. Hubby is guessing MOBO. If it is I'll have to replace the CPU as well, he says. Either that or he thinks we might as well if we're replacing the MOBO anyway. I'd like an opinion first before we start shopping.

Anyone run into this before? Opinions? Anything is muchl apprecated.

>^..^To determine if it is a heat issue the way i test this is to remove the cover or side panel of the machine and direct a small room fan's airflow directly into the case...if your shutdowns go away then you know it is a heat issue which there are remedies for...
As far as it being the MBoard or CPU these would be the last culprits i would suspect although i wouldn't rule them out.
I suspect that it's the PSU. What brand did you buy and do you have any info on it as to wattage etc. ?
If it was relatively cheap when new it's probably the bad guy...
If you can post a minidump error log it might provide more clues to the problem.

patio. 8-)If you have access to ANOTHER known GOOD power supply to swap inthere, at least for a test, I would do that. It sounds very suspicious. Again what brand is it, as that can be diagnostic right there.We replaced the old power supply because when it went bad it was generating a lot of heat and causing shutdowns. We bought a Rosewill 450 from Newegg - somewheat cheap, but it had good ratings. Don't have a spare good one at the moment but we might know someone who does. That would be the cheapest thing to try after the RAM test. I'll let you know how it goes.

>^..^<Unfortunately Rosewill is just another cheap one. It is a rebranded low end Chinese PSU, despite the ratings. Keep us posted.