Monitor turns off while playing games

[Niki Bunjaku]

so the monitor suddenly turns of while im playing games like :League of legends,Battlefield 3...etc, before it used to crash only when i was playing league, and now it`s crashing at all games,so monitor turns of and i can hear the game crashed from my speakers, and i have to force restart the pc...
this never happend before, Thank you for your time

some pc specs:
CPU:quad core 2.66GHz
GPU:nvidia gt 230 1.5gb 192 bit
RAM:4gb ddr3

 

[Bill_Bright]

Your subject title says "monitor" then you say "monitors" then you say "it" suggesting one monitor again. If you have more than one monitor and they both go out, then it is pretty certain to be a computer/graphics card problem. If only one monitor, I would swap in another monitor and see if it happens there.

Are you overclocking? If so, stop until this is resolved?

What are your temps? Is your system clean of heat trapping dust?

All fans spinning?

Got a spare power supply you can swap in?

 

[Nabarun]

Open up the gpu and clean the thermal paste from the heatsink and gpu, and also clean the other dirty areas. Then apply a drop of any cheap TIM to the center of the GPU and refit the thing. Try gaming and tell us if it solved your problem.

 

[Niki Bunjaku]

Your subject title says "monitor" then you say "monitors" then you say "it" suggesting one monitor again. If you have more than one monitor and they both go out, then it is pretty certain to be a computer/graphics card problem. If only one monitor, I would swap in another monitor and see if it happens there.

Are you overclocking? If so, stop until this is resolved?

What are your temps? Is your system clean of heat trapping dust?

All fans spinning?

Got a spare power supply you can swap in?

my bad sorry... it`s monitor with out "s"
p.s the temps goes over 94c when playing, and 70 at idle state, and no im not overlocking, fans are working as they should,i called my tech support and he said that a 95-100c is perfect for this card while you're playing

 

[ZenZimZaliben]

Go into your power settings and disable sleep mode on your monitor. It might be the signal to keep it awake isn't working because the monitor is old and/or failing.

 

[Niki Bunjaku]

another problem that is occuring now is that while im watching "facebook" videos i will start getting several crashes until the monitor turns of and i have to restart or it will just recover by itself,but this wont happen while im watching 1080p youtube videos

 

[Niki Bunjaku]

Go into your power settings and disable sleep mode on your monitor. It might be the signal to keep it awake isn't working because the monitor is old and/or failing.

i told up there that i can "hear" the game got crashed from my spekers while the monitor is turned off but the pc is still runing

 

[ZenZimZaliben]

Oh...yeah well guess I failed to read that. Well then it could be a million different things. Last time you cleaned your PC? Last time you applied TIM? New Drivers? Drive failing? Just tons of different things could be going wrong. Are you monitoring temps? Are you checking logs? By the looks of it your system is 5+ years old. It isn't unusual for stuff to start breaking around that age especially without proper maintenance.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Contrary to what some believe, you NEVER have to re-apply TIM (thermal interface materials) as long as the cured bond between the mating surfaces is not broken. And there is no reason for the cured bond to break unless the computer was bounced off the floor or the user twisted the heatsink. Otherwise, TIM will easily last 10, 15 years or even longer.

p.s the temps goes over 94c when playing, and 70 at idle state

What temps? If CPU, then 94°C is probably your problem. If GPU temps, then that is pushing that GPU's limit of 97°C and may be causing stability issues.

Again, is the system, including all heatsinks, clean of heat trapping dust? Note too that ambient (room) temperatures will impact computer temps. So if not air conditioned, you may need to wait until the cool of night or early morning. If the interior is clean, you might try blasting a desk fan into the open side of the case to see if it stays stable. If it does, you might be able to add another case fan to increase your case's cooling capability.

But note this could still be a failing power supply.

 

[Niki Bunjaku]

i forgot to mention that i dictated while i was playing league of legends with friends +connected on skype, game crashed, monitor turned off, but i was still able to talk with my friends via skype...so sometimes it looks more like a software failure

 

[ZenZimZaliben]

This is why answering these types of posts are a zero sum thread.

 

[Bill_Bright]

...so sometimes it looks more like a software failure

Still could be your graphics solution so again, I would swap monitors to quickly and conclusively eliminate that from the equation.

 

[Nabarun]

my bad sorry... it`s monitor with out "s"
p.s the temps goes over 94c when playing, and 70 at idle state, and no im not overlocking, fans are working as they should,i called my tech support and he said that a 95-100c is perfect for this card while you're playing

70C at idle is the obvious sign that your GPU is NOT working right, unless you live on top of a live volcano. I know this because I live in a VERY hot region where room temps go over 45C. Here I am assuming you ARE talking about GPU temps and NOT CPU temps, in which case you're gonna have to do exactly the same thing I told you to do with your GPU.
BTW, the best way to get a proper, quick solution to your problems is to let us know exactly WHAT HW you are talking about. Fill out your system specs. Now download RealTemp, GPU-Z and if possible, HDD Sentinel to monitor your hardware temperatures etc. You can the run some benchmarcking software to see exactly what is failing. If the system crashed, then Blue Screen View can tell us something.

But in any case, I do believe that cleaning your GPU will solve the problem. And reapplying the thermal paste will bring down your temps at least by 20C.

Contrary to what some believe, you NEVER have to re-apply TIM (thermal interface materials) as long as the cured bond between the mating surfaces is not broken. And there is no reason for the cured bond to break unless the computer was bounced off the floor or the user twisted the heatsink. Otherwise, TIM will easily last 10, 15 years or even longer.

Disagree. I have had different experience in this matter.
After a few years of usage, dust becomes the main culprit. It covers the VRM, the memory chips and most parts of the circuitry. It is then when the card starts to get abnormally hotter than normal. And I am not talking about JUST the GPU core. When you open the card to clean these areas, you separate the bond between the GPU and the heatsink. This is what requires you to clean that area and reapply the TIM, no matter what it's "lifespan" is rated by the manufacturer. Besides this obvious fact, do take a look at some of these pics from my card, and tell me this dust doesn't override the benefits of the very long "rated lifespan" of the GPU's TIM.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Disagree. I have had different experience in this matter.
After a few years of usage, dust becomes the main culprit. It covers the VRM, the memory chips and most parts of the circuitry. It is then when the card starts to get abnormally hotter than normal. And I am not talking about JUST the GPU core. When you open the card to clean these areas, you separate the bond between the GPU and the heatsink. This is what requires you to clean that area and reapply the TIM

Huh? You say you disagree then completely verified exactly what I said! You said, "you separate the bond between the GPU and the heatsink. This is what requires you to clean that area and reapply the TIM". Those are YOUR words!!!!!

And there is no reason to remove a heatsink to clean the system of dust. That just risks damaging the processor, the processor's socket, and/or the board.

This has been discussed over and over again. But check the link in my sig. I am not a hobbyist. I know a thing or two about electronics hardware. I have asked over and over again for those claiming TIM needs regular replacing to show us where the manufacturer of their favorite TIM (or any popular TIM) says it needs to be replaced regularly. Surely their marketing departments would exploit that if true to increase sales. But they don't.

I have asked over and over again to show us any white paper, study or professional article that says TIM needs to be periodically replaced. But no one can because there are none! In fact, what you can find is this, The Heatsink Guide: Info about thermal compound and note the following (my bold added),

Thermal compound normally does not get hard, it will stay sticky for years. But depending on the solvents used in the making of the compound, it may dry over the years. This is not a reason to worry; it will still do its job when dry, and there is no reason to replace dried thermal compound.

And Artic says their TIM has an "8" Year durability and,

Once applied, you do not need to apply it a second time as it will last over 8 years.

So once again, TIM does NOT need to be replace UNLESS the bond between the mating surfaces is broken.

Unless you (or anybody) can show any study, professional article, or even a TIM maker that says TIM needs regular replacing, IT IS JUST NOT SO!

To be sure, users replacing TIM has made me lots of money. They bring in their computers and when I ask what happened, they say, "Someone on a forum said I need to replace my thermal paste because my temperatures were too hot. Now my computer won't boot." Then I find out they,

Didn't take any ESD precautions,
Didn't unplug from the wall,
Didn't thoroughly clean the mating surfaces of old TIM,
Applied gobs of new TIM,
Didn't properly re-mount and/or secure the HSF assembly,
Bent pins on the CPU or socket through mishandling,
The screwdriver slipped and they cut a Grand Canyon size gorge (microscopically speaking) in the motherboard.​

All for what? A few degrees of cooling? The fact of the matter is, if you need those 5° or so of cooling to keep your computer stable, your case is not doing its job! And that means the user has not done his or her job of properly configuring or maintaining his or her case cooling.

So as a technician with a shop, users replacing TIM is good for my business. But as a forum helper/advisor who specializes in hardware support, I find it disturbing when users are simply told by folks with no formal training in "applied electronics" to replace their TIM when there is absolutely no evidence anywhere to suggest it is needed. And I find it even further disturbing when such advice is given haphazardly! That is, with no warnings about ESD precautions, site preparation or proper application of the TIM! That is just bad advice giving that does a disservice, not a service to those seeking help.

 

[Nabarun]

Huh? You say you disagree then completely verified exactly what I said! You said, "you separate the bond between the GPU and the heatsink. This is what requires you to clean that area and reapply the TIM". Those are YOUR words!!!!!

And there is no reason to remove a heatsink to clean the system of dust. That just risks damaging the processor, the processor's socket, and/or the board.

This has been discussed over and over again. But check the link in my sig. I am not a hobbyist. I know a thing or two about electronics hardware. I have asked over and over again for those claiming TIM needs regular replacing to show us where the manufacturer of their favorite TIM (or any popular TIM) says it needs to be replaced regularly. Surely their marketing departments would exploit that if true to increase sales. But they don't.

I have asked over and over again to show us any white paper, study or professional article that says TIM needs to be periodically replaced. But no one can because there are none! In fact, what you can find is this, The Heatsink Guide: Info about thermal compound and note the following (my bold added),

And Artic says their TIM has an "8" Year durability and,

So once again, TIM does NOT need to be replace UNLESS the bond between the mating surfaces is broken.

Unless you (or anybody) can show any study, professional article, or even a TIM maker that says TIM needs regular replacing, IT IS JUST NOT SO!

To be sure, users replacing TIM has made me lots of money. They bring in their computers and when I ask what happened, they say, "Someone on a forum said I need to replace my thermal paste because my temperatures were too hot. Now my computer won't boot." Then I find out they,

Didn't take any ESD precautions,
Didn't unplug from the wall,
Didn't thoroughly clean the mating surfaces of old TIM,
Applied gobs of new TIM,
Didn't properly re-mount and/or secure the HSF assembly,
Bent pins on the CPU or socket through mishandling,
The screwdriver slipped and they cut a Grand Canyon size gorge (microscopically speaking) in the motherboard.​

All for what? A few degrees of cooling? The fact of the matter is, if you need those 5° or so of cooling to keep your computer stable, your case is not doing its job! And that means the user has not done his or her job of properly configuring or maintaining his or her case cooling.

So as a technician with a shop, users replacing TIM is good for my business. But as a forum helper/advisor who specializes in hardware support, I find it disturbing when users are simply told by folks with no formal training in "applied electronics" to replace their TIM when there is absolutely no evidence anywhere to suggest it is needed. And I find it even further disturbing when such advice is given haphazardly! That is, with no warnings about ESD precautions, site preparation or proper application of the TIM! That is just bad advice giving that does a disservice, not a service to those seeking help.

You are either blind or too dumb to understand simple words. I explained very clearly WHY the TIM needs to be replaced, and it is evidenced by the pictures I posted. And no, I do not need to lecture him about how to handle a computer or any electronic device. I don't consider my advice "haphazard" in any way simply because I didn't cover every single step of "How To Build Your Own Computer for Dummies". If he doesn't know that then he will obviously seek the help of someone who knows. He is obviously open to suggestions and help. I don't need to hear the history about how dumb your customers are to offer a simple, precise piece of advice. And I did mention very clearly that it's not about a couple degrees of cooling. I told him to clean the dust, which, unfortunately, CANNOT be cleaned without opening the card. Anyone can clearly see that there's a ton of dirt even in the GPU and heatsink itself, in addition to many of the memory chips and other areas. If these are to be cleaned, then the ONLY way to do that is to separate the GPU from the heatsink assembly. This doesn't require a person to have formal training in "applied electronics" to understand - only common sense. But if you are not satisfied with that, then just so you know, I do have formal AND informal training, experience AND academic qualifications in the subject matter. I'm not interested in flame wars.

 

[Bill_Bright]

I'm not interested in flame wars.

And yet you start your reply with,

You are either blind or too dumb to understand simple words.

I have no desire to be involved in any flame war either. I will just repeat what I said and that is, "there is no need to replace the TIM unless the cured bond is broken." And until you or anybody can show us any study, white paper, technical article or manufacturer's recommendation that says otherwise, I stand by that.

And FTR, I have never seen a graphics card either that required you to remove the heatsink to clean - even fully enclosed cards can have the cover removed without removing the heatsink. And also FTR, I do not and will not assume any user seeking help is aware of or understands the dangers of ESD or the potential consequences for failing to take the necessary ESD precautions - for that would be haphazard on my part!

 

[de.das.dude]

Contrary to what some believe, you NEVER have to re-apply TIM (thermal interface materials) as long as the cured bond between the mating surfaces is not broken. And there is no reason for the cured bond to break unless the computer was bounced off the floor or the user twisted the heatsink. Otherwise, TIM will easily last 10, 15 years or even longer.

First there is no curing as such. What happens is through thermal cycles is the paste keeps expanding and reaching into new nooks and crannies each time.
This is why some "curing" time is needed for thicker form of TIM like arctic ones, etc. However there is NO change in chemical properties at all. TIM are designed to be as inert as possible otherwise it would eat into your silicon chip and heatsink.

How long a TIM will last is pretty much dependent on the number of thermal cycles, and cannot be slated into a time slab like say 10-15years without being insanely inaccurate.
Stock thermal paste is, lets face it, cheap so that the company can use it again and again. As long as they last 3years(warranty period) thats more than enough for the manufacturer. Even if it doesnt last many manufacturers sneakily tell you to replace it on your own at your own risk.

At most it can run 5years, but since a proper clean should be done atleast 2 times a year, its best to change it then. This is cuz everytime you take it off, next time air bubbles WILL form between the heatsink and silicon where you have use TIM.



AS FOR OP, judging by your card and your idle temps, i'd say replacing the TIM and washing the heatsink would be a good idea.
1. you can start by disassembling the heatsink by removing screws.
2. the heatsink will appear stuck to the gpu, dont fret, slowly but steadily twist it one way and another while pulling at it with a bit of force.
3. clean gunk with alcohol or nail polish remover.
4. chuck the heatsink in the dishwasher.
5. make sure its dry
6. put a rice grain sized amount of paste in the centre of the silicon
7. Put your heatsink on. Make sure the screws are just finger tight(on a screw driver).

done.

 

[Bill_Bright]

First there is no curing as such.

That depends on the formula. Many TIMs do have a curing period.

At most it can run 5years, but since a proper clean should be done atleast 2 times a year, its best to change it then. This is cuz everytime you take it off, next time air bubbles WILL form between the heatsink and silicon where you have use TIM.

Totally wrong! Show where any TIM maker says to do this. If that were a standard, acceptable practice, the TIM makers would be pushing that in their marketing. But they are not!

Twice a year? Nonsense! There is absolutely no need to remove a heatsink to properly clean it.

Where are the 100s of millions of computers that are overheating then?

If TIM needed regular replacement, the TIM makers, Dell, HP, Acer, Sony, Toshiba, Samsung, NVIDIA, AMD, Intel would ALL be telling users to do that! But NONE are!

So you guys do NOT know what you talking about. You are just repeating false rumors! Probably started by someone who didn't apply the TIM correctly in the first place.

Do your homework and do some research. Use Bing Google. Show us!!!!! PLEASE!!!! Show us any proper study or article back up your claims!

 

[Blue-Knight]

my tech support and he said that a 95-100c is perfect for this card while you're playing

I guess he thought you gave temps in Fahrenheit, lol!

95°C+ is not normal at all.

 

[RCoon]

I guess he thought you gave temps in Fahrenheit, lol!

95°C+ is not normal at all.

+1 this is a simple issue. Idles of 70 and loads of 95 on a GPU are not acceptable. Either TIM needs replacing, dusts needs to be removed, or airflow needs to be severely altered.

Also check the fan on the CPU/GPU is actually spinning. Could be that a fan has died so the pc is being cooled by convection alone.

 

[Solaris17]

Other than the crazy thermal war those temps are not right and the TIM needs to be changed. whoever told you those temps are fins is a moron.

 

[Bill_Bright]

GPUs run a lot hotter than CPUs. As noted by NVIDIA,

NVIDIA GPUs are designed to operate reliably up to their maximum specified operating temperature. This maximum temperature varies by GPU, but is generally in the 105C

So while 95°C is pretty darn warm and I would personally like it lower, it technically is not "hot" and IMO, your tech was exaggerating when he said, that is "perfect".

That said, I cannot find any specs on the GT 230, only GT 230m for the mobile/notebook version. The GT 230 seems to be OEM only and has similar specs and uses the same driver set as seen

here

as the GT330 which also has a maximum GPU temp spec of 105°C.

 

[de.das.dude]

That depends on the formula. Many TIMs do have a curing period.

Totally wrong! Show where any TIM maker says to do this. If that were a standard, acceptable practice, the TIM makers would be pushing that in their marketing. But they are not!

Twice a year? Nonsense! There is absolutely no need to remove a heatsink to properly clean it.

Where are the 100s of millions of computers that are overheating then?

If TIM needed regular replacement, the TIM makers, Dell, HP, Acer, Sony, Toshiba, Samsung, NVIDIA, AMD, Intel would ALL be telling users to do that! But NONE are!

So you guys do NOT know what you talking about. You are just repeating false rumors! Probably started by someone who didn't apply the TIM correctly in the first place.

Do your homework and do some research. Use Bing Google. Show us!!!!! PLEASE!!!! Show us any proper study or article back up your claims!

can you link me some TIM which does have a curing period like you say? i would love to add that to my knowledge.

 

[Bill_Bright]

can you link me some TIM which does have a curing period

Really? It is only in recent years when new TIMs have come out with little to no curing required. But still, if you read the instructions, they typically will say that you will achieve a few degrees better cooling after so many hours and/or power (heat up and cool down) cycles.

Have you tried your friend Bing Google? He could you help with that, but take one of the most popular TIMs, AS5,

Then the compound thickens slightly over the next 50 to 200 hours of use to its final consistency designed for long-term stability.

But still, for the purpose of the discussion here, whether the TIM requires curing time or not, if the "bond" between the mating surfaces is left undisturbed and not broken, there is no need to replace the TIM just because 6 months or even several years have passed. For those who believe, or have been told otherwise, I again ask to do your own research. Don't believe me if you don't want. Verify for yourself and show us a study, white paper, or any documentation or user manual from a computer maker or TIM maker that says otherwise.

 

[de.das.dude]

Really? It is only in recent years when new TIMs have come out with little to no curing required. But still, if you read the instructions, they typically will say that you will achieve a few degrees better cooling after so many hours and/or power (heat up and cool down) cycles.

Have you tried your friend Bing Google? He could you help with that, but take one of the most popular TIMs, AS5,

But still, for the purpose of the discussion here, whether the TIM requires curing time or not, if the "bond" between the mating surfaces is left undisturbed and not broken, there is no need to replace the TIM just because 6 months or even several years have passed. For those who believe, or have been told otherwise, I again ask to do your own research. Don't believe me if you don't want. Verify for yourself and show us a study, white paper, or any documentation or user manual from a computer maker or TIM maker that says otherwise.

LIKE I SAID, THAT'S NOT CURING its just letting the TIM settle into place. there is no chemical change.
newer TIMs are better and spread easily. hence why they dont need "curing"
i suggest you look up your buddy google and look at what curing actually means (hint: it does not mean relieving someones' illness)

you yourself stated that later. the tim becomes harder... it does not change its chemical properties as then its physical conductive properties would change as well, its just that the volatile components evaporate. the volatile components are there in the first place so that its easier to spread the conductive components into the the surface.

i could go into a lot of detail from my engineering background but i consider it wont really help much since maintain being obstinate about such simple common sense and well, i have a job to waste my time on, your knowledge works for you great. dont just go spreading it onto other people which may harm them.