PC unexpectedly shuts down under heavy load

[joelembiidfan]

[HEADING=3]Specs:[/HEADING]
[ul]
[li]Ryzen 5 2600[/li][li]RTX 2060 Super[/li][li]ASUS TUF B450M-Plus Gaming[/li][li]Corsair CX 550M[/li][li]Corsair vengeance (2x8) DDR4-3600 MHz[/li][/ul]
When playing resource intensive games, the computer will run fine for about 30 minutes, then unexpectedly shut down. The motherboard lights will continue to glow, but the fans stop spinning. I cannot power on the computer unless I switch off the power supply for about 10 seconds. This happens consistently and can be also replicated by running stress tests. When I place an external fan blowing into the computer with the side panel off, the computer won’t shut down for hours and will survive stress tests indefinitely. The computer ran fine for about five years without issue. I tried checking the system logs, but no errors show up. I also tried monitoring the temperatures while stress testing, but the CPU would hover in the high 70’s and the GPU in the low 80’s with a hotspot temp of about 87 for a while until the computer shut down. I tried repasting the thermal compound on the cpu, but the temps stayed about the same and the issue persisted.
I believe that the GPU or CPU temps may be causing an issue, or potentially a faulty power supply, but I don’t know how to determine the cause of the shutdowns.

Thanks for any advice

[Bruce]

Since the issue goes away when you have a fan blowing into the case, that would narrow the issue down a heat building up past allowed tolerances.

Have you cleaned all the fan blades, and the chassis air vents, and the heatsinks (CPU, GPU, and PSU)?
Cables aren’t obstructing the internal air flow?

What is your cooling setup; number of fans, type and size, processor stock standard heatsink and fan or 3rd party, number of fans blowing out and number sucking in, is the PSU active or passive cooling?

[phillpower2]

When I place an external fan blowing into the computer with the side panel off, the computer won’t shut down for hours and will survive stress tests indefinitely

I believe that the GPU or CPU temps may be causing an issue, or potentially a faulty power supply, but I don’t know how to determine the cause of the shutdowns.

Corsair CX 550M

Couple of things of note but the stand out is the PSU which should never have been paired with a gaming GPU, the below is the type of use that Corsair recommended your version of PSU be used for;
CX Series Modular power supply units are an excellent choice for basic system builds and desktop PC computer upgrades, offering high reliability, low noise, and the flexibility of modular cabling.

You are lucky that you have the modular version as the hard wired model of the same version was not as good and would have well gone before now.

I suspect that the PSU is overheating internally btw.

[joelembiidfan]

Have you cleaned all the fan blades, and the chassis air vents, and the heatsinks (CPU, GPU, and PSU)?
Cables aren’t obstructing the internal air flow?

I tried clearing out the fans, case, and cpu + gpu heatsinks when the problem initially started. The cables aren’t obstructing the airflow. I have never cleaned out the PSU heatsink, but I will try that.

What is your cooling setup; number of fans, type and size, processor stock standard heatsink and fan or 3rd party, number of fans blowing out and number sucking in, is the PSU active or passive cooling?

My case is relatively small, a Coolermaster Q300L. I have the stock heatsink and fan on the CPU. The fan that comes with the case blows air out at the rear, and I have two Artic P12 PWM 120mm fans at the front sucking air in (I bought these about a year ago, the PC ran without these for about a year with the 2060S). I believe the PSU is active cooling?
I should also note the problem also persists with the side panel of the case off with no fan blowing in.

Couple of things of note but the stand out is the PSU which should never have been paired with a gaming GPU, the below is the type of use that Corsair recommended your version of PSU be used for;

Is it possible that the PSU has been damaged by excessive load? I ran this system with a 1050ti for about three years, then with the 2060s for two without issue.
Thanks!

[phillpower2]

Corsair make some good PSUs but it important that they only be used for what Corsair advise which in this instance is not the case, your build needs a 550W or above Gold efficiency rated PSU from one of the following, Corsair RM range, EVGA, Seasonic or Super Flower, seven year warranty minimum but preferably ten.

The present PSU is so weak that even the newer version is only rated as – Tier C • Low-end

The correct course of action is to see if you are able to borrow an appropriate PSU to swap in for testing purposes or alternatively get your GPU tested and if it checks out okay purchase an appropriate PSU.

You are welcome btw

[COLOR=rgb(44, 130, 201)]Edit to add:

Make sure that the Windows Power Plan to Balanced, Ultra and High Performance are a form of overclocking that is known to cause stability and overheating issues and a weak PSU such as the one that you have will get hotter and weaker the more that you use it.[/COLOR]

[phillpower2]

Being that the OP revisited the forum but chose not to reply this will be closed.