ATTN- computer experts

[Guest hoonsair]

Almost every time I play 3D Games, my Computer automatically shuts down. This time, after the computer has shut down, I pressed the Power button, but suddenly I heard a weird sound and some sparks...What could be the problem? It has happened since I got the new GeForce 4 Ti4200.

[Guest]

Hmm either your graphics card might be faulty or not properly cooled, but I suspect the power unit is not producing enough energy. Personally I have 350 W, and the recommended output is around 300. If you have lower than that you might have to upgrade.Though, I am no professional. I'll hand over to the more experienced guys. :)Dave

[Guest SD Sim]

>Almost every time I play 3D Games, my Computer automatically >shuts down. This time, after the computer has shut down, I >pressed the Power button, but suddenly I heard a weird sound >and some sparks... Yikes! And from where were the sparks flying (definitely not a good thing). Is there any sign of damage inside? Did the card come with onboard cooling? You might want to check the fan.>What could be the problem? It has happened since I got the >new GeForce 4 Ti4200. Did you install the card yourself? Some system specs would help here. I'm not a professional with respect to computers, but I wouldn't turn your computer on again until you've examined the inside more carefully.

[Guest jon_151]

Did you format Windows after installing the card ?

[Guest]

Jonathan,Sorry, but that has absolutely nothing to do with it. This is a physical problem...Hoons,I can just point back to what I already said and confirm system specs will help us a lot to help you.Dave

[Guest ccgr]

if there were sparks I would guess the power supply.

[John_Cillis 2,406]

Power supply issues are always a challenge to troubleshoot. I am running a GeForce 2 on a 250W power supply, but Nvidia recommends a 300W power supply for a GeForce 3 and up. Whether the power supply has reached its limit or not can depend on how many other peripherals you have installed. If you have a DVD player, CD R/W and many other peripherals, you're more likely to run into problems, and I would go with at least a 350w power supply.What worries me, as others have suggested, is that you heard sparks. You left a lot out of your post--what type of cpu you have, MB, etc.... There is always the rare chance that the MB may have shifted ever so slightly, causing it to ground out on some metal component of the case. I've seen MB's in my shop that were actually warped a bit after too much force was applied to a card when it was inserted. The fact that you mentioned reboots during games raises yet another issue. Some older Motherboards simply don't support the AGP 2.0 spec Nvidia cards. If you purchased your system new within the past two years or so, this is not likely an issue. But if your system is older than that, you may have an issue where your card is being fed the wrong voltage from the Motherboard. It's rare, but it happens.Try to give us more details about your system, if you can. Certainly an interesting issue. -John