Is my CPU dying?

[Slowhand]

Hi everyone, for the last 2 weeks every time I do some hard core gaming, after 30 minutes to 1 hour my pc crashes. It just shuts off...boom. I've been taking temp readings, and at idle they are near perfect. But when I've been lucky enough to put a heavy gaming load on the CPU and exit the game as usual when I'm done, the temps are high/hot.

I'm wondering if my CPU is starting to die on me? All the fans are working in the case including the stock CPU fan, nonetheless I continue to crash. I wonder what's wrong and how I can fix it? New CPU, after market fan, ie Zalman...I don't know. I appreciate any help you can offer. Thanks a million.

Here is a pic of temps after crash, when I let it cool down for 15 minutes:

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNLRtQaFwAAzfSjEcgrMUu-dGme9tTQILslSoKb

Here are my system specs:

Antec Three Hundred Case
OCZ Fatal1ty 750 Watt PSU
ASUS M5A97 AM3+ mobo
AMD FX-4100 Zambezi Quad-Core 3.6GHz (stock fan)
Kingston 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1066
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650
Sound Blaster X-Fi Gamer
WDC 500 GB Hard Drive
DVD Burner: LG 22x Sata

 

[richierich1212]

Sounds like PSU or mobo. CPUs rarely die.

 

[Yuriman]

Your link doesn't work.

Many things can cause a crash. Could be overheating, could be motherboard, RAM, power supply, video card, bad sectors on hard drive. I pulled my X-Fi a few years back because it was causing BSODs. Could even just be software.

What you need to do is open Windows Event Log (start > type "Event Log", go to "Custom Views" > "Administrative Events", and find your crash. Hopefully it'll be there.

EDIT: Another way to do it is by process of elimination. Remove/exchange things until your crashes go away.

 

[nk215]

The thermal paste is dried out. Take the heat sink off, clean it then reapply the thermal paste.

 

[Slowhand]

Oh thanks everyone! I'll try your suggestions. And the link works for me...hmmm

 

[Slowhand]

Ummmmm....I wonder if I have just found a clue. I forgot to mention that also since the crashes started, my startup gets hung in, "press Delete to enter Bios etc." Then I have to hard power down and restart and it starts fine then. I wonder if this indicates this might be more of a Motherboard problem? Any takers?

 

[Slowhand]

Your link doesn't work.

Many things can cause a crash. Could be overheating, could be motherboard, RAM, power supply, video card, bad sectors on hard drive. I pulled my X-Fi a few years back because it was causing BSODs. Could even just be software.

What you need to do is open Windows Event Log (start > type "Event Log", go to "Custom Views" > "Administrative Events", and find your crash. Hopefully it'll be there.

EDIT: Another way to do it is by process of elimination. Remove/exchange things until your crashes go away.

WOW! I've got errors dating back to 2012 when I built this rig, all the way up to today. I don't have a clue what to do with all that info!!!! I think I need an MIT grad to sort through it. Thanks for teaching me that though Yuriman. At least now I know how to get to the Event Log

 

[iceranger]

Most likely your MOBO is dying, mine died a week ago with same problems I ignored and then, it just stopped working.