# monitor turns off/goes black when playing certain games



## Nitroglycerin

I built my own computer a while ago and I had a problem where my monitor would turn itself off when I played certain games, not exactly high powered games, for example stronghold2/sims2 and tomb raider anniversary (The games begin to play and then about 2 minutes in they shut down). I had an ati graphics card (sorry I can't remember which model) but I figured it was this so replaced it for an Nvidia geforce 9600GT. This stopped tomb raider anniversary from making the monitor turn off but I have the same problem with games like stronghold 2. Which doesn't make sense to me. I've also since gotten a new monitor and that hasn't stopped the problem either. Before everyone asks, all my drivers are up to date. And my computer is:

Motherboard: Asus M2N-E
Ram: 2 Gigs
Graphics card: Nvidia geforce 9600GT 512mb
PSU: 600 watt
CPU: AMD64 athlon X2 4200+
OS: Windows XP 32bit

I have however got a very old parallel HDD, I never got round to upgrading it to SATA.
And also an old DVD drive.

I can play age of empires 3/steam games with no problems at all, these games I didn't use a disc for installing but I don't see how DVD drive would affect it. Also, I use system requirements lab and my computer spec is obviously fine to run all these games.

Any suggestions would be great! Thanks

-Kate


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## Deviousmind

Could be your psu
is it an old one or generic? as both might not be able to supply the correct amount of power to play and so shut down the pc


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## Nitroglycerin

The PC still has sounds coming out. I don't know a lot about PSU's as a whole. 

it's a colorsit one? it just says

-new version 1.3/ver.2.03
-ATX 12V compliant for all kind of CPU and mainboard
-Input voltage:115VAC or 230VAC or 115VAC/230VAC
-MTBF 50,000 Hours @ 25°C

Sorry I don't really know any more about it than what it says on the tin as it were!!

It was a really cheap one though.


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## Deviousmind

Did it come with a new case by any chance?


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## Bill16857

My brother has the same problem he's got the 9600GT with a 500W power supply haha the screen goes blank and the computer has to be restarted to fix it, which doesn't always work i have to sometimes take out the graphics card and put it back in for the screen to come good again.

that comment on the PSU is an interesting one becuase i dont think the PSU that came with the case is a very high end one... 
and using the Recommended power supply wattage calcualor on the ASUS website it came up with the minimum being 500W

your not alone! haha


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## RavenPerch

*Monitor*

Check all heatsinks. Remove the CPU heatsink, clean any residue, re-apply thermal paste, do the same for the northbridge and southbridge on the motherboard. Check that the fans are running properly, in consistent RPMs. Get a little smoke bomb, the ones that dont explode. Place it on a metal dish, light it. Wait for the smoke to fill up. Turn on the PC and observe the movement of the smoke around your PC. M ake sure the smoke circulates properly. 


-HP PAVILLION ELITE SERIES


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## ultipig

Bill16857 said:


> My brother has the same problem he's got the 9600GT with a 500W power supply haha the screen goes blank and the computer has to be restarted to fix it, which doesn't always work i have to sometimes take out the graphics card and put it back in for the screen to come good again.
> 
> that comment on the PSU is an interesting one becuase i dont think the PSU that came with the case is a very high end one...
> and using the Recommended power supply wattage calcualor on the ASUS website it came up with the minimum being 500W
> 
> your not alone! haha



On your note of "...work i have to sometimes take out the graphics card and put it back in for the screen to come good again..."

I have the same problem, but the screen freezes, and a monotone sort of sound comes on. You don't have to remove the video card and put it back in... 

Just turn your PSU off with the switch, wait about 5, and then switch it on and power up again. You always have to mess with software/external parts before ever going into moving the hardware... be careful.


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