ok my desktop is acting up and i am not completly sure what the problem is. my problem is that the computer will shut off for no aperent reason. just pressing the power button will not start the computer back up. i have to unplug the power cable in the back of the computer and leave it unplugged for about half an hour and it will start back up and run for about 5 minutes before it dies again. would this be a power supply or what. i dont see how it could be software related but i am no expert.

I would check the power supply first, many have a thermal cutoff built in, when it gets above a certain temperature (dont ask me what the setpoint is, been too long) it shuts down untill the supply cools off. I chased one for a few months and it almost drove me to drinking, heck I still have one that is messing with me on my monitor, hmmm perhaps She Who Holds the Pursestrings will allow me to get a new one soon.

i feel like an idiot. i finally looked at the power supply on the computer and the cooling fan quit working. looks like it is time to find a new power supply. i may just go ahead and start building a new computer while im at it. thanks for the help.

That has happened to me. Cooked my cpu, dram,mobo everything. Ever since then its been a antec true power supply.

Antec Rocks! Their cases kick ass and their power supplies are even better! :D

i will probably look at getting an antec power supply(little expensive though) and a thermeltake black shark case(also a little expensive)

Expensive - but it's quality.

In the computer world, the saying "you get what you pay for" is, like, probably more true than anywhere else.

I see NewEgg selling some no-name or lesser-brand computer cases for $40 with the power supply included. Well, I've had the pleasure of using more than one of them and they all suck total ass...and probably took less than $20 to make and it really shows in the craftsmanship, how intelligently the design is laid out, etc.

Here is a nice case. http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811144091

Antec Rocks! Their cases kick ass and their power supplies are even better! :D

I have to agree with you there Shifty. I got a antec true power 430 in mine now. Nice and quiet and nice and cool.. :)