Problem: Random reboots.

belly · n00b Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Posts: 32

This problem doesn't seem to be quite Gentoo focused, but seems to happen more often when I am in my Gentoo boot. I have a dual boot to Gentoo (kernel 2.6.10-r6) and Windows XP Pro (with all security patches).. I have had this setup for months with no problem but most recently my computer has been having fits, and I wanted to see if anyone had any input.

When using the computer, Linux or Windows, 3d or non-3d programs, CPU hot or freshly cold (AKA I see no pattern)... the computer will suddenly reboot for no aparent reason and no warning, just black and bios.

This first happened when I installed America's Army on my Linux boot and started playing that, so at first I thought it was a problem with OpenGL. Then it would do it at any time while using Linux. So at that point I thought it was something with Linux (because I had just changed from a nVidia to an ATI card). So I wasn't really freaking out at that point because I figured Linux could be fixed. When I really started to worry is when I was playing Half-Life 2 on my WinXP boot and it randomly rebooted a couple times there. Since then the computer has rebooted a couple times while using WinXP desktop programs, etc. So at this point I thought it 'might' be the CPU overheating, so I shut of the computer for the night. When I woke up, I used the computer, and after an arbitrary amount of time, *Bam* reboot again. So the CPU was off a fresh reboot, still cool, etc.

I'm at a point where I dont know what in the world it could be, these forums have been very helpful with past problems so this is the first place I came.

If anyone has any input, I'd be happy to hear it.

Some hardware specs:

Motherboard: MSI 865PE Neo2-LS
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 2.4C GHz
RAM: 1GB MWave brand.
Video: ATI Radeon x800
Sound: Ensoniq Audio PCI (1370)

Thanks for your time,
~Matt
_________________
~Matt

dannycool · Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2005 2:27 pm Post subject:

The CPU doesn't stay cool for very long after a reboot. Those of us who've used computers for a long time often still think of the CPU as the one component of a PC that consumes the least power. I was very violently wakened a couple of years ago when I bought a notebook that came with a 120W power supply.

Still it could be everything. My gentoo catches an overheating CPU and shuts itself down. Looked at the logs yet?

Speaking of a PSU, it's also possible that yours isn't strong enough for an X800.

belly · n00b Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Posts: 32

No, haven't looked at the logs yet, mostly because I am not sure where they are. :oops:

As for the PSU, that is quite possible, I'll have to pop open the box after work to see what I have. What is the recommended for an x800?

Thanks.
_________________
~Matt

bysse · n00b Joined: 14 Jul 2004 Posts: 70 Location: Sweden

If you have ACPI support and some kind of watchdog in BIOS, the kernel will receive a shutdown signal when the CPU is overheating and the usual 'System is going down for reboot' message is shown in a terminal. That was the first clue to my problems with CPU overheating

belly · n00b Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Posts: 32

I checked out my PSU, I have a 300W power supply. On the x800 box it recommends a 300W PSU. On the other hand, I do have 2 hard drives, and a bunch of fans in the case. So would this possibly be too much for the PSU? Or could it be something else?

P.S. - What log files should I look at in Gentoo for info? and where would they be?

Thanks!
_________________
~Matt