Hardware Help!

MY computer randomly shutsdown/restarts well actually it does nither its in the middle.It shuts down but its not totalty off and it dosnt restart and its not in sleep/hibernate mode and the smell of burnt plastic/rubber comes from it.... Im afraid that if this keeps happening, somthing in my computer wilde/melt/cease to fucnction/ die a painful horrible death.... (sorry got carried away :P but you know what i mean). If anyone could help me i would be very thankful...
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System specs:
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Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP
Processor: AMD Duron(tm) @ 1.87 GHz
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200
Total Physical Memory: 768 MB
Free Physical Memory: 545.03 MB
Motherboard Manufacturer: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
Motherboard Model: A7N8X-X
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CPU:
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Manufacturer: AMD
Family: Duron(tm)
Internal Clock: 1.87 GHz
Internal Clock Maximum: 2.93 GHz
External Clock: 166 MHz
Socket Designation: Socket A
Type: <unknown>
Upgrade: ZIF Socket
Capabilities: MMX, CMov, RDTSC, 3DNow!, Extended 3DNow!, SSE
Version: AMD Athlon(tm) XP
CPUID: 0x000006a0
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Video Card:
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Description: Primary Display Driver
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Name: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200
Total Local Video Memory: 128 MB
Total Local Texture Memory: 128 MB
Total AGP Memory: 62 MB
Display Driver: nv4_disp.dll
Display Driver Version: 6.14.10.5216
Driver WHQL Certified: Yes
Max Texture Width : 4096
Max Texture Height: 4096
Max User Clipping Planes: 6
Max Active Hardware Lights: 8
Max Texture Blending Stages: 8
Textures In Single Pass: 8
Vertex Shader Version: 1.1
Pixel Shader Version: 1.4
Max Vertex Blend Matrices: 0
Max Texture Coordinates: 8
Vendor ID: 0x10de
Device ID: 0x0322
Sub-System ID: 0x00000000
Revision: 0xa1
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MotherBoard:
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Manufacturer: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
Model: A7N8X-X
Version: REV 2.xx
BIOS Vendor: Phoenix Technologies, LTD
BIOS Version: ASUS A7N8X-X ACPI BIOS Rev 1006
BIOS Release Date: 08/19/2003
BIOS Properties: Plug and Play, Flash, AGP

heh key hint..... the smell


Can anyone here tell me what the smell of burnt plastic/rubber means?

Somethings gettting hot. Go into bios and see what your temps are.

Originally Posted by cherrypie

heh key hint..... the smell


Can anyone here tell me what the smell of burnt plastic/rubber means?

Does this mean you know but asking other peeps to see if they know or does this mean you dont know and are asking other peeps to see if they know?

Originally Posted by CiKoTiC

Somethings gettting hot. Go into bios and see what your temps are.

I did highest temp i saw was like 116 F

Make sure your cpu fan is running, and that it has no dust accumulated on it, that will cause an over heating. Also, make sure your powersupply connector isn't burning onto your motherboard. I had that happen once.

[Jason425]

something IS/already did die a horrible death... smell around inside your case to figure out what it is

Originally Posted by gnogtr

Make sure your cpu fan is running, and that it has no dust accumulated on it, that will cause an over heating. Also, make sure your powersupply connector isn't burning onto your motherboard. I had that happen once.

ive had the 24v connector burnt onto my mobo as well

that will definately cause a burning smell as the plastic socket melts

unplug it and check and plug it back in

if not that then check for CPU fan and just wires in the case

[vee_ess]

Check your fans; on this site there have been 3 instances where fans are the cause of restarts. Fans often give of a burnt smell from the motor if an electrode is burning or burnt.

The most common items to burn are due to frayed power leads from the power supply which are touching the motherboard, or possibly the case. Take a look around.

what power supply do you have?

might want to try this next time your computer is on, take a tooth pick (very important that it's a tooth pick, otherwise u might not like the out come) touch the center hub of the fan inside your power supply, you should be able to do this form the outside of the case without opening it, if you can feel some major vibrations then you might have a bad power supply fan...

also might want to pull the mains plug (that goes to your wall), get a flash light and look at the connector on your computer. see if it's discolored.. and try swaping the power cable with the one that goes to your monitor

also could be a hard drive or other disk drive overheating / shorting..

might want to check that out