So my PC will shut off randomly it doesn't happen every day, i can play a game with out a problem... i hear a click sound and i think that is the PSU.. it only happens latter in the day around 7 pm or latter. its a hard shut off like someone unplugged the power cable.. i don't think it is cooling my case is open, and i have 2 fans blowing air down on to the CPU and the GPU. if i shut it off tho before it shuts it self off it doesn't do it.. im begging to think its the PSU...
what do you think it is? if you have any questions just ask:)
well from the info ... the red flag I see off the top is PSU .... and of course the ancient GPU is there any way you can "borrow" a GPU to try and if not that then a PSU?
Im getting a new GPU (gtx 970 strix) for Christmas, so its what i thought is probably the PSU ill just get a new one :) how does the Corsair CX Series 600 Watt sound?
Alright thanks for the help, and if you wanna get free stuff, by letting videos play on your phone or tablets? try perk, i use it and its how im getting my PSU, i used it for months.. http://perk.fm/4esg9
Well first thing i'd check is system logs. If you know the issue is occurring regularly at about the same time, then the logs should give you some idea or at least some things to explore.
Then I would start looking into methods to eliminate possibilities. First if you have another graphics card - even one you can borrow or pick up for really cheap - nothing special - just something to swap out for testing. Run the PC and normal operations and see if the problem presents itself again. If it does then you know it's not the GPU. Get a power supply tester and plug the psu into it. See what you get. This is not definitive but a good thing to at least eliminate. You can also swap out psu with another if you have that ability then run the pc again and try to get the problem to repeat.
Make a bootable CD or DVD using the UBCD iso http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/download.html Use this to run Memtest86+ and if you think it's necessary run MHDD or the manufacturer specific HDD test.(I say do this because you described a "click" type noise) You say you dont think it's the cooling because the case is "open." If by this you mean the side panel is off, then your cooling is not as good as it could be with the side on. No if's or and's on that one. PC cases are designed with sides for a reason - to create a "flow path" for the air. Having the side off drops the internal air pressure too much and makes the fans almost ineffective. =)
In the end though, especially due to the age of the graphics card, my gut would tell me to lean to the GPU not cutting it anymore. But I have seen bad HDD, bad RAM, bad GPU, bad Motherboard, and Bad CPU cause problems like this. You should also go through the trouble of removing all heatsinks (GPU and CPU) and cleaning them very well, apply new thermal paste and reseat the heatsinks. At the same time go ahead and reseat all ram modules. I know a lot of this may seem like a waste of time, but in troubleshooting nothing is a waste if you learn something. even the smallest clue is worth it. There is rarely an easy or quick answer, but there is always a reason.