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Can a CPU overheat because the power supply does not have enought wattage? I have a random shutdown issue that appears to be associated with CPU heat.

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— an underperforming or failing PSU can certainly trigger the kind of sudden shutdowns you describe, but it’s not the only possible cause. and are right to point at the power supply as a suspect; the practical next step is to prove whether the problem is coming from a cooling failure (thermal trip) or from a power-delivery fault.

Look for these quick diagnostic signals first: an orderly shutdown with fan spin-down and a logged thermal event points toward overheating. An immediate power cut with no graceful shutdown (Windows Event Viewer shows a Kernel‑Power / unexpected shutdown) usually points at the PSU or motherboard power circuitry. Use hardware sensors to confirm which happens just before the machine dies.

Try this step-by-step workflow to isolate the fault:

  • Clean dust, confirm CPU cooler is seated correctly and the fan(s) spin; replace thermal paste if the cooler was loose or old.
  • Enable hardware monitoring in BIOS/UEFI and note idle temps and rail voltages.
  • Run a controlled CPU load while logging CPU temperature, Vcore and the system +12V rail. (If unsure which tool to use, pick one that can log to a file.)
  • If temps rise steadily to near the CPU trip point before shutdown, focus on cooling (heatsink, paste, fan curve, airflow).
  • If voltages sag sharply under load while temps stay reasonable, suspect the PSU or VRM; test with a known-good PSU or a multimeter/PSU tester. Look for bulging caps or overheated VRM heatsinks on the board.
  • If the shutdown only happens under mixed CPU+GPU load, repeat tests with minimal hardware (one stick RAM, onboard graphics if available).

If logging is inconclusive, swapping in a known-good, quality PSU is the fastest definitive test. Back up data before prolonged stress testing, and stop any test if temperatures reach unsafe levels.

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Member Avatar for rubberman

This is a classical symptom of an underpowered power supply. Rule of thumb is to get a power supply with twice the wattage as you figure you will need.

Member Avatar for rproffitt

Over the years, well, yes.

I LIKE the "twice the wattage" but have to write that sometimes that's not enough. (say what?) There are some Quad rail PSUs that have awfully low amperage ratings on the +12V. To avoid this my generic PSU spec is "twice the wattage" and a single +12V rail.

That seems to keep folk out of trouble.

Now you might ask why double. My answer is that the PSU rating is for a new PSU. Since some 99% of PSUs for PCs use Electrolytic Capacitors which age quickly, you need the spare capacity to avoid short life spans and to accomodate an extra drive or changes later.

And I'm going to upset some folk here. I see this issue with more AMD than other CPU based PCs. Don't know why but it's out there.

commented: Good info ! +0
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