At Core Computers in Brisbane, we’ve been diagnosing these exact problems for over 40 years. Our Albany Creek workshop sees cases like this every single day. Here’s what’s actually going on inside your machine — and how to stop wasting money guessing.
Try This First: 30-Second Home Checks
Before calling a technician, run through these quick checks. They take under a minute and can point you toward the cause immediately.
🖥️ Desktop PCs
- Listen when you power on — can you hear fans spinning? A completely silent fan is your first overheating warning.
- Check the power cable — plugged directly into a wall socket, not a power board.
- Feel the case — is the back or side panel noticeably hot, even after light use?
💻 Laptops
- Check your surface — using on a bed or pillow? Soft surfaces block vents, causing rapid overheating.
- Check the battery area — does the base feel swollen or uneven? Battery swelling causes shutdowns.
- Plug into mains power — shuts down only on battery? A degraded battery cuts out under load.
The 3 Real Reasons Your Computer Keeps Turning Off
PC overheating occurs when internal temperatures exceed safe operating limits, triggering an automatic emergency shutdown to prevent permanent damage to the processor or motherboard.
Your computer has a built-in safety mechanism. When internal temperatures spike too high, it shuts itself off — fast. Most people don’t even realise it’s happening.
What causes it?
- Dust buildup — collects on fans and clogs ventilation, trapping heat like a blanket over your PC.
- Failing fans — when a fan slows or stops, airflow drops dramatically before you notice.
- Dried thermal paste — breaks down over time. On older machines, this is often the entire problem.
Signs you’re overheating
- Fans noticeably loud, even during light use
- Desktop case or laptop body hot to the touch
- Crashes during gaming or heavy tasks — but boots fine again afterwards
Power supply failure occurs when the PSU can no longer deliver stable voltage to internal components — especially under load. This causes sudden, unannounced shutdowns frequently misdiagnosed as software issues.
What to watch for (desktops)
- Shuts down during demanding tasks — gaming, video editing, large file transfers
- Requires full power cycle (unplug & replug) before it will restart
- Runs fine at idle but crashes under load
Hardware instability from faulty RAM, corrupted drivers, BIOS misconfigurations, or failing components can all cause unexpected shutdowns that mimic other problems — and are difficult to diagnose without methodical testing.
Common culprits
- Outdated graphics drivers — causing crashes, black screens, or visual glitches during gaming
- BIOS misconfig. — the “C-States” setting can cause voltage drops; disabling it often resolves mysterious shutdowns
- Faulty RAM — failing memory sticks cause instability that looks like almost any other problem
- Windows Update issues — corrupted updates have been known to cause boot loops and black screen problems
Want to Check Your Event Viewer? Here’s How
Windows Event Viewer records exactly what happened at the time of your shutdown — including error codes that point directly to the cause.
- Press Windows Key + X on your keyboard
- Click Event Viewer from the menu that appears
- Navigate to Windows Logs > System and look for red “Error” or “Critical” entries around the time of your last shutdown
What to look for
Why Transparency Matters in PC Repairs
Many shops jump straight to replacing parts without proper testing. They’ll swap your RAM, then your hard drive, then your power supply — and charge you for each step. The actual problem? Dust and dried thermal paste. A $30–$80 clean and repaste job.
This is where most people waste hundreds of dollars — not because technicians are necessarily dishonest, but because systematic diagnosis takes more time than part swapping.
What to watch out for at any repair shop
- Hourly billing with no clear estimate — you drop off a PC and receive a surprise invoice
- No explanation — you’re told it’s “fixed” with no idea what was actually wrong
- No fixed quote before work begins
At Core Computers in Brisbane, we built our model around the opposite approach: diagnose first, explain clearly, quote before we start. You decide. No pressure.
Get in touch with Computer experts at Core Computers. Get in touch with Computer experts at Core Computers.Our Diagnostic Process in Albany Creek
When your PC comes into our workshop, we don’t start by replacing things. We start by finding the actual cause.
- 1Event log review — we check Windows Event Viewer for error codes like Event ID 41 and 6008, which tell us exactly what happened at the time of shutdown
- 2Hardware testing — we run diagnostics on your RAM, storage, and power supply to identify failing components
- 3Isolation testing — we strip the PC to essentials (one RAM stick, one drive) to rule out peripheral conflicts
- 4Thermal inspection — we check temperatures, fan function, and thermal paste condition
- 5BIOS and driver audit — we check firmware settings and driver versions for known issues
Only after diagnosis do we recommend a fix — and we explain it in plain English, not tech speak. Nathan Dobbins leads our team, supported by technicians with 20 to 35 years of individual experience.
Should You Fix It or Replace It?
Not every broken computer needs to be replaced. Here’s a simple guide:
| ✅ Worth Fixing | 🔄 Consider Replacing |
|---|---|
| Power supply failure | Motherboard failure (especially in older machines) |
| Overheating (cleaning + repaste) | System is 7+ years old and slow even after repair |
| RAM or driver issues | Repair cost exceeds 60% of replacement cost |
| Gaming crashes from software | Multiple major components failing at once |
Quick Troubleshooting Checklist
Before you book, tick off what applies — it’ll help our technicians get to the cause faster.