Not a game but hardware question.

[Drakefang]

Quick question. Just put in a new EVGA GeForce GTC 650 Ti Boost in my computer. I have a 500W power source and most indications say I should have enough power to run my mediocre system. The graphics card is by far the highest end item in the machine. It's a Cyberpower bought 14 months ago. It used to have a GeForce GT 520 in it. The issue I am running into is that when the system is taxed at all, while playing game and never while not, the entire box just cuts off. This did happen once or twice before the graphics card switch but over the course of 14 months, I wasn't concerned. Now, it's happening roughly 5 to 10 minutes into any game I attempt to play. Defiance and Civ 5 being the two current games of choice but Star Command is doing it, too. I've been able to watch video, surf the net and play simple windowed game just fine without issue.

All that said, is it likely a connection loose, am I overheating or is it (as I feel) that I need more power?

[Drew]

It could be overheating, have you cleaned out your fans? If so then you need more power.

[Drakefang]

Yeah, I vacuumed it all out very well when I put the new card in.

[subzero]

The minimum power requirements are listed as 450W, so it's possible you're stretching your PSU. Considering that it happened prior to installing this card, I'm guessing that is the problem. Just to be on the safe side, though, make sure your drivers are updated and you can download programs such as EVGA Precision X (assuming they're still using this for the 600 series, dunno. They should have some monitoring/tweaking util somewhere if not) or GPU-Z to check temperature levels. GPU-Z has a log to file option which I've not used, but am assuming continually records the various readings so you can review it after a crash.

[Drakefang]

Thanks for the advice. As you say, I am pretty sure I am pushing my PSU. It's just a weird thing, though, since the other day I must've played a couple hours of Defiance without it shutting down.

Would it be smart to unplug any external drives if I am gaming? I mean is there anything I can do to conserve power for the PSU til I can replace it?

[subzero]

It certainly won't hurt to disconnect peripherals and whatnot that aren't being used. I don't know that there's much else you can do to reduce the power consumption while gaming, though. Make sure it's not overheating before you go drop money on a new PSU. I can't speak for the other cards, but my 560 Ti has always run in the mid to high 90s, so if your case isn't well ventilated that could be the problem.