A desktop workstation used for video rendering unexpectedly shuts down completely during intensive tasks without displaying any prior system warnings or error screens. Pressing the power switch immediately after the shutdown produces no response. However, after the workstation sits idle for ten minutes, it powers back on normally until heavy rendering is initiated again. Which TWO of the following are the most likely causes of this behavior?
- The CPU heat sink has lost firm physical contact or the thermal compound has degraded, triggering emergency thermal shutdown protection.Answer
- The power supply unit internal over-temperature or over-current protection circuit is tripping under peak workload conditions.Answer
- CThe system master boot record and bootloader files on the primary storage drive have become corrupted.
- DThe motherboard expansion slots were incorrectly populated with laptop SO-DIMM modules instead of standard DIMM modules.
Answer
The CPU thermal protection triggering due to insufficient thermal dissipation and the power supply unit tripping its internal safety cutouts under heavy workload are the two most likely causes.
Modern CPUs and high-quality power supply units feature automated hardware protection circuits. When CPU cooling fails or thermal paste degrades, CPU thermal sensors initiate an immediate thermal shutdown to protect the processor. Similarly, an overloaded or overheating power supply unit trips its internal circuit protection under heavy rendering loads. In both scenarios, the system will refuse to turn back on until internal component temperatures drop below safety thresholds.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Differentiating CPU thermal protection cutouts and power supply unit safety trips from software or memory installation errors.