220-802 · Question #535
A user calls a technician and states that their computer shutdowns after about 15 minutes of being turned on. The user also states that if they wait about an hour and turn the computer back on, it…
The correct answer is D. Capacitors. The symptom described - shutting down after a consistent period of use, then working again after cooling down - is a classic sign of failing or bulging capacitors on the motherboard. Capacitors regulate voltage to the CPU and other components. When they fail (often visibly…
Question
A user calls a technician and states that their computer shutdowns after about 15 minutes of being turned on. The user also states that if they wait about an hour and turn the computer back on, it will function properly, but will shutdown after 15 minutes as it did before. Which of the following should the technician check on the motherboard that could be causing this problem?
Options
- ASATA connection
- BCMOS battery
- CTPM chip
- DCapacitors
How the community answered
(39 responses)- A5% (2)
- B13% (5)
- C3% (1)
- D79% (31)
Explanation
The symptom described - shutting down after a consistent period of use, then working again after cooling down - is a classic sign of failing or bulging capacitors on the motherboard. Capacitors regulate voltage to the CPU and other components. When they fail (often visibly bulging or leaking), they cannot filter voltage spikes adequately under thermal stress, causing system instability that leads to unexpected shutdowns. After the system cools, the capacitors temporarily return to a functional state, explaining the 'works after waiting' behavior. A SATA connection failure would cause disk errors, not thermal shutdowns. A bad CMOS battery affects clock settings. A TPM chip is related to security/encryption and would not cause thermal-style shutdowns.
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