another computer problem

[BA.]

I mostly agree with TonyL here.

It does sound heat related to me. (thermal event)

Using a fan is the primary way to see if it's heat related. Usually, instead of placing it in front of an air intake, people will just take off the side of the computer and blow the fan directly on the entire motherboard.
The two chief culprits of heat-related issues are the video card and the CPU.


There are several neat and small temperature displaying programs out there.
One of the most common ones is "Motherboard Monitor 5". aka MBM5. Free download.

Depending upon the age and the system, your motherboard might still be just fine but the CPU's heatsink might just need new 'thermal grease' between it and the top of the CPU.
What CPU do you have?

Something else you really should do is BLOW THE DUST OUT OF THE CASE AND MOTHERBOARD. Personally, I use an air compressor. Systems that sit on the ground as opposed to the desk are more susceptible to collecting dust. Also, having pets creates hairs clogging up the fans and air flow.
Be sure to power the system off before blowing it out. And, hit the CPU heatsink and all fans, and the intake and exit of the Power supply really well.