OK, here's the dope....
There are many reasons why your pc shuts down during game, and it will take a little time to explore each possibility.
As suggested, it could be a
high temperature issue, which may be caused by a number of things.
- Check the cpu heatsink/fan is clear of dust and crap, same for the gfx card. It is very normal that over time the fans will push this stuff into the heatsink, as your system case fans intake air to create airflow (to cool your components) it will also intake dust, and over time this accumulates.
- Check to see your case's intake and exhaust fans have clear flow. Some cases use filters, which need to be cleaned out occasionally.
It is unlikely that your gfx card is unable to deal with the game's demands, as you've stated you have been playing with it for a while.
- But, installing a latest driver may in fact resolve such issues.
How long since you installed your operating system?
How long since your last defrag?
Systems need to be defragged every now and then, to clean out the remnantsof old software no longer used, partially uninstalled, etc that creates similar probs. Checkdisk may give you an idea of your system's file structure, and whether or not you need to reinstall OS.
Your OS may be corrupt, caused by faulty ram. Download and run a bootable floppy called
http://www.memtest86.com/ to test your ram.
I reinstall my OS every 6-12 months to keep my system running smoothe.
Another hardware related issue may be a hard drive tht is dieing. You will find most manufacturers have a utility that will allow you to check if your hard drive is on the way out, has some damaged sectors, and may even repair it for you, like Seagate uses Seatools
http://www.seagate.com/support/seatools/
Let us know how you are going, maybe
