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When I put my monitor on top of the case, I have system problems (PC shuts off or reboots)

Explanation: Putting the system monitor on top of the case seems to cause problems for the PC, such as power failure, spontaneous reboots, or system crashes.

Diagnosis: There are two likely causes for this problem. The first is that the weight of the monitor is pushing down on the case and possibly causing some components inside the case to be bent, a cable to be pinched, or the motherboard to be shorted to the case; this would be implicated if the problem occurs soon after booting. Another possibility is that the monitor being on top of the case is causing the system to heat up more than it would otherwise; this would tend to take longer to show up.

Recommendation:

• In general, if your system uses a standard desktop case, do not put the monitor on top of it if the monitor is greater than 17" in nominal size. If you are using a slimline (low profile, "pizza box") case, you may not want to put any monitor over 15" on top of it.
• If the problem is heating, try putting a separator (a stand of some sort) between the case and the monitor. Make sure the weight of the monitor is spread out sufficiently so that there are no extreme pressure points against the top of the case. Also look here for additional general ideas on diagnosing a system that is hot inside the case.
• If the problem is pressure, try opening up the case and rearranging the cables and components so that when the top cover flexes slightly, nothing is affected.
• Rest the monitor on something other than the PC case.

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