Pages: 1

 

  • Index » 
  • Community » 
  • Tech » 
  • Some Help. Im stumped (NVIDA asus 8800gts causing PC to die)
2008-10-16 05:31:31
JahManRed
wank
+646|6894|IRELAND

Ok so here is the story.

Buy new NVIDA asus 8800gts factory overclocked graphics to connect to my existing p4 3.2 system. Gigabyte board and 550w psu.

I connect the new card and go about installing drivers. The machine cuts the power and dies. I put the old card back in and the same thing happens.
Whats strange is that I could let the PC boot up to the log on screen and leave it there and it will remain on for hours. But as soon as you log in the power cuts out. At first I thought Power supply, the card is putting a high load on it when windows starts up. So I try it in a different machine and it works fine. The power supply ran my machine for a year and it now has the same components back in it but still cuts out.

So I decide the  new card must have blown something on the mobo. So I order a new mobo and processor and 4gb RAM. I install it all, it boots up to the start of the windows install and cuts out. I put the old card back in and it still cuts out. I'm totally stumped. I have order a new 800w PSU but am not confident this is the problem. The only component left which is common to the old and new set up is the HD which shows up fine in the bios.

Can a faulty HD cause a machine to cut the power? I didnt think it could as the PC doesn't need a HD to power up to BIOS. Help, I'm spending money hand over fist and the problem is still there.
2008-10-16 05:40:01
Hakei
Banned
+295|6262
If it's the only component common to the new and the old and you still have a problem, I'd guess that it is your problem.

One really small thing it could be - make sure that your case is fully closed when you boot. I had this exact problem and it turned out to only be that my case wasn't on which meant that it didn't like my HDD booting past a certain point.

Best of luck, and I'd certainly try a new HDD if possible.
2008-10-16 05:50:28
JahManRed
wank
+646|6894|IRELAND

Hakei wrote:

If it's the only component common to the new and the old and you still have a problem, I'd guess that it is your problem.

One really small thing it could be - make sure that your case is fully closed when you boot. I had this exact problem and it turned out to only be that my case wasn't on which meant that it didn't like my HDD booting past a certain point.

Best of luck, and I'd certainly try a new HDD if possible.
I just tried 3 different HD's and it does the same for all of them. The Case should have no effect on the PC booting up. It can only be 1 of 2 things:

1.
PSU has had a dropped in power output since I put the new card in and it won't now run the system it ran for the past year.

2.
The New Graphics card is faulty and blows Mobos. I should have tried the old graphics card on the new MOBO and cpu first instead of new one.
2008-10-16 07:16:58
san4
The Mas
+311|6955|NYC, a place to live
^ ^ ^ what he said. I mean, what you said. Sounds like one of those two. You tried reinstalling Windows?
2008-10-16 07:33:47
OmniDeath
~
+726|6910

Sounds like the PSU. Just wait and see if the new one you ordered fixes the problem.
2008-10-16 11:09:44
Bertster7
Confused Pothead
+1,101|6848|SE London

JahManRed wrote:

Can a faulty HD cause a machine to cut the power? I didnt think it could as the PC doesn't need a HD to power up to BIOS.
Yes it can. Not even that uncommon (I've fixed 2 machines for this exact thing in the past week). But removing it should solve that, if it was the issue - which seems exceedingly unlikely since you say you've tried 3.

Strip the machine down to a minimum system, don't go putting 4GB of RAM in for starters. Could be CPU related. Could be Mobo related. Could be GPU related. Could be HDD or ODD related. Could be the PSU. Could be RAM. Lots of possibilities. Awkward assessment on what you've told us.
2008-10-16 14:54:52
Scorpion0x17
can detect anyone's visible post count...
+691|7032|Cambridge (UK)

Bertster7 wrote:

JahManRed wrote:

Can a faulty HD cause a machine to cut the power? I didnt think it could as the PC doesn't need a HD to power up to BIOS.
Yes it can. Not even that uncommon (I've fixed 2 machines for this exact thing in the past week). But removing it should solve that, if it was the issue - which seems exceedingly unlikely since you say you've tried 3.

Strip the machine down to a minimum system, don't go putting 4GB of RAM in for starters. Could be CPU related. Could be Mobo related. Could be GPU related. Could be HDD or ODD related. Could be the PSU. Could be RAM. Lots of possibilities. Awkward assessment on what you've told us.
Yuppers.

@JahManRed - one thing Bertster didn't say in an otherwise excellent post was when you strip it down, DON'T USE THE NEW COMPONENTS until you're sure none of the old components are blown.

By, as Bertster suggets, starting with the minimal hardware (mobo, cpu, one stick of ram, video card, one hdd, psu) and then slowly adding more hardware, you should be able to figure out which component is faulty.

The problem comes when it's one of those basic components (mobo, cpu, one stick of ram, video card, one hdd, psu) - then you're only option is to try swapping each component out (one at a time) until you find the culprit.

I personally think it sounds like either the HDD or video card as blown something in the PSU - so, if you've got one ordered, wait for that to arrive, then with your current system, start with a minimum system and slowly build up until the fault reappears, THEN try the new PSU.

Also - whenever you try swapping out a component, if the swap-in doesn't make a difference, swap it back out again - so each time you're going back to the same base-line configuration.
2008-10-27 07:58:23
JahManRed
wank
+646|6894|IRELAND

So the new psu arrived. Installed it and its still shutting down. I replaced the power switch in case it was sticking. I can only presume the graphics card is faulty and blows something power related on the mobo. Unless anyone has any other ideas? BTW I did build it out of the case.
2008-10-27 10:14:16
Scorpion0x17
can detect anyone's visible post count...
+691|7032|Cambridge (UK)
What un-replaced components are left?
2008-10-28 04:28:06
JahManRed
wank
+646|6894|IRELAND

Scorpion0x17 wrote:

What un-replaced components are left?
Only the DVD writer and three Hard drives and the case(which I have changed the power switch on.) I have formatted all the drives and it crashes with any of them as the master. With all the shutting off power my raptor seams to be fucked. Needle must have dropped in a shut down. geeerrrr.

BTW. I used to be a hardware engineer so I know what I am doing somewhat.

Its just I am totally stumped on this one. All I can think off is the graphics card is faulty and blows something power related  on every mobo its installed on. I cant send it back as I was bought by my house mate over a year ago. I am too scared to try it in another mobo in case it blows it too.

Looking for second opinions here. My next move is to buy yet another mobo and try a different graphics card and see if it runs.
2008-10-28 11:46:32
Bertster7
Confused Pothead
+1,101|6848|SE London

JahManRed wrote:

Scorpion0x17 wrote:

What un-replaced components are left?
Only the DVD writer and three Hard drives and the case(which I have changed the power switch on.) I have formatted all the drives and it crashes with any of them as the master. With all the shutting off power my raptor seams to be fucked. Needle must have dropped in a shut down. geeerrrr.
Why haven't you tried disconnecting them? Seems very strange to be jumping to conclusions before you've even stripped the machine down properly.

The other hard drives or optical drives could also cause a fault like this. Doesn't matter whether the drives have been formatted or not, if one of them has a hardware fault it could fuck shit up.
2008-10-29 02:44:42
Scorpion0x17
can detect anyone's visible post count...
+691|7032|Cambridge (UK)

Bertster7 wrote:

JahManRed wrote:

Scorpion0x17 wrote:

What un-replaced components are left?
Only the DVD writer and three Hard drives and the case(which I have changed the power switch on.) I have formatted all the drives and it crashes with any of them as the master. With all the shutting off power my raptor seams to be fucked. Needle must have dropped in a shut down. geeerrrr.
Why haven't you tried disconnecting them? Seems very strange to be jumping to conclusions before you've even stripped the machine down properly.

The other hard drives or optical drives could also cause a fault like this. Doesn't matter whether the drives have been formatted or not, if one of them has a hardware fault it could fuck shit up.
QFT.

@JahMan:

1. beg/borrow/steal/buy yourself a multimeter.
2. take everything except mobo, CPU (plus HS&F),  one stick of RAM, video card, and PSU out of you're case.
3. power up and, using a spare molex and the multimeter, check the +12v and +5v lines.

4a. if either voltage line is at all out-of-spec, swap out the PSU and go back to step 3.
4b. if the voltages are in spec, then, make a rough note of the voltages (as a baseline for later comparison), then just leave it on for a while.

5. if it stays on for long enough that you're sure it's not going to shut down, then skip to step 9
6. if it shuts down, then we need to discover which component is causing the problem.

7a. start with the most likely - the video card - swap it out, then go back to 3 - if/when you get to step 4b again - compare the voltages to your baseline - have they changed? if so, make another note of them, and continue with step 4b, by waiting a while...
7b. if you've swapped out the video card and the PC still shuts down, then put the 1st video card back in move on to the RAM - swap the one stick out, go to step 3 - again, check and compare voltages...
7c. if you've swapped out the RAM and it still shuts down, swap RAM back, move on to HDD - first just disconnect it completely and go to step 3 (check and compare voltages)...
7d. if you've disconnected the HDD and it still shuts down, swap out the mobo, go to step 3, etc...
7e. if you've disconnected the HDD and it doesn't shut down, swap out the HDD, go to step 3...
7f. if you've swapped out the HDD and still it shuts down, swap out the mobo, go to step 3...
7g. if you've swapped out the mobo and still it shuts down, swap out the CPU, go to step 3...

8. if it's still shutting down it's either your mains electrics is foobar, maybe the case is doing summat wierd, or Jesus hates you.

9. if you get to 9, the components you currently have in the case are all OK, so start putting any other additional components back in - BUT do them one at a time and test that it's still working after each and every component.

 

Pages: 1

  • Index » 
  • Community » 
  • Tech » 
  • Some Help. Im stumped (NVIDA asus 8800gts causing PC to die)

Board footer

Privacy Policy - © 2025 Jeff Minard