PC Shutdown + 100% GPU fan speed + No abnormal temps.

[Azortharion]

Started just today while web browsing/chatting back and forth, my PC just decided to shut down (black screen) and the GPU fan went -nuts- (100% it sounds like, I can only take it to 80% by software and it's definitely louder than that). First time it did it restarted, then did it again and came back up without issue. (Nothing in Windows error event logs or anything either).

5 mins before writing this post it did it again, the screen remaining black while GPU was nuts till I hit reset and it came back up for me to write this post.

Specs:

CPU: i7-2600 (non-k)
Cooler: H100i

Mobo: AsRock Z77 Extreme4
GPU: EVGA 660 Ti Superclocked
Case: Fractal Define R4
SSD: Kingston HyperX 3k
HDD: WD Black 1TB
PSU: CoolerMaster GX750

The CPU is semi-old (3 years), the Z77 mobo is about 2½ years old, the 660 Ti is about 2½ years old too, PSU is 3 years old, SSD 2½..

Basically it's all 2½ years old or more.

So basically, what's wrong?

1) It's not temps, I put my hand behind the GPU (blower-style) on the back of the case and it was spewing out chill air, when the PC came back up everything was normal-temp wise (nothing above 35c)
2) Didn't happen before I put my case on the floor but it's been there before without issue (year ago tho) - it's on a flat wooden floor so the PSU definitely isn't air-starved. Dust filter on 24/7 too.
3) Generally clean case, no excess dust on anything that may short out whatever.
4) Generally clean well-ventilated room/battlestation
5) 2 monitors off the card if it matters.
6) The PSU generally gets shitty reviews for being an underperformer but its wattage is WAY beyond the system's max capability and it's only happened just web browsing (haven't gamed since tho)

So.. More ideas?

[Benjamin G]

My first thought would be the PSU

[Azortharion]

My first thought would be the PSU

Me too, I'd like to be sure though. It's a pretty shit PSU and it's semi-old, served me well until now though, might just upgrade that to keep this system running... Not sure yet tho.

[Benjamin G]

Me too, I'd like to be sure though. It's a pretty shit PSU and it's semi-old, served me well until now though, might just upgrade that to keep this system running... Not sure yet tho.

Maybe run something like OCCT PSU stress test and see what happens man.

[Azortharion]

Maybe run something like OCCT PSU stress test and see what happens man.

Did for 2 mins and it didn't burn down. Heading to bed now and will do a longer test tomorrow.

[Azortharion]

Just did it again (again just YouTubing/hanging about), then decided to test for a good 2 hours with no PSU errors. Max CPu temp was 54c, max GPU temp was like 90c - I cleaned the dust filter and compresso-aired the GPU PCB but it worked fine through torture.

It seems kinda random to me, any help appreciatied, got a $900 upgrade budget lying around and I'd like to know whether some of that should be a new PSU.

[Swampland]

When your screen goes black and you say the computer shuts down, is it completely down or are the lights on the motherboard still on? It could be that your motherboards power connection is loose/bad so your board loses power, the GPU loses it's control function from the board and the fans hit 100% simply because there is nothing controlling it.

[Priller]

Just did it again (again just YouTubing/hanging about), then decided to test for a good 2 hours with no PSU errors. Max CPu temp was 54c, max GPU temp was like 90c - I cleaned the dust filter and compresso-aired the GPU PCB but it worked fine through torture.

It seems kinda random to me, any help appreciatied, got a $900 upgrade budget lying around and I'd like to know whether some of that should be a new PSU.

 

I would test the GPU in another rig if you have the ability to do so and see if the same issue arises.

[Azortharion]

When your screen goes black and you say the computer shuts down, is it completely down or are the lights on the motherboard still on? It could be that your motherboards power connection is loose/bad so your board loses power, the GPU loses it's control function from the board and the fans hit 100% simply because there is nothing controlling it.

Lights/mobo still on, it's not the monitor shutting off it's just a black screen - I did double-check all the PCI-e connectors on the mobo and GPU because I thought something along the same lines.

It hasn't done it since I put it back up after cleaning filter/pressing a little on the connectors (though they did not seem lose), I'll see about testing the GPU in my other rig though I somehow doubt it's the GPU messing up. Just seems weird that it'd work just fine playing games and whatnot only to spontaneously go crazy, then come back up just fine. /shrug

[Levent]

do you have afterburner or any overclocking utility that you use to overclock your graphics card?

[ColorfulShardMC]

I would guess that it's the GPU. I've had something like this before but my situation was because I did something within windows...

[Azortharion]

do you have afterburner or any overclocking utility that you use to overclock your graphics card?

It is OC'd yeah, but it never really gets utilized (I only really play WoW) and it's been running these for its lifetime and it has even been higher. http://puu.sh/7BWeP.jpg

[Levent]

It is OC'd yeah, but it never really gets utilized (I only really play WoW) and it's been running these for its lifetime and it has even been higher. http://puu.sh/7BWeP.jpg

close Precision and see if your fans ramp up to 100%

[Azortharion]

close Precision and see if your fans ramp up to 100%

They stay at the same speed.

[Akin]

try running a burn in test,

 

http://www.passmark.com/products/bit.htm

 

It will stress test the entire system as a whole not just bit by bit.