Computer Restarts When GPU Loaded

[Ryanx]

Hello guys,

 

I bought a graphics card a month ago. After a while, I realized that it makes my computer restart when I'm playing games. I get no error, no blue screen, no nothing. When I'm playing(when GPU load is 90% or more), the computer just closes down and starts again.

 

The graphics card model is ASUS GTX 770 2 GB DirectCU II

 

I tried to run some stress tests on my graphics card with Furmark and it makes my computer restart again.

 

So I took my GPU and power supply and went to a friend of mine. His computer was kind of old which has a 500W PSU. We changed it with mine. We got no error, no restarts.

 

So I know that, it's not the GPU and PSU.

 

My Specs:

MSI Z87 G45 Gaming MBO

Intel I7 4770K Processor

16 GB Corsair 1600 Mhz Ram

You know the GPU

700W PSU

 

My Friend's Computer Specs(In case you need it):

Gigabyte GA-MA74GM-S2H Mobo

AMD Athlon II X2 240

3 GB DDR2 Ram

 

I also tried with another mobo which was a brand new Gigabyte Z97 chipset. I even tried to change the Rams. It's not a heat issue because the heat wasn't more than 82 degrees. The video card worked fine on that degree with my friend's old mobo.

 

If you guys have any suggestions how to solve this problem, I'd really appreciate it.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

[Sonefiler]

Motherboard

[Ryanx]

I tried it with two different motherboards. 

[SkilledRebuilds]

Google how to tell windows to NOT auto reboot.

Then you'll see the BSOD.

 

Grab BSOD viewer - find out what driver/file/issue it is.

 

You took it to a friends, plugged your GPU/PSU into his install of Windows and it didn't have issues.

 

You answered your question... Software related.

 

Re-install windows and start over, it could take ages to pinpoint SPECIFICS. I know its not the answer your after, but you'll be done before you know it.

Start over and you'll be back to desktop within an hour and you can set it up again, hopefully in a working state.

@Ryanx

[Bogica]

It might be another issue, might be the PSU, your friends PC consumes less power. Try measuring the voltage, see if it drops. Otherwise it's probably software related.

[Ryanx]

@SkilledRebuilds I tried that but it still restars without a blue screen. I tried reinstalling Windows two times. I am almost sure it's not software related.

 

@Bogica You might be right that his computer might consumes less power than mine. How am I going to measure the voltages?

[legopc]

 

 because the heat wasn't more than 82 degrees. 

 

 

 

thats bad... 

[Ryanx]

thats bad... 

I'm forcing the video card to run at fulll load. What's bad about that? If you search the internet you can see that it's normal.

[SkilledRebuilds]

@SkilledRebuilds I tried that but it still restars without a blue screen. I tried reinstalling Windows two times. I am almost sure it's not software related.

 

 

Installed windows twice..

 

Whats the order of things that you install once your into windows the first time..?

 

Drivers from CD/Win-Update or Net?

 

Any protection methods in the bios that could be causing the restart?

[Bogica]

@SkilledRebuilds I tried that but it still restars without a blue screen. I tried reinstalling Windows two times. I am almost sure it's not software related.

 

@Bogica You might be right that his computer might consumes less power than mine. How am I going to measure the voltages?

Whatever you do PLEASE don't use HWmonitor or some other software like that, they are HORRIBLE for monitoring voltage. You can get voltages in the Bios menu, but those are voltages when the PC isn't under load, which will be perfectly normal in 99% of the cases. You should get a Voltmeter (Unimeter or what you call them) and measure it directly from the PSU. That's the most reliable method to measure voltage. Your 12v rail should NEVER drop under 11.75v, under load or not.

[Ryanx]

@SkilledRebuilds I tested it with two motherboards one of them is MSI z87 G45 and one of them is Gigabyte UD3H z97. What you mean by protection methods in the bios? Because the bios settings are on the default. I only activated from the bios the XMP to make the rams run at 1866MHZ. 

 

I install the Windows, chipset drivers, GPU driver and the rest. I install chipset drivers from the CD that I got with my mobo. I only install the GPU driver from the web.

 

@Bogica Actually I have a Voltmeter but I don't know where to put the two probs to measure that 12v. Here is also a picture from inside the case. https://www.dropbox.com/s/1pwlut9pfzn82r7/IMG_20140812_195013.jpg

[legopc]

I'm forcing the video card to run at fulll load. What's bad about that? If you search the internet you can see that it's normal.

84 is not normal its realy close to the thermal limit 

[Bogica]

@SkilledRebuilds I tested it with two motherboards one of them is MSI z87 G45 and one of them is Gigabyte UD3H z97. What you mean by protection methods in the bios? Because the bios settings are on the default. I only activated from the bios the XMP to make the rams run at 1866MHZ. 

 

I install the Windows, chipset drivers, GPU driver and the rest. I install chipset drivers from the CD that I got with my mobo. I only install the GPU driver from the web.

 

@Bogica Actually I have a Voltmeter but I don't know where to put the two probs to measure that 12v. Here is also a picture from inside the case. https://www.dropbox.com/s/1pwlut9pfzn82r7/IMG_20140812_195013.jpg

Well you put the probes in the molex and it will give you a 5v and 12v reading depending in which two you put them in. But the molex is in 99% of cases on a separate 12v rail from the GPU, so the most reliable way is to plug it in the 6pin connector from behind while it's plugged in the GPU and the PC is ON. Plug it in while it's idle and then run Furmark or some GPU intensive game, and watch the voltage and remember what it was when it reboots, ignore the reboot voltage as it's normal that it drops while the PC is rebooting.

[Bogica]

FOUND IT.

[Ryanx]

@Bogica Thanks! I'll try this as quickly as possible and tell you the result

[SkilledRebuilds]

To be fair... chipset drivers should be updated to latest.

Intel also JUST released updates last week too.

 

I'd grab them from online and use em.

Plus... Old chipset drivers, wouldn't need to be updated if nothing was wrong with them.

Who knows, this could be it... (God I hope so, running out of ideas)

But yeah, you should update chipset drivers for sure!

@Ryanx

Think, if chipset drivers had a issue, and software flaked it being under load via your GPU,....windows would BSOD (Or restart instantly in your case)

 

Im spitballin here, but still think its worth a shot.

[Bogica]

Well i had similar case with random restarts like that. It was caused by faulty capacitors on the motherboard, but because you said you have tried 2 different mobos maybe PSU have faulty capacitors inside and just freaks out on load.

Exactly, it's usually a faulty capacitor, in my case it was on the PSU itself, I ended up opening the PSU up and replacing every capacitor there was with better ones, soldering them to the PSU board and testing it. Ended up with more stable voltage then I had when I first bought the PSU. It was already 4 and a half years old when I replaced the capacitors. Usually a faulty capacitor can be detected by looking at them, they swell up/ look larger than normal, those ones are faulty.

[Ryanx]

@SkilledRebuilds Unfortunately, updating the chipset driver didn't work either.

 

@Bogica Is there any other way, I couldn't make the probes fit into the holes. The cables are a little thick.

[Bogica]

@SkilledRebuilds Unfortunately, updating the chipset driver didn't work either.

 

@Bogica Is there any other way, I couldn't make the probes fit into the holes. The cables are a little thick.

How so? Can you take a picture of the connector? Probes have sharp ends so all you need to do is create a contact between them and the metal part in the connector itself.

[Ryanx]

@Bogica You mean here right? https://www.dropbox.com/s/t53h9shnlxc6nyt/IMG_20140815_232536.jpg You see, there are two cables that goes in. Sorry, I'm kinda noob at these hardware related things.

 

Actually, I found a spare one that is not connected to the GPU directly. But It is on the same cable line that goes into the GPU. Will that work? I measured the voltage there and it shows 11.89V. This one:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/bj7cxml12k0yq39/IMG_20140815_233050.jpg

[Bogica]

@Bogica You mean here right? https://www.dropbox.com/s/t53h9shnlxc6nyt/IMG_20140815_232536.jpg You see, there are two cables that goes in. Sorry, I'm kinda noob at these hardware related things.

 

Actually, I found a spare one that is not connected to the GPU directly. But It is on the same cable line that goes into the GPU. Will that work? I measured the voltage there and it shows 11.89V. This one:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/bj7cxml12k0yq39/IMG_20140815_233050.jpg

It might be from a different 12v lane, but 11.89v is perfectly fine under load... That's strange

[Ryanx]

It might be from a different 12v lane, but 11.89v is perfectly fine under load... That's strange

Nope, it goes into the same place where I need to put the probes. That's why there are two cables. It was the normal voltage, under load it shows 11,59v. Is it still fine? 

[Bogica]

Nope, it goes into the same place where I need to put the probes. That's why there are two cables. It was the normal voltage, under load it shows 11,59v. Is it still fine? 

No, it is not. Sorry to say this but there might be something wrong with your PSU. Load voltage should NEVER drop under 11.75v, that's the tolerated norm, because lower voltage causes instability and can even harm you GPU, that's probably why you had those sudden shut downs. Please try to borrow a PSU from a friend or take your PC to a service center where they can check. I'm 99% sure the PSU is causing the shut downs because the voltage drops too low.

[Ryanx]

No, it is not. Sorry to say this but there might be something wrong with your PSU. Load voltage should NEVER drop under 11.75v, that's the tolerated norm, because lower voltage causes instability and can even harm you GPU, that's probably why you had those sudden shut downs. Please try to borrow a PSU from a friend or take your PC to a service center where they can check. I'm 99% sure the PSU is causing the shut downs because the voltage drops too low.

I was already thinking about buying a modular PSU, I'll have nothing to lose. I searched a little bit and I can afford for Corsair CX750M and Cooler Master G750M. They both look good. Which one do you suggest?

[Bogica]

I was already thinking about buying a modular PSU, I'll have nothing to lose. I searched a little bit and I can afford for Corsair CX750M and Cooler Master G750M. They both look good. Which one do you suggest?

I'd go for the Corsair CX750M. I only have bad experience with CM PSU's, had two die on me, while on the other hand I use their coolers and think they are damn good.