PSU killing graphics cards?

[mistermaximal]

Hello LTT community!

 

I need a second opinion from you. Over 2 months ago, I built a gaming PC for a friend of mine. He was on a very strict budget so I tried to get as much performance as possible by spending as much as possible on CPU+GPU. This is the build:

CPU: i5-6500

GPU: Sapphire RX480 4GB Nitro

MOBO: Asrock H110

PSU: Corsair VS450 (450W)

RAM: 16GB Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR4

And kinda cheap SSD,HDD,Case etc.

 

I know that the VS series from corsair isn't the best, but I figured it would be enough since the system shouldn't draw over 300W at any point, and 34 Amps on the 12V rail should also be enough. GPU wasn't manually OC'd.

About a week ago, after ~2 months of service, the GPU died (suddenly black screen and nothing more). No problem, can happen, he used the Intel graphics until the new card arrived. The new one only worked for one day until it died as well (starting with a few picture errors that rapidly turned into a color pixel mess and then stopped working).

I am not sure if either we are really unlucky and got 2 broken GPUs, or if the PSU is kinda killing off the cards. The rest of the system works fine, he's back with the intel graphics again (and a different PSU I gave him just in case). What do you think? Card or Power Supply? And what should I do now?
The case is cheap but still has enough airflow (2x120mm fans), the cards shouldn't overheat.

 

Thanks in advance!

[manikyath]

well, no matter the quality of your power supply, bad units just happen (they just happen significantly more often on crappy makes )

 

if you have some electricity/electronics knowlegde, measure out the power supply, otherwise talk to the retailer you're getting said replacement cards from, or to the retailer you got the power supply from.

[MoonlightSylv]

The VS series is pretty bad so it definitely could be that.

@Energycore 

[tarfeef101]

6 minutes ago, mistermaximal said:

Hello LTT community!

 

I need a second opinion from you. Over 2 months ago, I built a gaming PC for a friend of mine. He was on a very strict budget so I tried to get as much performance as possible by spending as much as possible on CPU+GPU. This is the build:

CPU: i5-6500

GPU: Sapphire RX480 4GB Nitro

MOBO: Asrock H110

PSU: Corsair VS450 (450W)

RAM: 16GB Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR4

And kinda cheap SSD,HDD,Case etc.

 

I know that the VS series from corsair isn't the best, but I figured it would be enough since the system shouldn't draw over 300W at any point, and 34 Amps on the 12V rail should also be enough. GPU wasn't manually OC'd.

About a week ago, after ~2 months of service, the GPU died (suddenly black screen and nothing more). No problem, can happen, he used the Intel graphics until the new card arrived. The new one only worked for one day until it died as well (starting with a few picture errors that rapidly turned into a color pixel mess and then stopped working).

I am not sure if either we are really unlucky and got 2 broken GPUs, or if the PSU is kinda killing off the cards. The rest of the system works fine, he's back with the intel graphics again (and a different PSU I gave him just in case). What do you think? Card or Power Supply? And what should I do now?
The case is cheap but still has enough airflow (2x120mm fans), the cards shouldn't overheat.

 

Thanks in advance!

It is rare for the PSU to be the issue. Have you ensured the GPU drivers area not the issue, or the PCIe slot? That being said, there is always the possibility that the PSU or GPUs were the issue. I'd try the PSU first. Swap it out for one you know works (if you can of course), and try that. If that doesn't help, then it could very well be bad luck, and the GPUs were bad. But I'd put my money on one of other options.

[mistermaximal]

1 minute ago, manikyath said:

well, no matter the quality of your power supply, bad units just happen (they just happen significantly more often on crappy makes )

 

if you have some electricity/electronics knowlegde, measure out the power supply, otherwise talk to the retailer you're getting said replacement cards from, or to the retailer you got the power supply from.

I got all that stuff from Amazon

I'm just wondering why the rest of the PC is working just fine and stable if the PSU really is faulty. Then again, It's hard to believe that I got 2 faulty GPUs as well. I'm thinking about buying a PSU tester, or maybe looking up if it's possible / how to test PSUs with a multimeter (which I have).

[manikyath]

Just now, tarfeef101 said:

(if you can of course)

that's why i usually suggest to ask the retailer, my retailer of choice actually has a (super dodgy) test bench set up, and if you have mysterious failures with product from their store, they'll gladly test it for you.

[Praesi]

People often make the mistake and rate the PSU as "not so important" in a Gaming PC.

That a new GPU die withing a Day is very unlikely.

[Cyracus]

1 minute ago, mistermaximal said:

I'm just wondering why the rest of the PC is working just fine and stable if the PSU really is faulty

Gpus are usually the highest power draws in a pc, so they end up putting the most strain on the psu, so that's why 

[Praesi]

Did yhe try another PCIe Slot?

[mistermaximal]

1 minute ago, tarfeef101 said:

It is rare for the PSU to be the issue. Have you ensured the GPU drivers area not the issue, or the PCIe slot? That being said, there is always the possibility that the PSU or GPUs were the issue. I'd try the PSU first. Swap it out for one you know works (if you can of course), and try that. If that doesn't help, then it could very well be bad luck, and the GPUs were bad. But I'd put my money on one of other options.

The drivers where always the latest ones, and it worked for 2 months until the first one died. The second one also worked for a day, so I don't think it is the PCIe slot either. I installed my old PSU which works fine, but at the moment I don't have a working GPU that requires a PCIe power connector to test it.

[mistermaximal]

1 minute ago, Praesi said:

Did yhe try another PCIe Slot?

Cheap mobo, has only one PCIe slot.

[tarfeef101]

1 minute ago, mistermaximal said:

The drivers where always the latest ones, and it worked for 2 months until the first one died. The second one also worked for a day, so I don't think it is the PCIe slot either. I installed my old PSU which works fine, but at the moment I don't have a working GPU that requires a PCIe power connector to test it.

I'd follow @manikyath's advice, and try asking a retailer to test it.

[Energycore]

What I think happened is not just the PSU, even though it's still really bad, but a combination of bad PSU (high ripple on it) and bad power delivery from the motherboard to the GPU (because the motherboard is a cheap ass one). A lot of the time, a well built motherboard can help prevent damage due to bad PSU, but a not so good one won't.

 

Either way I recommend replacing the PSU with a Seasonic S12II, XFX Proseries or TS Bronze, or Corsair CX450M or CX550M, and hopefully you understand why we make such a big deal off it

 

If after replacing the PSU the GPUs keep dying, perhaps it's the motherboard that's the issue, but i find that unlikely.

[mistermaximal]

5 minutes ago, Praesi said:

People often make the mistake and rate the PSU as "not so important" in a Gaming PC.

That a new GPU die withing a Day is very unlikely.

I know the inportance of a PSU, but as I said, it was on a very strict budget and I expect even Corsair's VS units to at least not kill other components. Many people use the CX PSUs that are not much better and seem to get along well with them. Also, if the PSU really is faulty, why does it only affect the graphics cards and no other components?

[Energycore]

Just now, mistermaximal said:

I know the inportance of a PSU, but as I said, it was on a very strict budget and I expect even Corsair's VS units to at least not kill other components. Many people use the CX PSUs that are not much better and seem to get along well with them. Also, if the PSU really is faulty, why does it only affect the graphics cards and no other components?

Well, as you can see, RX 470 and better PSU would have been a better choice

[Praesi]

1 minute ago, mistermaximal said:

I know the inportance of a PSU, but as I said, it was on a very strict budget and I expect even Corsair's VS units to at least not kill other components. Many people use the CX PSUs that are not much better and seem to get along well with them. Also, if the PSU really is faulty, why does it only affect the graphics cards and no other components?

My bet would be the MB / PCIe Slot. You have to test it.

[mistermaximal]

4 minutes ago, Energycore said:

What I think happened is not just the PSU, even though it's still really bad, but a combination of bad PSU (high ripple on it) and bad power delivery from the motherboard to the GPU (because the motherboard is a cheap ass one). A lot of the time, a well built motherboard can help prevent damage due to bad PSU, but a not so good one won't.

 

Either way I recommend replacing the PSU with a Seasonic S12II, XFX Proseries or TS Bronze, or Corsair CX450M or CX550M, and hopefully you understand why we make such a big deal off it

 

If after replacing the PSU the GPUs keep dying, perhaps it's the motherboard that's the issue, but i find that unlikely.

Of course I checked reviews before I bought the PSU, and they all showed very good voltage delivery and ripple suppression. They just use cheap capacitors which may not last for very long, but that shouldn't kill components. But yeah, I think I'll never go down on that price level again ^^

Btw, afaik the CX series isn't a lot better than the VS series but still works very well for most people. That's why I was confident the VS450 would suffice.

[mistermaximal]

7 minutes ago, Praesi said:

My bet would be the MB / PCIe Slot. You have to test it.

Yeah, I have an old HD6670 lying around, I'll pop that one in until I've sorted out the second RMA. If that one dies as well it must be the PCIe Slot ^^

[Energycore]

4 minutes ago, mistermaximal said:

Of course I checked reviews before I bought the PSU, and they all showed very good voltage delivery and ripple suppression. They just use cheap capacitors which may not last for very long, but that shouldn't kill components. But yeah, I think I'll never go down on that price level again ^^

Btw, afaik the CX series isn't a lot better than the VS series but still works very well for most people. That's why I was confident the VS450 would suffice.

The new grey sticker CXs are way way better, and much better than the old CXs as well. I recommend one of those. Not the green ones.