Need Help

mazimba · October 16, 2017

PC Trouble.
SO I am having an issue with a build I did – see the problems outlined below.

I built my son a PC earlier this year, Jan / Feb time. It was an i5 4690K + Z97 Motherboard with 8GB Corsair Vengeance RAM – this was housed in a Corsair case with a 600W OCZ Modular PSU. The GPU I used was an AMD HD7790 and it worked great. He played Euro Truck Sim 2 and used it for youtube.

However, it developed a an issue where when you turned it on, it would spin the fans for 10 seconds then go off, showing nothing on the screen. It would then cycle up again for 20 seconds showing the Gigabyte logo then reboot and go into the usual constant boot loop.

Troubleshooting it – I took it out of the case to eliminate any shorts, removed everything apart from CPU and Cooler and it is the exact same. Tried resetting CMOS by taking out the battery but it is still the same. I have since tested the everything in another rig and all components work except the motherboard.. so dead motherboard right.

I ordered a new motherboard (Z97-P HD3) and using my i7 4770K, the same HD7790, my Phanteks case, an EVGA 500W PSU (80% rated) and the same 8GB Corsair Vengeance RAM I rebuilt the PC. I installed windows, all drivers and Steam. I then downloaded RealTemps and then MSI Afterburner to test temps while I used it. I downloaded PUBG (Player UNKNOWNS Battlegrounds) as I knew this would push the GPU.
Within 5 minutes of joining a lobby, landing and getting a gun (it’s a Battle Royale game) my PC locked up. I had to hard reset it – and now I have the exact same issue as before.

Now – can a GPU kill a motherboard like this? It has to be the GPU as a culprit though – the only other things that where reused where the RAM / Cooler and GPU, and while RAM can cause issues – it wouldn’t surely be intermittent.
Any advice?
Thanks!