Mysterious problem afflicting my pc three times in a row.

[NickyVida]

So just a gist of what's happening as i had the same problem before.

 

I had this seasonic psu when i first assembled my computer. It was fine at first but only after less than a month it went all fuzzy with the 3.3v rail and had to be replaced.

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/62621-pc-dead-on-me-after-only-a-few-months/

Then only after a few months, the same problem happened again, and again i sent it to RMA. Got it back, worked fine.. until about a few weeks ago.

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/64056-is-it-me-or-has-seasonic-been-dropping-the-buck-lately/

Couldnt power on the PC using the front panel Power button, which happened with the other two PSUs. I only could turn it on by flipping the main psu switch on and off numerous times while holding the front panel power button, after only which it would turn on inexplicably.

Problem happens after every shutdown. And i have to spend twenty or thirty minutes getting it to turn on again.

Noticed that the power button on the mainboard lights up when i turn on the psu mains but no spinning psu fan, which i think means that power is being supplied to the mobo but the pc would not turn on when i press it. Only by using the method above it would turn on. Im not sure what this means, but by using the method above, am i shorting the mobo so that it would power on? So could it be the mobo having the problem?

Bios readings on the PSU are fine when i finally managed to turn on the PC. No out of the norm 3.3v,5v,12v rail readings, have disabled my overclock and turned off sleep mode. All connections to the mainboard were firmly secured so im at my wits end as to whats actually wrong with my pc.

Edit. Forgot to mention the PC will stay on, once its been started no problem with gaming or anything else until it shuts down again and the problem arises.

 

Specs are i74770k with asus z87 plus

Gtx 780

Seasonic x1050w

Wd hdd 500gb

Corsair neutron gtx ssd

Gskill ram 8gb 1600mhz

[ionbasa]

If you have access to a multimeter, try jumping your PSU: http://forum.overclock3d.net/showthread.php?t=394

and checking the voltages that way, if they seem normal, then there could be something wrong either at the line voltage input (AC), or something wrong inside the actual PC.

[NickyVida]

If you have access to a multimeter, try jumping your PSU: http://forum.overclock3d.net/showthread.php?t=394

and checking the voltages that way, if they seem normal, then there could be something wrong either at the line voltage input (AC), or something wrong inside the actual PC.

i dont have a multimeter unfortunately. will the paper clip that the poster said suffice?

Edit. Forgot to mention the PC will stay on, once its been started no problem with gaming or anything else until it shuts down again and the problem arises.

[ionbasa]

i dont have a multimeter unfortunately. will the paper clip that the poster said suffice?

Edit. Forgot to mention the PC will stay on, once its been started no problem with gaming or anything else until it shuts down again and the problem arises.

To jump your PSU, yes, but you have no way of testing the voltage though. You can find multimeters on the cheap for $15 at any hardware store.

[NickyVida]

To jump your PSU, yes, but you have no way of testing the voltage though. You can find multimeters on the cheap for $15 at any hardware store.

I see..

you mean as in a normal off the shelf multimeter will be suitable? What do i have to do once i get the clip and the multimeter?

[ionbasa]

I see..

you mean as in a normal off the shelf multimeter will be suitable? What do i have to do once i get the clip and the multimeter?

Once you get the paperclip the PSU will be on and providing DV voltage.

 

You can use the multimeter to measure the voltages at the connectors.

 

Basically measure from any black to any colored pin where there is power. And check to make sure that they are within resonable spec. 

 

Ie if the 12v rail reads less than 11V or more than 13v then there is an issue with the PSU.

[NickyVida]

Once you get the paperclip the PSU will be on and providing DV voltage.

 

You can use the multimeter to measure the voltages at the connectors.

 

Basically measure from any black to any colored pin where there is power. And check to make sure that they are within resonable spec. 

 

Ie if the 12v rail reads less than 11V or more than 13v then there is an issue with the PSU.

i see. Thanks!. Do i have to test the 12vrail or for all 3,5 and 12vs?

[ionbasa]

i see. Thanks!. Do i have to test the 12vrail or for all 3,5 and 12vs?

I would test all the rails. If one seems "off" then you know that it is an issue with the PSU. Also I am quite surprised you needed to RMA the PSU twice already. Since Seasonic is a reputable company.

[NickyVida]

I would test all the rails. If one seems "off" then you know that it is an issue with the PSU. Also I am quite surprised you needed to RMA the PSU twice already. Since Seasonic is a reputable company.

Yeah.. i thought so too. If there's something wrong with this brand new PSU as suspected.. it'll be the third time for me :wacko:

[ionbasa]

Yeah.. i thought so too. If there's something wrong with this brand new PSU as suspected.. it'll be the third time for me :wacko:

could just be bad luck, you never know. 

 

One thing I would do is that if you are going to rma the PSU is to write the serial number down. That way when you get a PSU back you can tell if it actually is new, or just refurbished.

[NickyVida]

could just be bad luck, you never know. 

 

One thing I would do is that if you are going to rma the PSU is to write the serial number down. That way when you get a PSU back you can tell if it actually is new, or just refurbished.

 

I checked the S/N of all the RMA'd PSUs.. All were brand new sets hence im quite baffled as well..

 

Is there a sneaking chance the mobo might be the problem anyhow, besides the psu as this mobo/psu were launch haswell products?

[ionbasa]

I checked the S/N of all the RMA'd PSUs.. All were brand new sets hence im quite baffled as well..

 

Is there a sneaking chance the mobo might be the problem anyhow, besides the psu as this mobo/psu were launch haswell products?

I wouldn't rule out the mobo, although there are rarely any cases of mobos causing PSUs to dye (its usually the PSUs that kill the motherboard.)

[NickyVida]

I wouldn't rule out the mobo, although there are rarely any cases of mobos causing PSUs to dye (its usually the PSUs that kill the motherboard.)

 

Well the first psu had a properly busted 3.3v rail that i promptly rmaed and im using the same motherboard that came with it.. Hopefully it hasnt affected the mobo. But i had it tested at the motherboard's service centre around the time of the second psu rma and it booted up fine, albeit with the service centre's PSU and CPU on it so im not so sure if it might be the mobo

 

Will test this tonight as i have to run some errands first.

[NickyVida]

Just did the jump start a while ago. Voltage across all rails are normal after testing with multimeter, cross referenced with bios and Hw monitor.

 

for 3v rail is 3.360

 

for 5v is 5.040

 

for 12v is 12.096

 

bu the problem still occurs when i try to power on the pc.

 

Does that mean its the mobo failing? Or could it be that the power button is faulty?

[ionbasa]

Hmm. 

 

I have a quick question for you, does your computer BSOD at all?

 

Also I assume you are overclocking. What frequency and volts are you pushing to the CPU and RAM?

 

If you can get your PC to power on could you do a memory test using Memtest86++ :http://memtest.org/

Tutorial:http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105647-ram-test-memtest86.html

 

The reason I am asking is because I was looking through some of the older older posts on your issues.

 

If the older PSU took out ram, it could have also affected the memory controller on the CPU, or could have also affected the chipset on the Motherboard.

 

Leave the Memtest running for at least 4 hours, even longer if possible.

 

If Memtest fails let me know.

[NickyVida]

Hmm. 

 

I have a quick question for you, does your computer BSOD at all?

 

Also I assume you are overclocking. What frequency and volts are you pushing to the CPU and RAM?

 

If you can get your PC to power on could you do a memory test using Memtest86++ :http://memtest.org/

Tutorial:http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105647-ram-test-memtest86.html

 

The reason I am asking is because I was looking through some of the older older posts on your issues.

 

If the older PSU took out ram, it could have also affected the memory controller on the CPU, or could have also affected the chipset on the Motherboard.

 

Leave the Memtest running for at least 4 hours, even longer if possible.

 

If Memtest fails let me know.

 

Nope. No bluescreen at all.Works perfectly apart from this issue.

 

Im not sure if it could be called overclocking. Set my bios to Asus optimal and it overclocked to 4.3ghz automatically. Auto voltage as well. But now i've reverted to stock clocks but it still happens. 

 

ok. will do.

Does that mean the problem is confined to the motherboard itself ? ie, chipset or memcontroller?

[ionbasa]

Nope. No bluescreen at all.Works perfectly apart from this issue.

 

Im not sure if it could be called overclocking. Set my bios to Asus optimal and it overclocked to 4.3ghz automatically. Auto voltage as well. But now i've reverted to stock clocks but it still happens. 

 

ok. will do.

Does that mean the problem is confined to the motherboard itself ? ie, chipset or memcontroller?

If you still have the option I would rma the psu, mobo, and cpu.  

 

At this point it would probably the most sane thing to do, especially if the earlier psu was shot on the 3.3v rail. I can't guarantee that it is the motherboards fault, but i just seems strange because the PSU is showing the proper voltages.

[NickyVida]

If you still have the option I would rma the psu, mobo, and cpu.  

 

At this point it would probably the most sane thing to do, especially if the earlier psu was shot on the 3.3v rail. I can't guarantee that it is the motherboards fault, but i just seems strange because the PSU is showing the proper voltages.

 

would it hurt to try to disable the haswell c6/c7 power states? someone else advised me to try this first once i get into bios but i dont know how. For now i can't shut off my computer as it'd take a long long time and probably luck to short it on, so i left it in sleep mode .

 

i think the problem though doesnt lies in the psu. When i get it back from the RMA it works fine for a few months then the issue slowly surfaces again, which was the same for all the three RMAs to date. As for the mobo, they tested it using thier own cpu/ psu on my motherboard.

 

Will see what happens when i do the memtest tonight before i do anything else first.

[ionbasa]

would it hurt to try to disable the haswell c6/c7 power states? someone else advised me to try this first once i get into bios but i dont know how. For now i can't shut off my computer as it'd take a long long time and probably luck to short it on, so i left it in sleep mode .

It should be called "speed-step" in the bios, you can disable it, but then the CPU won't throttle under normal conditions.

 

Let me know how the memory test goes.

[NickyVida]

It should be called "speed-step" in the bios, you can disable it, but then the CPU won't throttle under normal conditions.

 

Let me know how the memory test goes.

 

Alright. WIll do! hoping to nip this issue in the bud. It's been a pain in my arse.

[NickyVida]

Hi ionbasa. Am running the memtest now. Os there anything i should take note of while running the test?

[ionbasa]

Hi ionbasa. Am running the memtest now. Os there anything i should take note of while running the test?

Make sure to leave it running for 6 to 12 hours. It will stop with an error message if it found issues with the RAM.

[NickyVida]

So far its made two passes now without any errors. It says pass complete no errors below and press esc to exit but the test is still continuing About two hours in since i started. Is 6 hours the bare minimum i need to run this?

[ionbasa]

So far its made two passes now without any errors. It says pass complete no errors below and press esc to exit but the test is still continuing About two hours in since i started. Is 6 hours the bare minimum i need to run this?

some people recommend as little as 2 hours, but the longer the better.

[NickyVida]

I see. Will try to run it as long as i can. Close to three passes and no errors yet.