Is my PSU past it?

grumpysculler

grumpysculler

grumpysculler

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I've been having trouble with a new GPU (read about my woes here http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18643339 for the full story) most of which was down to a PCIe clash. I've gone from a 5770 (all stable) to a GTX970 (issues under load, card tested OK when RMA'd).

Having fixed the big problem, my system still isn't stable under load and I get this weird thing where one HDD will disconnect, remount, disconnect, remount, etc when the GPU is going. I currently have 1 SSD and 2 HDDs, it is only one of the HDDs that does this. It does not happen under I/O load (runs CrystalDiskMark fine) but does happen in Dragon Age Inquisition and Heaven at least.

Heaven eventually dies with a BSOD 116 (GPU problem), last run was nearly two hours with the drive going up and down throughout. I can't spend long enough on games to test - they are installed on the disk that's going up and down.

System is all running at stock (i7 920, GTX970, used 6gb and 12gb RAM, gigabyte ex58-ud5).

My PSU is a Fractal Designs Newton R2 650W that's 5 years old. At best, it is running at 50% load (max 340W actual drawn from mains).

Does the above seem like a PSU problem? It should have enough juice and there is no drop in the 12V rail under load, but I can't see ripple and transients.
 
Unless it has some sort of random fault (I would expect the problem to occur more quickly if it was the psu at fault) the psu is more than enough. It seems to be a decently built unit with 600w on the 12v rail and the two reviews I have just read don't throw up any potential problems with it. Do you have a multimeter to test it? I suppose it could be some sort of board/gpu conflict (very common with Gigabyte boards) but you have already updated the bios so it should have sorted that. Do you have a friend nearby who would let you test the psu and gpu in his pc? I don't want to recommend a new psu just in case it's the motherboard or something else and you will have wasted your money.
 
Thanks for the reply, it echos my thoughts.

I've sorted the hard disk by taking it out (I cloned the troublesome WD Black onto a spare WD Green and there's no trouble with it).

I can't really test the PSU and GPU elsewhere, although ocuk tested the GPU. Others have motherboards from the same family that seem to work, so hopefully it isn't a conflict. It's been 3 years since the last BIOS release, so it's probably stuck as it is.

Tested the 12V rail with a multimeter and it doesn't bat an eyelid under full load. Can't see ripple of course, but there's no droop.

At this stage, it's either PSU, MB (either duff or conflict) or drivers. PSU should be OK, MB should be OK, but I can't prove for sure. I guess I'll wait a couple of driver releases, then look at a new PSU if it isn't fixed. Upgrading the motherboard isn't really an option right now.
 
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