Please Help - PC Randomly Restarting

Tomtom3989 · 16 Feb 2015 at 20:21

Hello,
My PC keeps restarting. No BSOD. It has done this a few times when idle, most often in games and also a few times in the bios and at one point the PSU kept restarting itself, clicking on and off continuously. I've tried changing the SSD boot drive and reinstalling windows and also reinserting all cables and i've taken out everything unneeded like optical drive, sound card and other hard drives.
My diagnosis is probably the PSU or even the motherboard because windows event viewer just says power loss (kernal-power). i would just like to know what could possibly be the issue and what i can try to do my end before calling to return to overclockers.

i7 4790k
Gigabyte Z97 SOC Force
780Ti
Superflower 850
windows 8.1
no overclock on anything and drivers up to date etc...
The only thing i can think of is to try another PSU
Any help or guidance is really appreciated

Tomtom3989 · 16 Feb 2015 at 21:58

OK a little update
this motherboard has an additional 4pin power connecter just to the left of the normal 8pin power connecter (image below). I thought because my problem seems power related why not try both at the same time. i thought this additional 4pin power connector was only for extreme overclockers that needed the juice. But now i cannot replicated the problem after 1-2hours of gaming, which is annoying because if i returned the psu or motherboard back to overclockers i would probably get it sent straight back with a charge saying no fault.
Is there any tests that i can do

http://content.hwigroup.net/images/products/xl/214832-2.jpg

** Please don't hotlink images **

** Images over 1,280 pixels wide should be placed in spoiler tags **

Linx · 17 Feb 2015 at 01:13

It could be:
RAM or CPU or Power supply.

You can check RAM with Window's 8, Memory Diagnostic tool.
for CPU: Try running prime 95 and see if it shuts down imminently, that'll be good indicator if your CPU temps are going to high. Maybe download Real Temp too and see your CPU temps.
You also check your error logs in general by: run>eventvwr>Windows logs > system.

Equally it could be your PSU.

EDIT: oh i just realized you already checked the events log. Yeah i'd say it's definitely a PSU issue , i'd also try plugging the computer's power cable into a different socket, as it could be a power surge; i.e the socket isn't grounded properly or something.

The fact that you've done 2 hours of gaming and it's not crashed suggests that maybe one of your connectors on your PSU was loose, and coincidentally your corrected that when you plugged the additional connector.

Aston998 · 17 Feb 2015 at 10:05

I'll 2nd that

Tomtom3989 · 22 Feb 2015 at 17:22

Thank you for the help
However this did not fix the issue my 780ti is now making a horrible buzzing whining noise when under load (it never was before). I've tried 2 games and the Unigine benchamark and both have caused the system to turn off and reset multiple times not long after loading. No blue screen just event viewer saying kernal id 41 - power its like i've pressed the reset button however its not connected to the motherboard. Its seems to be a any GPU intense application because i've just run prime 95 and had no reset. Could the graphics card cause the system to reset. really confused as to what to do next.
So it could be power PSU, motherboard or GPU.
Should i take out the graphics card and test just using onboard graphics the i7 4970k?
Please not everything was purchased in a bundle from overclockers but i didnt want to call until knowing what is causing the problem
sorry to ask for so much help and i hate to be a nuisance

Tomtom3989 · 22 Feb 2015 at 21:37

Moved PC to dining room
Run 2 games games and unigine GPU benchmark 5 times and all = system reset
removed GPU
Used the i7 4790k's intel graphics processor = no system reset
i haven't got another power supply or motherboard to test the card on but do you think this warrants a return,
i think i've pretty much tried everything i can

Cat_J · 22 Feb 2015 at 23:34

Are you sure its not the PSU making the noise. Had the same thing myself was sure it was my GPU but turned out to be the PSU was whining. RMA got it sorted.

Tomtom3989 · 23 Feb 2015 at 01:12

Defiantly the graphics card making the noise.
I've been testing all night without it, stress testing using prime and also benchmarking and i cant get the system to reset.
The coil whine that developed was reason enough to RMA however i'm really hoping it is the GPU that caused the system to reset and not the power supply or motherboard because otherwise that's another problem and not just one.
Gonna give overclockers a call in the morning see what they say.