[austom]

Over the last year and a half i have been using a hd 5850 1gb for my gpu without any errors what so ever, Perfect boot ups and a perfect gaming experience.
2 days ago i had an issue when trying to boot up, The PSU/CPU/Case fans would all crank up for about 1 second then die off, then roughly 2 seconds later the pc would power up again for a few seconds, then a 1 second long beep would be spat out.

Firstly i fixed the issue by re-seating my GPU and RAM in different slots and it worked for about 2 boot ups.
It started happening again yesterday, I woke up, turned my pc on and it was fine, when i went to lunch i turned it off and after eating i came back, tried to boot up and got the weird boot up with beep again.
I tried re-seating my ram and gpu multiple times and i still got the same problem.
I did a test on my psu to see if it was okay and it was fine.
I took out my 5850 and put an old 8600gts in my case and booted up, it started like it was before with the delayed fans and cut off, then reboot but instead of the long beep i just got the normal beep and my pc booted fine.

I'm not sure what to do at this point, I'm not keen to buy another GPU seeing as i have only had my current one for under 2 years. Is there anything i can do or more tests i can try?
I've read on forums that people say it could be the MOBO short circuiting the case, Or the PSU failing but i think i ruled those out by getting successful boot ups using a different gpu.

I've added a video of what happens that you may like to view.
Thanks.



6 Gigs Corsair Dominator 1600Mhz
Win7 Ult 64bit
Radeon HD 5850 1GB
Gigabyte x58a-ud3r
antec 650W psu
i7 950 3.07GHz

Edited by austom, 28 January 2012 - 06:27 PM.

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austom

I did a test on my psu to see if it was okay and it was fine.

You cannot conclusively test a PSU without specialist equipment and the knowledge as how to use the said equipment.
The equipment simulates the demands that would be placed upon a PSU when it is under load and will cause a failure if the PSU cannot handle it, for what it is worth it may not be your PSU or GPU in any event.

Before doing the following remove the power cord from the wall socket and take anti static precautions by grounding yourself on a bare metal part of the case;

Leave the 8600gts card in and remove all but the stick of Ram that is in slot 1, check that there are no loose connections from the PSU, CPU and other fans and case switches ( power on button etc ) reconnect the power cord and monitor then power up, post back with the results please.

[phillpower2]

austom

I did a test on my psu to see if it was okay and it was fine.

You cannot conclusively test a PSU without specialist equipment and the knowledge as how to use the said equipment.
The equipment simulates the demands that would be placed upon a PSU when it is under load and will cause a failure if the PSU cannot handle it, for what it is worth it may not be your PSU or GPU in any event.

Before doing the following remove the power cord from the wall socket and take anti static precautions by grounding yourself on a bare metal part of the case;

Leave the 8600gts card in and remove all but the stick of Ram that is in slot 1, check that there are no loose connections from the PSU, CPU and other fans and case switches ( power on button etc ) reconnect the power cord and monitor then power up, post back with the results please.

[Digerati]

I did a test on my psu to see if it was okay and it was fine

I see Phill be me to it here. Typically, the only way most home users can conclusively test a PSU is by swapping in a known good one.

The motherboard shorting to the case is highly unlikely, unless this was a brand new build, or the computer was severely mishandled - like dropped from several feet off the floor. Working fine for over a year rules that out (assuming it was not dropped).

Reseating boards and memory modules is an OLD trick that really is not a good idea to do anymore. The purpose was to scrape clean the contacts in order to provide a good mechanical connection - essential for a good electrical connection. This works if the connection is not very tight and dirt and dust was allowed to get in, or if full of corrosion. Modern connectors rarely suffer from corrosion (unless exposed to the elements - including greasy fingers) and when the cards and modules are properly inserted, they form a great mechanical connection that keeps dust and corrosion forming contaminants from getting in. So if you never touch the contacts with your bare fingers, and if you keep your computer clean and out of the weather, reseating is rarely, if ever needed, and in fact, causes wear and tear on the connectors resulting in their spring tension to weakening. That, in turn, can result in a weak mechanical connection that can get dirty.

So, pressing on cards and modules (after taking proper ESD precautions) to ensure they are securely inserted is a good idea, but I recommend avoiding reseating if possible.

My guess as to why it worked with the 8600 GTS is the fact the 8600 GTS uses less power and has lower power requirements (minimum recommended is 350W vs 400W for the HD 5850). While 50 may not be much, for a struggling PSU, that may easily be the straw.

[austom]

Thanks for the reply guys
I'm getting a PSU on Tuesday to test out what you recommended
I will also try the ram seating suggestion too.

I'll post results on Tuesday!

Thanks

[phillpower2]

Ok but you do not need an alternative PSU to see if you have a bad stick of Ram or slot on the MB, you just try one stick at a time in each slot until all combinations have been tried, make a note of each stick/slot in case you identify a bad one of either.

[austom]

Ok but you do not need an alternative PSU to see if you have a bad stick of Ram or slot on the MB, you just try one stick at a time in each slot until all combinations have been tried, make a note of each stick/slot in case you identify a bad one of either.

trying this now

[austom]

Okie Dokie. I Tried Re-Seating each of the RAM sticks for every combo with no results that i could see.

I put the 5850 Back into my case, Tried to boot up but only a tiny amount of voltage must have gone through because the fans only twitched

I then unplugged my 2 PCI-E Cables from the 5850 and rebooted and it started up and gave the expected graphical error beep.

The more i progress through this problem the more i think it's the PSU.

I will be trying another PSU on Tuesday, Fingers crossed!

Thanks again guys

[phillpower2]

Thanks for the update.
With issues such as this if a known good PSU with the required output is available swapping it would be the first thing you would be advised to do, as you have now seemingly ruled out other possible components after adding the new PSU on Tuesday the issue should be resolved.
As mentioned previously by Digerati a failing PSU may be able to function for a time while less demands are placed on it but as soon as the power demand is increased they fail, I would also add that had you not had a trusted brand such as Antec the outcome may have been more damaging.

As ever when you swap the PSU stay safe and remove the power cord from the wall socket and take anti static precautions by grounding yourself on a bare metal part of the case before reaching inside.

[austom]

Update here fellas, Got a brand new psu, corsair 650. plugged it in and my gpu smoked up and it fried one of my 2tb drives. Sent it back to where i got it and i think they're replacing the gpu and psu - hopefully. not having any luck recently!

[phillpower2]

That is bad news, have you got a link to the seller of the PSU!

[austom]

Yeah i just hope they'll replace the gpu. i understand if they only replace the psu though

[phillpower2]

I hope they do but I think first they will give the PSU a close inspection to determine if it was at fault.
Have you got a link to the place of purchase so we can see how reputable they are!

[austom]

I wont put out their name just yet, My father and i have been buying from them for 12 years, This is the first time anythings happened i have no doubt they will help us out!

[phillpower2]

I wont put out their name just yet, My father and i have been buying from them for 12 years, This is the first time anythings happened i have no doubt they will help us out!

Fully understand, I was thinking more along the lines of the major retailers who also sell online.

[Digerati]

I worry less about mistakes a company makes (unless they make many) and more about how they handle those mistakes.