can't figure this one out.....

[kooda]

I am having trouble with something psu related ( i think ), and I can't figure out what is wrong. My sys specs-
Ultra x1000 (1 kw)
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R
E8400@3.8
4 gig Gskill 6400 (2 sticks)
280gtx vid card ( 185.85's)
TRUE hsf
2 hd's (sata)
dvd combo drive
fan controller
lcd screen
7 120mm fans
onboard audio

Now the trouble. I was playing GTR2 the other day, and after about 1/2 hour, the screen locked up, then the colors went all wonky (think psychedelic). I dismissed that episode, exited the game, rebooted and tried again. Same thing, just with different times that it happened. Could be 1/2 hour, could be 2 hours, but it still was happening. I was also getting hard lockups when the screen would freeze.
Naturally, I went and got some new vid drivers. I had never had any trouble before, but who knows. I uninstalled the vid card 3 or 4 times, reseated it, unplugged the pci cables and plugged them back in, all to no avail.
It gets weird now. I monitor my temps with my lcd screen, and I never noticed anything out of the ordinary. One morning, my puter was dead. Just a small flicker and nothing. Problem solved (so I thought). It had to be the power supply going out that was causing my trouble. This is the second Ultra power supply that I've had go out (personally, I'm done with them). Evidently, there was a lack of power that was causing my vid card freak outs. This was the only time I ever had any trouble, when I was playing games. I have a spare pc that I keep just for these times. It has a trusty Corsair 620 psu (yay).
Now it gets weirder..... I tried the Ultra in the back up pc. It did not start.......good that is a bad power supply. I hooked up the Corsair in the main rig, and all is well. NOT! I was playing GTR2 again, and I got the freaked out screen after about a half hour. I checked that I had indeed used the new vid drivers (so many driver switched at the onset there could have been some confusion lol). They were good. Now what is weird is that I started Hardware Monitor, and I usually have Speedfan running (lcd has plug in for it). They both show that my 12v rail is at .96, flucuating up to 2.4 max!!! WTF. 3.3@3.31, 5@4.92, cpu vcore 1.22, ram @1.92. I restarted to check these out in the BIOS, and I was even closer and the 12v rail was at 12.42. What is going on here? What do I believe? Do I have a mobo that is shorted/grounded out somewhere that is causing my troubes? Sorry to be so long winded, wanted to paint the whole picture.

 

[Dangman]

Now what is weird is that I started Hardware Monitor, and I usually have Speedfan running (lcd has plug in for it). They both show that my 12v rail is at .96, flucuating up to 2.4 max!!! WTF. 3.3@3.31, 5@4.92, cpu vcore 1.22, ram @1.92. I restarted to check these out in the BIOS, and I was even closer and the 12v rail was at 12.42. What is going on here? What do I believe? Do I have a mobo that is shorted/grounded out somewhere that is causing my troubes? Sorry to be so long winded, wanted to paint the whole picture.

Software PSU voltage monitoring is rarely accurate. So for all intents and purposes, ignore those voltage readings. You need to use a digital multi-meter to get accurate PSU voltage readings.

Anyway, are you experiencing similar problems in other games?

 

[kooda]

Thanks for the quick response. I also play CODwaw, and I had it happen there one time. I played about 45 mins yesterday (just got 1.5 patch), and had no trouble. I am going to try some more today before work.
One note: I also use rivatuner, and my 280gtx never gets over 60c. Forgot that.

 

[Dangman]

Thanks for the quick response. I also play CODwaw, and I had it happen there one time. I played about 45 mins yesterday (just got 1.5 patch), and had no trouble. I am going to try some more today before work.
One note: I also use rivatuner, and my 280gtx never gets over 60c. Forgot that.

Yeah play a few more games and see what happens. Might as well do this if you can:
[Testing the GPU]
Use Furmark or ATI Tool to stress test the GPU. If you see any artifacts, the GPU could be overheating, too overclocked, or faulty.

 

[Zero82z]

They both show that my 12v rail is at .96, flucuating up to 2.4 max!!!

If that was true, your computer wouldn't be running. Ignore those readings and get a DMM to measure your voltage with. You should be able to find one for $10-20 at a local hardware or electronics store.