GTX480 almost dead

[iusahell]

my gtx480 squeals a lot when I'm gaming (not previously occurred) and my pc shuts down, at first only did when i loaded 3d applications, then after just five minutes of surfing and general use and now immediately turns off as having some short so i took everything out of the case and test just with:

1 hdd
1 ram stick
mobo and cpu
psu and gtx480

works for almost 2hrs no problems yet....although i havent tried any game. The culprits could be: ram,vga,psu. Mobo is brand new (1 week only and cpu is rma from intel so i don't think it has anything to do with them). What could be? my vga has never been overcloked and temps are fine just once 94°C i think, but most of the time 68°C and i recently installed my true black 120. Coil whine and squeals mean faulty card? had not noticed this noise before and im afraid of rma with zotac cause i could receive another worse.. ram can cause this?.. or psu maybe? i dont have spare parts to test hell that basterd did it a few minutes ago and im only at hardforum (guess i have no choice to rma this sucker)

 

[Coaxial]

My first guess is going to be PSU. What do you have?

 

[BDV]

Check the PSU definitely. Get an amp/volt meter and check the readings on PSU. Cheaper than getting a new one.

 

[iusahell]

my psu is a pcpower&cooling 750w (year and a half old), the electrical noise come from gtx480 but as you said it could be psu as well ...what voltages and amps should i get? 12v accurate in the 12v rail and 60amps? what wires (colors) of the psu i have to read with the voltmeter?

 

[Matrices]

Are you sure that it's actually the card making the noise? Use a cardboard paper towel roll or something equivalent to direct the noise and be sure to isolate the source - GPU or PSU?

Sometimes you get defective PSUs whose defects aren't exposed until you put them under some stress.