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PSU PSU or Motherboard Failure?

Discussion in 'Tech Support' started by Measter, 8 Sep 2015.

  1. Measter

    Measter What's a Dremel?

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    I've started having problems booting up my computer. The other day it just took longer than usual, but today I had to turn it off and back on again. I don't think it's getting past the hardware initialization, because my external drive audibly spins up when I start the PC. Additionally, my keyboard didn't light up until it successfully started.

    Does this sound like a PSU failure, or more likely the motherboard? Specs are:

    Corsair HX620w PSU
    Gigabyte Z77-D3H Motherboard (With the beta BIOS; has been stable this past year)
    Intel 3570k, no overclock
    MSI GeForce 970 GTX
    2b 8gb Corsair RAM. Not sure of the specific model.
    Two HDDs, Two SSDs. All seem to be functioning.

    I'm going to reboot and run a memory test, see if that shows up anything. Will also see if there are any problems during a warm-boot.

    [Edit] Memtest found no problems. There also didn't seem to be any problems during the reboot.
     
    Last edited: 8 Sep 2015
  2. OmightyOne

    OmightyOne Minimodder

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    Check boot sequence/ update bios? would of thought it wouldn't be a psu failure as the pc does power on. From time to time they might be a glitch, is there any auto overclocking or user set o/c values? as that's probably more then likely the cause.
     
  3. Measter

    Measter What's a Dremel?

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    The BIOS is on the latest version, boot sequence hasn't changed since I built the PC. No overclock. The reason I suspected the PSU was because it's nearly 8 years old now.

    One thing I have changed recently is I got a pair of new monitors; the Dell U2515h, which I have daisy-chained through DisplayPort. I've noticed that they communicate back to the computer when one is turned on or off. Could that be causing the delay, if they're turned on at a certain point?
     
  4. isaac12345

    isaac12345 What's a Dremel?

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    Try to get your hands on another PSU, then disconnect but the basic stuff(including just one monitor) that you need to run the desktop and try that PSU. Use the desktop for a whole day or two. If the problem doesn't occur it is the PSU. If it does, it isn't the PSU but something else.

    You have already tested the memory, so unplug everything from the motherboard. plug one thing at a time, boot and see what happens. You might be able to pinpoint something out from there.
     
  5. bionicgeekgrrl

    bionicgeekgrrl Minimodder

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    When I've had troubles of a similar nature in the past, removing, cleaning slots/sockets and reseating and clearing the BIOS with removing the cmos battery has solved most of the problems. Sometimes things work loose if you've moved the case or dust builds up etc. Maybe worth reapplying the thermal paste for the cpu as it can dry out and become 'patchy'.
     
  6. Measter

    Measter What's a Dremel?

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    I've now cold-booted the PC while present 3 times since I made this thread, without any abnormal behaviour. Also, the PC is set to boot up during the night to run a backup, and according to the logs it ran three times at the set time, indicating that it booted normally.

    This is either a very odd, intermittent issue, or it was just a couple blips in an otherwise stable system. I'll have to start taking note of anything that's changed if it occurs again. Thanks for the help and suggestions; I'll keep them in mind for things to look at if it starts happening again.

    As an aside, I want to upgrade my local network to gigabit. Do I need to replace the cables?
     
  7. bionicgeekgrrl

    bionicgeekgrrl Minimodder

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    PCs can be finnicky things at times!

    As for gigabit. You need Cat 5e or 6. Cat 6 cable is recommended, but 5e should do the job fine for the most part.
     
  8. dancingbear84

    dancingbear84 error 404

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    You would obviously need to ensure that you have gigabit switch and gigabit nic, as bionic said cat5e supports gigabit, as does cat 6 up. I'm running my home network of 30 odd devices on cat5e with no problems at all,

    Cat 6 done properly gives you shielded cables, and up to 10gb iirc. If it were my money and I had cat5e leave alone, if you had to replace then there is an argument for cat6 but it would have to be done properly.

    Cat5 is different to cat5e and doesn't support gigabit.
     
  9. Measter

    Measter What's a Dremel?

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    I'm fairly certain that the three most awkward cables are Cat5e, though according to Wikipedia most Cat5 cables are the same as Cat5e, though not certified as such. My PCs and the router support gigabit, so it should hopefully just be a case of replacing that 13 year-old hub.

    If it don't work, I know which cable to replace. Thanks again for your help.
     

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