Tech input needed please

Also I have had some errors in my Event viewer under the administrative events and here is one that might be of interest in this case or not but it is a HAL error and it reads"
The platform firmware has corrupted memory across the previous system power transition. Please check for updated firmware for your system."

This error has been persistant over a long period of time and is logged daily. I read it has to do with the BIOS and I of course did re-flash my BIOS as well as reset it. Any ideas on what exactly this error points to?

Do not open your PSU as shown in the screenshot as there are cases of residual power electrocuting users even while unplugged.

Those look to be able to do the job the HX is 149 and TX is 109 here at newegg. I will probably grab that first to test my current system and it solves my issue then I can get one more year out of this PC. If not then I can build a new base system and upgrade the vid cards later.

The latest game I play is Black Ops 2 and the minimum Nvidia card is the 8800 GT 512 and I have the 8800 GTS 512 in SLI, if slot was working, and it runs smooth but soon my cards will be off the list. Playing it single card it still runs smooth so they have some life left in them.

edilee012 said:

After using Thermaltakes PSU calculator to see how much wattage you need I see I actually went way overboard on this system as a 600w would have been plenty!

Most computers consume less than 200 watts. And might demand 350 watts for an extremely short period. Sizing a power supply means amperes for each DC voltage. Wattage is a rather useless number.

Since most have no idea what their system needs, then we ballpark those current numbers, calculate a ballpark wattage, and then tell everyone a watts numbers that is at least double what they need. That is why so many believe a 500 and 800 watt supply is needed for a computer that consumes mostly less than 200 watts.

If a computer consumed that much power, then the room is heated like it was a four slice toaster. Obviously no computer consumes that much power.

Power supplies can become unstable when connected to a near zero or no load. So 3.75 on the 5 volts is understandable. Some will measure 5 and other 3.75 without a big load. Best and only reliable way to measure a power supply is with it connected to a full load (ie entire computer). Setupt a machine to acess (multitask) to all peripherals. Only then is it ready to measure critical voltages on any one red, orange, yellow, green, gray, and purple wire. Voltages on all six wires are important.

Best time to identify a PSU problem is when nothing is disconnected or changed.

Many web sites discuss measuring a disconnected PSU with a 'black to green' jumper. An unreliable measuring method. And does not include other critical functions in the power 'system'. A PSU is only one component of that 'system'.

Until a power 'system' is defined stable (ie by multimeter numbers), than all other testing for an intermittent is unreliable and maybe creates confusion. Spec volt numbers (ie above 4.75 for 5 volts) is not what the meter should read. For example, a 5 volt wire reading 4.8 volts means the supply is 100% defective. Would explain intermittents. Reasons why require engineering knowledge that need not be discussed.

Post VDC numbers for those six wires when fully loaded by the computer. Those numbers report numerous things that may be too complex to discuss. But mean others who better know the technology can provide better answers.

Are other PSUs too small? Same multimeter measurements can also define a smaller PSU as too small or more than sufficient. Again, those numbers from a meter, when a supply is powering everything, says a lot more than you might realize. A 300 watt supply might be more than large enough. But nobody can say without measuring its voltages when fully loaded by the computer.

ICit2lol said:

So having a larger than required capacity PSU does not necessarily mean that power is going to be wasted.

Correct. But irrelevant to the OP's problem. The point: a 350 watt supply can probably be swapped in and is sufficient to temporarily power the OP's intermittent system. A multimeter can confirm if that smaller supply is sufficient - and without any doubt.

Meanwhile, a meter can also exonerate or accuse the orginal supply. Also without doubt. Either the supply (and other parts of the power system) is defective; causing intermittens. Or that power system is OK; move on to other suspects.

Multiple procedures were provided to first identify and then solve that intermittent problem.

Makes little sense to wildly replace what may be a perfectly good PSU. Exonerate or accuse the original supply in minutes using that multimeter. And not by doing what many web sites show. A defective supply may test good when disconnected from its computer. Useful numbers from a meter exist only when a supply is connected to everything.

Some good points in those last posts. I did a get a response from Thermaltake and they stated that the 5v is for standby and most all components run off the 12V. The reason I can't drop in a spare 300 watt PSU I have laying around is they are all 20 pin and have no CPU aux 8 pin connector at all...my board need 24 pin plus the 8 pin. Also if I have no direct power to the vid card my southbridge screams or at least I think it is the sb, might be on the card itself...something squeals like crazy.

I am worrying less about the low 5v reading when 24 pin is unhooked and the fact it reads spot on when hooked up is leading me to focus on the mb at this time. If PSU acts up when I upgrade then it will be replaced as well. PSU's fail after time and this one has served 5 years.

When I made the choice for the 750watt PSU it was based off what EVGA/Nvidia stated the required amps were needed for that card and I believe it was a max of 37amps. Mine was 60 something and I figured that would serve well enough for a SLI system. I saw a newer PSU yesterday rated at 750 watts but had a max of 40 amps...don't think that would cut it for my system. I did go high on wattage for future needs but also bought according to the max amp rating on the 12v rail.