I need help with my custom built pc not turning on please.....

[jimb0616]

Ok, i'll keep this short and simple because I don't have much time atm. I built this computer about 4yrs ago and within the past 1yr I've gone through 3 power supplies, 2 OCZ (bleh) and lately, as of lastnight) the 3rd one which is an ULTRA X4 750W atx psu. It was working GREAT, I left my computer on lastnight because I watch movies on my ipod touch while in bed from it. When I woke up the computer was off and we had no storms. So right away I was sniffing away at the PSU (the last one burnt out, it stunk of sucky psu) but it doesn't smell. When I try to turn the pc on the LED lights flicker just a tiny bit once and you can barely see it. However, the keyboard stays light (the LED's in it) and the green light on the mobo stays lit. I tried seating the ram but it still didn't work. I don't remember the EXACT specs but I'll try to post what I remember below...

AMD quad-core black edition cpu
The mobo i think is ASUS and it was espensive, made for crossfire ATI
4gb ram
2 internal 500g HD's (1TB total + 500g external 1.5TB total)
onboard sound HD
and 2 ATI HD3800's (the 3800 series) crossfire
PSU - Ultra X4 750W atx

I really can't afford to go buy ANOTHER psu, the wife knows I'm stressed out now because... yea i play wow, big deal, but I'm also the CEO of a small gaming community... my work is computers. This is the first time I've ever posted for help. I was going to go buy a new PSU and have it work for 4months but maybe it'll break again. The only thing I dread doing is taking it out of the case and seating it on a table to test everything because with 2 HUGE ATI cards and HD's... there's not much room at all lol. The 1st computer I ever built back when Quake 2 was awesome ... it still runs to this day, no issues. My friends always use to ask how I built my PC's to make them last so long with no issues. Well friends, I have this horrible issue. If its the mobo I'll be so sad. Hope I didn't bore any of you and I truely appreciate any help, opinions and more. Thanks!!

James

 

[DustSailor]

Is a 750 Watt power supply enough for your system? In my mind, it is bordering on just enough, and some power supplies have a percentage of wattage that they lose. You have crossfire, may need a hundred more watts or so, but I'm just guessing. Your system is set to High performance power right? That drains on the power supply too, check the power supplies specks compared to what you plugged into it to see if you overshot it.

Also, it may very well be that some hardware is wearing on the PSU to make them go out like that. It could either be that you always bought the wrong ones (need crossfire supported PSU), or some other hardware is messing with them. Someone else may need to troubleshoot with you, but These are my suggestions.

 

[jimb0616]

I was thinking the samething but, I made sure that this PSU was made to support crossfire and it was recommended to work best with my type of mobo.

 

[DustSailor]

I Always go a little more than recommended by an automated computer store, but I doubt that is your problem. PSUs should never need to be replaced so often, I would look at something else. You are positive it is connected correctly? I would check this again. Do you have power spikes despite storms, or rather is your computer directly plugged into the wall? Cause thats a bad idea. You need surge protection. check for loose wires also

Not sure what else I can recommend myself. Do you buy used PSUs? Does your computer run hot? That could effect other hardware. Are you sure its the PSU thats causing the problems, or messed up hardware? Make sure the motherboard is seated correctly, that the graphics card and all other hardware is fully connected to it.

I had a computer once that wouldn't work until I put folded paper behind the motherboard to bring it forward in order to connect with my graphics card. *Edit* Of course, that was a new computer, and rereading your post brings to attention that you've had your computer a long time. How long have you had Win 7? And if you have a fried PSU, try to get it replaced before you buy another one, that gets expensive

 

[jimb0616]

All my PSU's were new, everything was new. I don't buy used hardware. I've been running Win7 since beta with zero issues and now I have the retail version which has been running perfectly. Yes, my tower does run hot because of all the gaming I do. I'm pretty sure the PSU is connected correctly because it's been running for about 6 months with no issues at all. No storm either, just high winds outside. I never had power spikes either. I'm going to take the entire thing out of the case and set it up on the table to see if I can go over ALL connections and hopefully that will fix it. I forget the exact name of my mobo, but I know its something like "Asus something Deluxe" it comes with heatsink for the mobo proc and even heatsink for the ram which is allll copper. I thought 750w PSU that is made for SLI/Crossfire, PCI-e and SATA would be the best thing for my comp. I really hope we can figure this out. Thanks so much for your assistance, any opinions from anyone is greatly appreciated. Thx again, I'll keep in touch as much as possible.

Thanks,
James

 

[sygnus21]

Uh that 750 watt power supply is plenty powerful enough for that system. Period.

I'll tell you I ran my system on a 550 Watt power supply no problem. Check my specs. Now you'll notice I have an 850 watt now, but that's more to do with that power supply as I wanted it. Do I need a 850 for the current system? NO!

I will tell you that your 750 will power those two 3800 series cards you have. One thing to check though is your connections, and that you don't have one rail overloaded with other stuff like fans and hard drives on the same rail powering the video cards.

 

[TVeblen]

ATI Radeon™ HD 3800 Series System Requirements

• PCI Express® based PC is required with one dual-width X16 lane graphics slot available on the motherboard
• 550 Watt or greater power supply with two 2x3-pin PCIe® power connectors required (750 Watt and four 6-pin connectors for dual ATI CrossFireX™)
• For enhanced performance with ATI Overdrive™1, a power supply with one 2x3-pin and one 2x4-pin PCIe ® power connector is required
• Certified power supplies are strongly recommended
• Certified system cases with good airflow and cooling are recommended
• 1GB of system memory recommended
• Installation software requires CD-ROM drive
• DVD playback requires DVD drive
• Blu-ray™ / HD DVD playback requires a Blu-ray / HD DVD drive

Then you add your 2 hard drives and whatever other power drawing peripherals and you've got that 750w supply running full tilt full time. It should be no surprise if they continually burn out.

When choosing a power supply you need to factor in "overhead", which includes the fact that the power output drops as it gets older.

For your rig you may want to look a PS's in the 1000w range that are 80 PLUS certified.

 

[sygnus21]

If you have this power supply.... Ultra X4 750-Watt Modular Power Supply - 135mm Fan, ATX, Lifetime Warranty w/ Registration, 80+ Bronze, NVIDIA SLI & ATI Crossfire Certifications, Vibration Dampener Included at TigerDirect.com, that is more than enough for your system.

Again, check connections before trotting off and buying something you don't need.

I say again, no need to get anything bigger.

Info on power supplies …

- Recommended Power Supplies | silentpcreview.com
- Everything You Need to Know About Power Supplies | Hardware Secrets
- How to Buy a Power Supply - wikiHow

My two cents.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Jimbo0616,
Welcome to SF. Sorry to hear of the PSU/System issues. I would take the system apart and assemble on the work bench. Clean all the connections with paint brush and air. Clean all the case fan blades, GPU's and the PSU. Clean the case and all filters. I recently up'd my PSU to the X4 1050 watt and when I reassembled my system it wouldn't go till I plugged the mobo's 12volt 8 pin into the proper rail on the PSU. This link has solid info on your PSU, see and review the connector layout !
Ultra X4 750-Watt Modular Power Supply - 135mm Fan, ATX, Lifetime Warranty w Registration, 80+ Bronze, NVIDIA SLI & ATI Crossfire Certifications, Vibration Dampener Included U12-40504 at UltraProducts.com
I'm also a firm believer in stable power and a APC power back up makes tons of sense for a computer as important as yours and one that's left on for long periods of time. Good luck and I hope you solve this mystery !

 

[TVeblen]

If you have this power supply.... Ultra X4 750-Watt Modular Power Supply - 135mm Fan, ATX, Lifetime Warranty w/ Registration, 80+ Bronze, NVIDIA SLI & ATI Crossfire Certifications, Vibration Dampener Included at TigerDirect.com, that is more than enough for your system.

Again, check connections before trotting off and buying something you don't need.

My two cents.

Yes, I definitely agree with that.
Do the diagnostics first.

 

[sygnus21]

Also, a big mistake first time users make is forgetting to connect the 12v 4 or 8-pin connector to the motherboard, If that cable isn't connected, the system won't start.



Ultra X4 750-Watt Modular Power Supply - 135mm Fan, ATX, Lifetime Warranty w Registration, 80+ Bronze, NVIDIA SLI & ATI Crossfire Certifications, Vibration Dampener Included U12-40504 at UltraProducts.com

 

[jimb0616]

Wow, thanks all SO much for your feedback. Right now I have the computer on the table and I'm reconnecting all the wires etc... Also, I THINK I found what was wrong but I won't find out till I try to turn the comp on. I noticed the power cord connecting to the mobo was not completely clipped in. Even though I pushed it in and it clicked, I'm still going to look over all the feedback you all have given me before I try and fire it up. Yea, when I build a computer, I go all out... it's just me I guess lol. Thx again, I'll check in asap.

James

 

[jimb0616]

I tried all of that, it's all connected properly, however it's still not booting up. The first power supply I had in that pc was an 800w, then 700w and now this awesome 750w psu all crapped out. I'm hoping it's the psu because I'll admit I 'DO' oc my gpu's sometimes but I make sure they're staying cool. The only thing I saw in my BIOS that was in RED, was the speed of one of the mobo fans, I think it was the PSU fan but it wouldn't let me speed it up or down. I'm going to get a cheap 40 to 60$ psu tomorrow and hook it up to see if it works so I know what the issue is. But, any info you all have for me from here on out would be greatly appreciated. Thx!!

James

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Maybe you could take the PSU in and have it checked quickly before purchasing the new one. Did you buy any of these PSU or other stuff from a local store with a service department?Thermaltake TRX-750M TR2 Modular Power Supply - 750-Watt, 80 Plus, 4X PCI-E, 6X SATA at TigerDirect

 

[Zepher]

The 3870 uses about AC 84/DC 72watts of power at full load.
3850 is 64/55watts.
Idle watts for 3850 and 3870 cards are in the 11-20watt range.

 

[sygnus21]

The only thing I saw in my BIOS that was in RED, was the speed of one of the mobo fans,

You either have somethig wrong with that power supply or something wrong with the connections.

Something you could try is hooking up items one at a time. This should help in telling you when the problem lays.

Good luck.

 

[kodi]

Disconnect ALL cables
Connect a fan or something similar to the a power supply molex
Using a wire connect the green wire on the 24 pin plug to one of the black ones.
Start the computer the fan will be the only thing connected if it runs the power supply is working
I will supply a link to a Tutorial on PSU's that was made by a team of experts
PSU TUTORIAL

 

[jimb0616]

ADDED INFO: my mobo is Asus M3A32-MVP DELUXE.. just fyi..

Thanks everyone, I'll go ahead and try all that stuff later today. As for where I bought all the parts, I DID get every single part from CompUSA aka Tiger Direct and still have the receipt but I built this about 4 years ago or 3. I do have two 3870's, I've OC'd them and the fans on them many times but 90% of the time I had the PC on I had them at default settings. When I went through the pc and connected the HD's to 1 wire each instead of two on one and reseat everything, also checked to make sure the mobo wasn't making contact with the case, none of that seemed to fix the problem. God, I really hope it's not my mobo, it's expensive lol... well it use to be. It's an Asus Deluxe something, I'll get the spec info off the receipt and post it later. Thx for the links and info, I'll check in again later today. Take care everyone. This is a great site btw, lots of very educated info nice work. Later

PS - This is the only build of mine that I've had issues with, all my past builds still run to this day, even my very first build over 12yrs ago... I get upset with myself when I can't fix my own rig. Bringing it to the store to have them check it out is a huge downer for me because half the time they don't know what they're doing lol, and also charge you an arm and a leg just to do something as simple as adding ram!!... which only takes seconds. anyways, thx again

James

 

[jimb0616]

OMG!!! What I just did, was I took the 12v/8pin out of the mobo and I just tried to turn the pc on AND EVERYTHING TURNED ON!! but i quickly shut it off because the 8pin was unplugged and I didnt want to dmg anything.. but when I plugged it back into the (top left area of the mobo) mobo it wouldn't turn on. Please don't tell me my mobo is dead... I've never come across this type of thing.

 

[jimbo45]

Uh that 750 watt power supply is plenty powerful enough for that system. Period.

I'll tell you I ran my system on a 550 Watt power supply no problem. Check my specs. Now you'll notice I have an 850 watt now, but that's more to do with that power supply as I wanted it. Do I need a 850 for the current system? NO!

I will tell you that your 750 will power those two 3800 series cards you have. One thing to check though is your connections, and that you don't have one rail overloaded with other stuff like fans and hard drives on the same rail powering the video cards.

750 Watts -- I could probably heat my whole house for that.

What can happen sometimes is that the Power LED and Microswitch get burned out / corroded. If that happens then the computer won't turn on.

I suggest you look at the Power LED connections with your computer case and check at least if any of the fans start up when you switch on.

If you feel competant at Engineering short out or bypass the Computer switch so it powers on automatically from the mains when plugged in.

Check also that the RESET LED isn't also corroded / broken.

I've had a few computers over the years which were totally dead untiil I fixed the LED / switch problem.

Why on earth however you would need 750 WATTS for power -- you could Microwave a Sunday Dinner for 4 people with that amount of power.


Cheers

jimbo