New WC PC, problems with Rampage IV Extreme

[Sverre]

I am putting together a new PC and have run into some trouble.

Rampage IV Extreme
64GB memory
2xPOW GTX590
2x3TB HD
1x480GB SSD
Aquaero 5
2 water pumps, tanks and radiators
9x120mm fans
4x80mm fans
Corsair AX 1200 gold
Plus a lot of sensors that will connect to the Aquaero

I have connected the Aquaero and the fans and it runs fine, but when I connect the motherboard and the graphics cards and 1 HD it only gets 5v standby power. If I disconnect the MB, HD and graphic cards I still only get 5v SB. Have to disconnect the power cord for some minutes (haven't timed it) before full power returns. Then running Aquaero is ok, but the second I reconnect the MB it turns off.

The other day I found a 30v mosfet regulator on the bottom of the case, but quite sure it's for the PSU tester (molex output isn't working) as it is produced for iPhone and iPad.

Any suggestions?

[Sverre]

Disconnected the graphics cards and the power is ok. When I connect ANY of the PCI-E cables (not connected to graphics cards) I hear a sound that reminds of a shorting, and the PSU goes dead, only leaving 5v SB. Since this seems to be the same for all the cables I'm a bit lost. And it isn't the outlets from the PSU, as I use the same outlet for the 8-pin motherboard connector. When I check the cable on the PSU tester, it serms ok, but I can only test the 6-pin part of the connector.

[HiVizMan]

Could you please tell me which connectors you have used on the motherboard.

I am interested in all the 12V CPU connectors and the additional connectors supplying power to the PCIe lanes for your cards.

Where are you drawing power for all the other stuff you have connected to your system?

[Sverre]

I have connected the power, reset, hdd led and led +/-. Then I connect the 24-pin and 8-pin. In addition I have power to the Aquaero wich powers the fans and power to the BD's and HD's. If I turn on the power now the Aquaero works and powers the fans, and the motherboard gets power, but a red led is illuminated. Looks like the CPU led. When I connect PCI-E cabel the PSU shuts down and only the 5v standby power is available. I then have to dissconnect the AC for a few minutes before the power gets back.

[HiVizMan]

Something is grounding out the system. Or something is causing the system to shut down.

Please check each and every power connector, and each and every connection that will be carrying power to a fan or anything at all for that matter. Obviously you will pay special attention to the PCie connectors.

Check also for bits of cable that are nicked or might have small cuts. Something is causing this and until we narrow it down we are stuck.

If you have access to another PSU please swap that out and see if the problem remains.

[Rassal]

Is your motherboard screwed down in your case? If it is... i would suggest tearing apart your system and try the same components outside of your casing and test it from there... i would even say go bare minimum... so motherboard, 1 dimm of memory in 1st slot, cpu, cpu cooler and power supply... then power it off... if it works outside the case, i would suggest you rebuild your system and pay attention to your motherboard standoffs and make sure they are properly aligned... like HiVizMan says, it sounds like you have something that grounds up your system thus the powere supply goes into protection mode...

It happened to me a couple of years ago, in a specific case, until i could see that one of the motherboard standoff was too large and was grounding some lines on the motherboard... best way to test your components is to try them outside the case 1st... and see if you have the same problem.

[Sverre]

As this happends only when I attach cables thar aren't connected to anything and that the output I use for PCI-E is the same as I use for the 8-pin to the MB power, I can't understand that it's anything but the PSU. I have another PSU that is broken (waiting for the supplier to take it back on the guatantee) and have tried the PCI-E cabels from that too, with the same result. Could it be tha 30v mosfet that I found, belongs to the PSU? I can't believe that, but I have to try all avenues. I also had to drill a little bigger holes for the screws, and I notice that the screw that is a little indented has touched the board in the PSU, but after careful examination with a magnifiing glass, I can't see that that has damaged anything but leving a little scar. And since the 8-pin CPU power works from the same connectors, why shouldn't the PCI-E? I'm totaly lost.

[Sverre]

The case is a Danger Den in all acrylic, so there is no way the screws that holds the mother board could cause a shorting.

[kkn]

pcie = screencards ONLY!!!
look in the instruction book of the psu and see where each cabel is for..........
and if its a new psu there should be a 4 and a 8 pinn power for the motherboard.......

[kkn]

sorry if i did miss understood enny of your writing ( my eyes are a lill blury ( small text large screen ) )

[Sverre]

It's a Corsair AX1200 gold. The output from the PSU is the same both for PCI-E and the 8-pin power to the mother board?

[Sverre]

Do I need to connect the 4-pin to the mother board as well?

[kkn]

is it molex or like the 8 pin? if its like the 8 pin connect it.

[Sverre]

What I did was to remove the PSU from the case, connect the 24-pin to the PSU and the tester (FrozenCPU), with nothing else, I connected the 6-pin part of the PCI-E cabel, as nothing happend I connected the last 2-pin part of the PCI-E, and the PSU shut down with only the 5v stand vy left. So, either I have 12 faulty PCI-E cabels, from 2 different PSU's, or tjeres something wrong with the PSU. But why does the 8-pin power cabel work, and not the PCI-E? They both connect to the same output. Is there some strange wiring in the PCI-E cabel?

[kkn]

like i typed before..
pcie = for screencards ONLY
and should not been put on enny other place then a screencard whit 6 or 8 pinn connector in them.

[Sverre]

I don't put it anywhere, but they both connect to the same place on the PSU.

[Sverre]

I removed the sleeving on a PCI-E cabel and notice that the 2 wires from the 2-pin part of the cabel, are connected to the same pin on the other end, ie shorted. Why would they do that?

[kkn]

pcie cables are only to be used for screencards, its becouse some cards have 6 pins and some have 8 pins conector so the 2 that "splits" you can put aside so you can use the 6 pin in stead of trying to put a 8 pin plug to a 6 pin hole witch will not fit at all......

[Sverre]

But since my GTX590 cards have 2 8-pin connectors both, I guess I use the whole 8-pin and not only the 6-pun part?

[Sverre]

kkn, I'm not completely dense, I know that the PCI-E cables are for the graphics cards. What I'm saying are that they both come from the same connections on the PSU. ;)

[Zka17]

What I did was to remove the PSU from the case, connect the 24-pin to the PSU and the tester (FrozenCPU), with nothing else, I connected the 6-pin part of the PCI-E cabel, as nothing happend I connected the last 2-pin part of the PCI-E, and the PSU shut down with only the 5v stand vy left. So, either I have 12 faulty PCI-E cabels, from 2 different PSU's, or tjeres something wrong with the PSU. But why does the 8-pin power cabel work, and not the PCI-E? They both connect to the same output. Is there some strange wiring in the PCI-E cabel?

What psu tester you use? Mine (Thermaltake Dr Power II) has separate connections for the 2x4 pin cpu power and 6+2 pcie cables... Inversing them, the tester shows problem.

So, pretty much I agree with kkn - you have to use the 6+2 pcie cables for graphic cards, and 4+4 cables for cpu power! Cannot find right now where I read it, but as I remember, they have different wiring.

Could you post some pictures about how the cables are connected?

[kkn]

zka17: hos psu have only a 4+4 ( 8 pinn ) power that he can split, he dont have an extra 4 pinn power.
did read so on the specs of his psu on corsair's home page.

[Zka17]

kkn: I know the Corsair AX1200, I own one (check my latest thread). So, it has one ATX/24 pin cable, two EPS12V CPU/4+4 cables, six PCI-E/6+2 cables, and so on... Although, I don't have the RIVE mobo - I have it's picture in front of me. It has one ATX/24 pin connector (that's fine, no problem there); above the CPU it has two power connectors, the 4 pin EATX12V_1 and the 8 pin EATX12V_2 ones. So, Sverre can connect one 4+4 pin cable from the psu to the EATX12V_2 and half of the other 4+4 to the EATX12V_1. If he connects one of the PCI-E/6+2 cables to the EATX12V_2 (8 pin), it won't work - not even sure that the connectors will match... The other possibility, to connect a 4+4 EPS12V CPU cable to the graphic card will cause problems too because of the wiring - also not sure if the connectors will match there either...

But we are getting derailed from the original problem...

Sverre: I assume that by now you figured out which cable is good for each mobo connector... I agree with you in that you cannot have 12 faulty PCI-E cables - just statistically impossible. However, having a second bad psu is not so impossible...

With all of the above said, HiVizMan's idea about something grounding out the system seems the most logical explanation for the problem. Rassal's suggestion about the standoffs may be also correct - even if you are using a full acrylic case, the standoffs are still metallic. Is this true? If it is, take out the mobo from the case, as he suggested.

Where exactly you drilled "little bigger holes"?! As I understood, on the psu... Well, specially if the screw touched the board inside, I don't consider a wise step from you... After your examination you didn't find anything but a "little scar". Did you check that the screw left that "little scar" because was pushing the board, thus bending it? Bending electric circuit boards is not a great idea... may cause cracks in the board. Sometimes you won't even observe those cracks, because they are inside - the board may be multilayered, only the middle layers may crack. If this happened, you may want to wait until your other psu will be changed... Or use an other, third psu if you can get one...

[Sverre]

Found out a few things.
1. The ic I found belongs to the mother board. It's a dual 30v mosfet regulator.
2. The holes I drilled are ok, nothing has been touched inside the PSU. The indented hole actualy has a safety wall inside, so no screws can get far enough inside to damage anything.
3. I have tried the PSU totaly detached from the PC. Only connected the 24-pin to the PSU-tester, so the power gets on (wich will only happend if theres a load on the 24-pin) and when I connect the 6-pin part of the PCI-E cabel (it is not connected to anything on the oposit side), everything is ok. When I connect the 2-pin part, the PSU shuts down. The 2-pin part of the cable is connected to the same pin on the graphic cards side of the cable. No idea why they would do that, but they obviously have.

[Zka17]

"1. The ic I found belongs to the mother board. It's a dual 30v mosfet regulator." - this doesn't sounds good... How did you manage to get this out? Perhaps was not attached correctly from the beginning... Or you hit it seriously while working with other components (like waterblocks)?

Anyhow, taking in consideration that the mobo may be injured, I would suggest you to try your psu in an other system - with different motherboard.

[Zka17]

"1. The ic I found belongs to the mother board. It's a dual 30v mosfet regulator." - this doesn't sounds good... How did you manage to get this out? Perhaps was not attached correctly from the beginning... Or you hit it seriously while working with other components (like waterblocks)?

Anyhow, taking in consideration that the mobo may be injured, I would suggest you to try your psu in an other system - with different motherboard.

[Sverre]

I have sent a tequest to Corsair support. Waiting for thei answer first. And I have an identic PSU that is a guarantee case as well.

[Zka17]

As I said, my feeling is that your problem is the motherboard, not the psu... If you have the possibility to try the same psu with other motherboard - it would be more help than just waiting for Corsair...

[Sverre]

I'll check on my old PC tomorrow.

[Sverre]

Got returnnumber on PSU today from the Norwegian company I bought it from today. So I'm sending it tomorrow.

[Zka17]

Good luck, man! Looking forward to see what's the real problem...