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dboanimation · ‎07-06-2015

I am new to this forum. Even though this is the ROG forum and I only have an X79 Deluxe, I have heard you guys and gals are extremely knowledgable and nice enough to help.

I have been having intermittent problems getting my computer to turn on. Right now, it will not start at all. When I press the power button on my case, all I hear is the click of a relay on my power supply.

[09/2013]

I built this system:
Asus X79 Deluxe
Intel i7-4930K
16 GB RAM (F3-1866C9Q-32GXM)
EVGA GTX 760 FTW 4 GB
Corsair AX680i (now CM1000 - See below)
Corsair Hydro H100i
Samsung EVO 840
Western Digital 2 TB HD x 4 (RAID 0 + 1)
CM Storm Trooper Full Tower
Windows 7 Pro 64-bit

Since the beginning of this build, I have experienced some issues with power-up. When I pressed the power button, I would hear a click from the power supply but the computer would not turn on. However, I would always be able to disconnect/re-connect the power and get it back up and running.

[02/2015]

I am a freelance 3D animator and purchased Octane, a new renderer that uses the CUDA cores in GPUs to render frames. So, I bought two PNY GTX 780 XLR8 3 GB.

[05/2015]

The hard drive in my mom's laptop died. I wanted to test the failing hard drive in my desktop and try to recover some files. So, I opened my case and connected the laptop hard drive to internal SATA data and power cables. When I tried to power up the system, I got the same click from the power supply. However, even after disconnecting the (faulty) laptop hard drive, I was not able to get the system to power up. I needed my computer to be up and running, so I went to my local (Not)Best Buy and purchased a crappier power supply (CM850, I believe). I removed the original GTX 760 because the new, temporary power supply would not be able to handle all three.

[06/2015]
Purchased the upgrade to Windows 8.1. I know, I know, a free upgrade to Windows 10 is just a few weeks away. I was testing some software/hardware that claimed it needed Windows 8. USB3 is faster in Windows 8?!?

[07/2015]

I got a good deal on a new 1,000 Watt power supply (Corsair CM 1000) and installed it this weekend. In the process, I used existing power cables but re-worked some of the cabling. I removed two side case fans and some of the LEDs from the the other fans just to remove some clutter. I also re-installed the GTX 760 since I now had the PSU to handle all three.

Yesterday, July 5, I used the AU Suite 3 to over-clock it to about 4.6 GHz. Yeh! I played several hours of StarCraft and watched several hours of a tournament on Twitch. Last night, I was browsing Reddit and my computer suddenly shut down. No Windows proper shutdown, no BSOD, just sudden and instant off.

I was not able to boot it last night and now I am at work. Last night, I opened the case and verified the same problem. When I press the power button on my case, I hear a click from the power supply and nothing else. I see the LEDs on one of the GTX 760s for less than a second. On the X79 Deluxe, the tiny, onboard power and reset buttons are illuminated, the dual LED status indicator is off (the one that usually reads "AA"). The tiny yellow light flickers on the back next to the ethernet cable.

Throughout this ordeal, one time I noticed the "power supply surge" warning message on the American Megatrends screen. I wish I could tell you if, when and how many times that message had appeared but I only noticed it this weekend.

At this point, I do not suspect my power supply. Is there something wrong with my settings on the X79 Deluxe or, worse, something wrong with the motherboard?

Is there something wrong with the power switch on my CM Storm Trooper case?

Today at lunch, I stopped by a local computer repair shop to get an opinion. He suggested I replace the CMOS battery just in case. I went down the street and purchased one. I doubt that's the problem. Am I right?

Any suggestions and insight would be appreciated. I'm looking for a "smoking gun" here because, just like all of us, I just want it to power-up EVERY TIME I press that pretty, big, red button on the top of the case.

After reading some posts here, I suspect it may be my new(ish) powered USB3 hub. I will try disconnecting it when I get home from work.

Let me know if I need to provide any more technical details.

Thanks for your time,
Daniel

dboanimation · ‎07-06-2015

tl;dr

It was the new CM1000 power supply.

Tonight, I replaced the CMOS battery and unplugged the USB3 hub. Neither one of those worked. I then began unplugging various components, hard drives and RAM. None of them worked either. I finally replaced the new CM1000 with the old CM850 and it booted. Can I be so unlucky with Corsair power supplies or is my motherboard eating power supplies for lunch? Right now, I only have one of the GTX 780s connected. I want (need) to buy another 1000 Watt power supply but I don't think it's going to a Corsair! Any suggestions?

Korth · ‎07-07-2015

Two GTX780 and one GTX760? Not even sure if you can even 3-SLI mismatched GPUs like that, or if including the weaker card would actually degrade fps/performance, especially within your lane limits. Or is the GTX760 a non-SLI dedicated PhysX card?

And does your system work with each of your three GPUs, one at a time? I assume that your PSU meets the minimum ATX specifications required by your mobo/proc, has enough of the right power outputs for your GPUs and other hardware, and that you've always plugged all the necessary (and optional) power feeds into your motherboard.

A 1000W PSU should suffice for your system (with two GTX780 cards), but you'd need 1200W+ with all three cards. Even more Wattage if you overclock anything. An 80Plus Silver, Gold, or Platinum PSU will have increasingly better design, build, and component qualities and be more functionally robust under load than a cheap PSU.

EVGA SuperNova, Rosewill Photons, ~~PC Power & Cooling~~ FirePower Silencers are all excellent, and one or the other is on sale at newegg every week. NZXT and BeQuiet PSUs look impressive, but I've never actually tried one out. Or you could buy a somewhat expensive server-grade (or Titanium) PSU made by Seasonic, LEPA, FSP/Zalman, etc. I am of the opinion that PSUs made by Corsair, XFX, Cooler Master, and Thermaltake are often junk, regardless how much (or how little) they cost or how cool the logos or how stupidly popular the brands might be.

Warranty is a good quick-n-dirty indicator of PSU awesomeness, anything less than 5 years means cheap junk, and it's hard to beat the 10 years offered on SuperNovas (which have apparently become the favourite for the pro overclocking crowd). Buying yourself a 1600W SuperNova today would mean that you wouldn't have to buy another PSU (for one computer) for at least a full decade - it might cost a little more than other PSUs (still cheaper than Corsair, haha) but should pay for itself with overkill hassle-free reliability over the years.

"All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others." - Douglas Adams

[/Korth]

dboanimation · ‎07-07-2015

dboanimation · ‎07-07-2015

Korth, thank you for your response.

I do not have the SLI bridge installed (or activated) because Octane render specifically states to not do this. I know, it sounds weird. It will actually slow down the render. See Number 8 on this FAQ about Octane Render.

So, stupid question here, I used the Extreme Power Supply Calculator to determine my power needs, even with the OC on my processor. I can't remember the exact number, but I think it stated I needed 831W for all of my components. I thought 1000W would be good. Should I not trust sites like this?

I just ordered an EVGA Supernova 1000W last night. Should I send it back and get a 1200W as you suggest? Or, I could just add it to my collection of power supplies laying in the corner. LOL

I don't know how much of my post you read, but based on the information I've provided, does it sound like I've been under powering my system this whole time? Let me ask that a different way, if a PSU is insufficient for the amount of peripherals plugged in, will it power the system but slowly fail over time?

dboanimation · ‎07-07-2015

Woah, I just read this at the bottom of the Extreme Power Supply Calculator...

"Electrolytic capacitor aging. When used heavily or over an extended period of time (1+ years) a power supply will slowly lose some of its initial wattage capacity. We recommend you add 10-20% if you plan to keep your PSU for more than 1 year, or 20-30% for 24/7 usage and 1+ years."

Yes, I would like to keep my frickin' PSU for more than one year! When I set it to 50%, it now recommends 1,331 Watts. This is my fourth build and I still have so much to learn...

X79 Deluxe will not power-up - even with new power supply