9800GT problem PLEASE HELP

[wARLORD246810]

My PALIT 9800 GT 1 GB GREEN EDITION has a tendency to WORK FINE for a few month STRAIGHT and SUDDENLY stopsworking like once in a few months. The length of time it doesn't work can last for a hours. I know its the videocard bcoz when I plug the VGA into the mobo's onboard video it will work but not with the videocard.

That was the time wen I had a stupid 600 watt GENERIC PSU but now I've upgraded to a Coolermaster EX390 bcoz the 600watt died. Hoping the 9800 GT will hav enough power this time.

I used a PSU calculator and my entire system:

Intel Pentium DUal Core E5400 @ 2.7 GHz
2 GB RAM
Intel Dg31pr
2 HDD's SATA
9800 GT(mentioned)

requires 344 watts. Now, if I go to PALIT site as well as Nvidia site, it says it requires 400 watts, but wat I've got is a green edition so maybe a lack of 10 watts won't hurt.

After upgrading to my EX390, my 9800 GT suddenly stopped workin after a few weeks agen. It won't work for like 3 hours so I hurried to send it for waranty servicing so that they'll immediately notice that it doesn't work.

I sent it for warranty servicing and they tell me it WORKS FINE, I explain to them that it really works fine and suddenly stops workin and then fine agen but they won't believe me.

SO the main question is:

Is it the video card's fault or my EX390 PSU?

I mean, if the videocard works absolutely fine for a few weeks/months(RAN DMC4,Crysis Warhead,Gears of War, Assassin's Creed 2 FINE!) doesn't that alredy mean that my EX390 can handle it?

OH, BTW THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO 'Nvidia sentinel reporting not enough power' error here

If its my PSU, I'll try to sell my EX390 and earn to buy an EX460. my EX390 has two +12v's with total of 34 A, thats GOT to be enough ryt? should I count the -12v's and the 5v's? LOL

but if its my videocard, I'll try to convince the guyz at the warranty service to replace it(wish me luck!)

 

[faxon]

those PSUs are both junk (the ones you used to replace the 600w and the one you want to get). they have horrible efficiency and they dont even have aPFC, not to mention the voltage quality on them is probably crap as well. if you want a good PSU for not a lot of money, the antec earthwatts 430w isnt half bad. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371034 it has good quality for the price, 80+ bronze, and enough amps to power a small system with a single 6 pin GPU no problem. if you want something with a little more oomf to avoid any power issues after future expansion, i would get something good in the 500w range, should be enough to power a 5870 and quad if need be, or a lot of hard drives, or just to keep from overdrawing your system in 110f summer heat or something
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817256061 from silverstone is a pretty good pick, reasonably good price, cheap shipping, and it's a good unit build quality wise

 

[Termie]

Whether your power supply is junk is really besides the point here, in my opinion. That video card is very low power. It doesn't even use a 6-pin power connector: http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16814261045.

In addition, it's factory underclocked, so heat shouldn't be a huge problem. That being said, it's probably becoming unstable because it's a bit of a mutant: a card originally designed for 6-pin power cut down so that it uses just under the power envelope of the PCIe slot. Given that the card only goes out for 3 hours every few months, I think you should just let it be. I'm sure it's just an issue of spiking power demand and VGA shutdown. Maybe don't game so hard?!?

Once you save up enough money, getting a more modern, low-power video card and maybe a new PSU wouldn't be a bad idea, but for now just be happy you have an inexpensive system that works relatively well.

 

[Schmide]

There is no way your system is pulling anywhere near 300w

40w Intel Pentium DUal Core E5400 @ 2.7 GHz
5w 2 GB RAM
30w Intel Dg31pr
25w 2 HDD's SATA
65w 9800 GT(mentioned)
25w dvd fan etc

190w max, most likely much much lower.

Maybe remove your OC and test your memory (memtest)?

Even the worst crappy 600w should run that system fine.

 

[Soulkeeper]

Is there any pattern to the times when these non-working incidents happen ?

Maybe all around the hottest part of the day, hotter months, etc.
What are your ambient temps like ?
have you tried removing the heat sink shield and cleaning all the dust out of the vid card ?
what are your temps ?
also check the fan/power connectors, maybe something is loose just enough to not make a connection here and there.
check for signs of damage on the vid card pcb maybe ...

edit: Also I have a system with identical specs to that one only difference is the cpu is overclocked to 3.4GHz, that system is pulling 185watts under full load right now(gpu and cpu) according to my kill-a-watt meter. It has a cheap 430watt psu in it if i'm not mistaken.

 

[wARLORD246810]

well now its like the rainy season, it did that mostly in da summer wen it waz really hot and my PC wud sumtimes shut itself down due to temps. But now lets see if my 9800 gives out agen. If it does give out, i will get it checked at a store immediately

 

[happy medium]

My guess its your psu. I say that because I think your psu was dieing as soon as you put the card in. Try a Antec Earthwatts 380 for cheap. It will easily run that system.

 

[Schmide]

{rant} I have to gripe. WTH is with the Antec this Antec that? They make good PSUs but so do a lot of other companies and they're far from perfect. It just seems a bit fanboish.{/rant}

Side note: Rainy season? OP obviously is out of newegg delivery zone.

 

[happy medium]

{rant} I have to gripe. WTH is with the Antec this Antec that? They make good PSUs but so do a lot of other companies and they're far from perfect. It just seems a bit fanboish.{/rant}

Side note: Rainy season? OP obviously is out of newegg delivery zone.

ANtec 380 can run a gtx 260 and is cheap! but reliable.
Missed the rainy season part.

 

[Schmide]

ANtec 380 can run a gtx 260 and is cheap! but reliable.

Honestly so can a lot of other brands! (BTW $50 isn't that cheap for a 380w PSU)

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=108088

You could easily build a system with a gtx260 that would push the Antec 380 to the edge but none of this is appropriate to this thread. The original poster didn't even ask for a PSU recommendation! and if the OP did, one brand and type seems a bit caged to me.

 

[wARLORD246810]

{rant} I have to gripe. WTH is with the Antec this Antec that? They make good PSUs but so do a lot of other companies and they're far from perfect. It just seems a bit fanboish.{/rant}

Side note: Rainy season? OP obviously is out of newegg delivery zone.

I live in da Philippines

 

[happy medium]

Honestly so can a lot of other brands! (BTW $50 isn't that cheap for a 380w PSU)

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=108088

You could easily build a system with a gtx260 that would push the Antec 380 to the edge but none of this is appropriate to this thread. The original poster didn't even ask for a PSU recommendation! and if the OP did, one brand and type seems a bit caged to me.

Not to beat a dead horse,but that psu was cheaper then that a few months back. 50$ is a bit much now, you are right.

 

[iNGEN2]

I'd questing the voltage regulation of the PCI-E power feed. Either the motherboard power management hardware is faulty or the PSU isn't keeping the supply in line.

Also clean your system thoroughly. I wouldn't be surprised if something is causing a short intermittently somewhere.

Recurring problems with such infrequency have caused me to part out whole systems and just start over from scratch before. It's too time consuming to try to figure out the glitch.

 

[ModestGamer]

Sounds like a loose connection to the motherboard. Either that or the bios is flaky.Knock down the overclocking.If he wanted to test the PSU a simple DVOM would suffice for diagnostics.