PC Shutdowns after upgrading videocards

[Wag]

I just upgraded from 3 SLI OG 6GB Titan setup. Didn't have problems with them. Now I have a 2 card SLI 980Ti setup. Constant shutdowns. Originally I thought it was just during gaming with both new cards, everything pointed to that, I was getting constant lock-ups and shutdowns. So I removed 1 card and played with each individually and everything seemed fine- until today, I was using a single card for desktop use and I had a shutdown.

I already RMA'd my PSU- Antec was nice enough to upgrade me from HPC-1200 1200w to the newer HPC-1300 1300w for free. But seeing as it's happening even with 1 card I'm not sure that's the problem. This didn't happen with the 3 Titan setup. Overclocked CPU kaput? Bad new videocard (checked the logs, didn't appear to be overheating)?

At this point I'm stumped. Seeing as I'm getting a new PSU anyways I guess it doesn't hurt to check but I'm really lost now.

The only thing I can figure is one of the two new 980Tis is bad. The first one I got I used for a week with no problems. The newer one I have in now seems to be the one causing me the problems. Maybe. But nothing I can diagnose.

 

[Ketchup]

Do you still have the Titans? Might want to swap one or both back in and see if the shutdown are still not occurring.

Make sure there is no overclocks when investigating this sort of issue.

Tell us more about this shutdown, just to make sure we all have the same definition here.

 

[Wag]

Unfortunately I sold the Titans when I got the first 980Ti. I thought everything was fine - and it was for the first week I had it. It was when I added the second that problems started.

Being that my last shutdown just happened while on the Win 8.1 desktop I'm not sure what's causing it. What I mean by "shutdown" is exactly that- my PC abruptly shuts off.

I just ran Haven for a while with the newer 980Ti and was unable to replicate it. I'll try running it for a long time and see what happens.

It might also be because I purchased ACX 2.0+ cards and not reference models, and the fans circulate air inside the case and not outside, maybe my CPU gets too hot and shuts down. I don't know. But this wouldn't account for using the first card for a week with no problems. I have a huge case- the HAF-X so airflow shouldn't be an issue.

I'm running a i3770k@4.4GHz.

I guess right now the first thing I can do is swap out the PSU and see what happens.

 

[Ketchup]

First thing I would do is remove the overclock from the cpu, any overclock on the video cards, and run conservative memory timings. That will make sure you aren't drawing too much power, and will keep the heat down. At least until you can get things straightened out.

If the new power supply doesn't work, tell us what your temps are like.

 

[Quantos]

If anything in the case of a hard fault such as this I'd tend to blame a hardware defect over a configuration defect. Even if airflow was somehow an issue, unless something was critically wrong, such as a misplaced heatsink, sitting on the Windows desktop is definitely not enough of a draw to cause any component to overheat. You could keep an eye on your temperatures, but even with an open fan GPU, I don't see this being the problem.

From what you're saying the most likely culprit is the second 980Ti. If the issues started when it was added, I'd say your best bet to rule out anything else would be to run only with the first card for a while. You could rule out the other potential culprits (power supply and motherboard for hard shutdowns, I'd say) and be mostly certain that the card is at fault.

 

[Wag]

It's too late to stop the new PS from coming. Either way I'm getting it (I'll be out the $50+ for shipping or so). But at least I'll be able to rule that out.

I've been running the newer 980Ti all day today (haven't gamed on it yet). Aside from that one shutdown on the desktop earlier today I've been unable to duplicate it. This is with no overclock on the card. My temps on the card seem fine, voltages look good. My overclock on the CPU look good too- no problems there- been that way for years.

I will run Valley on it for the new card for a few hours at stock clocks and see what happens. Then do the same for older one. Then I'll do some gaming on each. I seriously doubt it's my PS but the CS at Antec said some of the caps in them have gone bad so it wouldn't hurt to replace it anyways, that's why he upgraded me for free (minus shipping).

 

[logicweb]

Since you have upgraded your video card it might requiring more power which it doesn't getting that's why it's shutting down your computer.

 

[Wag]

Since you have upgraded your video card it might requiring more power which it doesn't getting that's why it's shutting down your computer.

That might be it, but from everything I read I was under the impression the OG Titan drew more power than the 980Ti. I guess I'll have a better handle on what's going on next week when the new PSU arrives.