Think my PSU died - OCZ-GXS850

[7earitup]

I am pretty sure my 850w OCZ PSU is dead but I am just looking for confirmation. I was playing World of Warcraft a week ago and my computer just turns off. When I log back in, I notice MSI Afterburner has reset my fan profile so I just assume that my video card overheated and rebooted my PC. It ran fine for a day or two after that.

Then I was getting ready for the TERA beta that is going on this weekend and while I am installing my game the computer just turns off again. I reboot it and finish the install. I then was able to log in a play for a log period of time and once again the computer just turns off. At this point it will not turn back on when I press the case switch. So I flick the switch on the back of the PSU, wait 10 seconds, flick it back on, and press the case switch. Everything lights up, goes dim, lights up, goes dim.

I check all of the wires, remove all of the ram and check it all, and remove any extra accessories then it boots up fine. I log into TERA, computer turns off.

So I pull the entire computer apart and lay everything out on my desk. I unhooked everything from the PSU, bridged the green wire and black wire on the main motherboard plug, plug the power cable in, and flick the switch. It just turns on then instantly off. I move the little wire I used for a bridge around - turns on then instantly back off.

For comparison, I try the same bridge technique with an older PSU and it works fine.

Am I correct in assuming my PSU is dead?

TL;DR: Using a wire to bridge the green wire to a black wire, my PSU turns on then instantly off even when nothing is connected to it. Is my PSU dead?

 

[7earitup]

Playing with it further, I somehow got it to come on and stay on with the bridged wires. So I hooked everything back up and it is up and running again.

I am still convinced that something is fishy with the power supply. Is it slowly dying? I wish I could find some pattern.

 

[RavenSEAL]

Sounds like it's on it's last legs. I tend to stay away from OCZ, specially when it comes to PSU...Antec, Seasonic, Corsair are worth the premium in exchange for relative peace of mind.

 

[7earitup]

Sounds like it's on it's last legs. I tend to stay away from OCZ, specially when it comes to PSU...Antec, Seasonic, Corsair are worth the premium in exchange for relative peace of mind.

It is weird though. I have been playing TERA for like 6 hours straight now and have not had any problems, granted, I have none of the parts in the case. They are all over my desk and I have been using it like that. Lol

 

[ockky]

I had a very similar problem about 4 months ago, and the problem ended up being my video card. i thought for sure it was going to be my PSU also. Would be playing a game and bam, computer would turn off. no graphical corruptions. nothing that would have made me think it was the gfx card. swapped out my psu with a brand new seasonic...same problem. upgraded my video card... everything has been dandy since. i dont even think the temps were high on the old card either.

 

[7earitup]

My video card is pretty much brand new (I know that does not really matter). The video card does not explain why the PSU would not start at one point without anything even connected to it, or even when I had the video card pulled out completely.

Something weird is going on and I have no clue as to what. Over 10+ years dealing with computers and they still stump me.

 

[7earitup]

Reset again just sitting on the Windows desktop. It is doing the whole thing will it won't even turn on now. It lights up for a split second and turns right back off. After that the case switch does nothing. I have to flick the switch in the back, wait a bit, and try it again for the same split second light up and turn off.

This is aggravating me. I don't even have a spare PSU big enough or with enough connectors to push my Q9550 and 6950.

 

[Big Lar]

If this were me I would look real hard at the Mobo, check for bulging Caps, burned or brownish looking areas on both the front and rear of the board. Same for the Video card.It sounds like a short to me.

Larry

 

[7earitup]

I checked yesterday (when I was putting everything back together screw by screw) for bursting caps but I did not really check for burn spots.

I have heard that this type of issue can also be caused by a faulty power switch on either the case or the PSU itself. How common is this?

 

[Big Lar]

I checked yesterday (when I was putting everything back together screw by screw) for bursting caps but I did not really check for burn spots.

I have heard that this type of issue can also be caused by a faulty power switch on either the case or the PSU itself. How common is this?

Well the Power switch on the case is just a momentary switch so I guess it could be bad though this never happened with any setup I worked on. You "Could" pull the connection off the Power switch header, (on the board), and manually jump the 2 prongs with a screwdriver or the like to rule the switch itself out but I don't really recommend it unless you know what your doing, could cause more damage that way.
Are there any shops around where you could take your PSU in to have it checked?

Larry

 

[7earitup]

The shops around here are filled with a bunch of idiots to be honest.

I had jumped the power switch the day I was playing TERA with all of the computer parts laying on my desk. It ran fine for 11+ hours that way. Previous to that though, I could not get the PSU to start up even when I jumped the green and black wires with a paper clip.

 

[7earitup]

If it is my PSU, I have been looking at ones similar to this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139010

 

[Big Lar]

The shops around here are filled with a bunch of idiots to be honest.

I had jumped the power switch the day I was playing TERA with all of the computer parts laying on my desk. It ran fine for 11+ hours that way. Previous to that though, I could not get the PSU to start up even when I jumped the green and black wires with a paper clip.

Well I understand that but I was refering to the header on the board that the wires from the power switch connect to. You can pull the connection and jump the header where the wires were on very quick like to start it up, thus eliminating the switch.

Larry

 

[Big Lar]

If it is my PSU, I have been looking at ones similar to this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139010

^ Thats a good unit in the link IMHO.

Larry

 

[7earitup]

Well I understand that but I was refering to the header on the board that the wires from the power switch connect to. You can pull the connection and jump the header where the wires were on very quick like to start it up, thus eliminating the switch.

Larry

I should have been more specific. I jumped the header on the mobo the day I was playing TERA because I did not have anything in the case.

Before that, I was just trying to get the PSU to turn on with nothing connected and it would flicker on then off. I tried connected a fan, the same thing happened. I then gave up for a while, came back, and connected everything to the mobo out of the case, jumped the header, and it started up.

Needless to say, it only added to the confusion. I rebuilt everything yesterday, played WoW for an hour, and then it turned off again.

 

[Big Lar]

I should have been more specific. I jumped the header on the mobo the day I was playing TERA because I did not have anything in the case.

Before that, I was just trying to get the PSU to turn on with nothing connected and it would flicker on then off. I tried connected a fan, the same thing happened. I then gave up for a while, came back, and connected everything to the mobo out of the case, jumped the header, and it started up.

Needless to say, it only added to the confusion. I rebuilt everything yesterday, played WoW for an hour, and then it turned off again.

Well that being said I would check to make sure the fan is in fact working on the PSU and if so put your hand over the exhaust of the psu fan and see how hot the unit is running. I would also check to see how hot the vid card is getting too.

Larry

 

[7earitup]

Well that being said I would check to make sure the fan is in fact working on the PSU and if so put your hand over the exhaust of the psu fan and see how hot the unit is running. I would also check to see how hot the vid card is getting too.

Larry

The PSU fan runs fine and the air is not hot at all. The video card runs no hotter than usual either.

It just gets better and better hey?

 

[Big Lar]

The PSU fan runs fine and the air is not hot at all. The video card runs no hotter than usual either.

It just gets better and better hey?

Yes it sure is a hard one to figure out.The cpu I take it isn't running too hot either.Seems you have covered the base's pretty well, I think I would order the new PSU at this point.

Larry

 

[RavenSEAL]

I would say take a leap of faith and order the power supply. From Amazon if possible, that way if you need to return it, you can get away with not paying a return fee and the label is free.

 

[7earitup]

I can definitely rule out the case switch. I disconnected everything related to the case and then tried to jump the power pins. Everything turns on, then instantly off. I guess I am ripping everything out again tomorrow.

I will probably order a new PSU as soon as I get some extra cash.

 

[7earitup]

Once again, with nothing connected to it and outside of the case, the PSU works fine. To rule out some type of weird grounding issue with the case itself, I put another older PSU in its place in the case, hooked up everything but the video card (no PCIE connectors) and it turns on fine.

So I turned everything off, hooked up the suspected faulty PSU to just the video card and jumped the green and black wires. Turned on the computer then flipped the switch on the OCZ and it is pushing the video card just fine.

Can just part of the OCZ be bad? Like a break in one of the wires somewhere that I just cannot see? Or one particular component that is causing the connection to the motherboard to be iffy?

Just look at this mess:
http://i.imgur.com/LZJy8.jpg

 

[7earitup]

What is everyone's opinion on the CORSAIR Professional Series HX650?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139012

I can get it shipped for $100 right now. Will it be enough for the system listed in my signature and perhaps an upgrade to a i7-2600k, 16GB DDR3 RAM, and a new MOBO in the near future?

 

[Rvenger]

What is everyone's opinion on the CORSAIR Professional Series HX650?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139012

I can get it shipped for $100 right now. Will it be enough for the system listed in my signature and perhaps an upgrade to a i7-2600k, 16GB DDR3 RAM, and a new MOBO in the near future?

I have one, its quiet and no issues. But I didn't pay the premium for it. I got it in exchange from 2 faulty GS600s.

Get this one. Can't be beat for this price with the $20 off coupon. Rebadged Seasonic M12II-620.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371059

 

[7earitup]

I have one, its quiet and no issues. But I didn't pay the premium for it. I got it in exchange from 2 faulty GS600s.

Get this one. Can't be beat for this price with the $20 off coupon. Rebadged Seasonic M12II-620.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371059

Just ordered it. It looked too good to pass up and I feel like it should be plenty to power what I have now.

Thanks so much for all of the help everyone, and for the suggestion Rvenger.

 

[Big Lar]

Once again, with nothing connected to it and outside of the case, the PSU works fine. To rule out some type of weird grounding issue with the case itself, I put another older PSU in its place in the case, hooked up everything but the video card (no PCIE connectors) and it turns on fine.

So I turned everything off, hooked up the suspected faulty PSU to just the video card and jumped the green and black wires. Turned on the computer then flipped the switch on the OCZ and it is pushing the video card just fine.

Can just part of the OCZ be bad? Like a break in one of the wires somewhere that I just cannot see? Or one particular component that is causing the connection to the motherboard to be iffy?

Just look at this mess:
http://i.imgur.com/LZJy8.jpg

Have you tried different power cables from the psu to the vid card yet, 1 at a time to rule out a bad/flakey connector? Also when you change the other supply and then the OCZ supply do you change the power cord to the psu cord as well or just using the same cord again for the next supply?

Larry