Member Avatar for syclick

I put together a Core2Duo system about two months ago. It's been a great machine, but about a week or two ago I started to have issues with it. The system currently will not boot. If I tinker with it for a bit, I can sometimes get it to work for about 20 minutes before abruptly dying, but I figured to be safe and keep the system off.

Currently, if I try powering up the system, everything will start up for a second or two, then gets weird. The whole machine turns on, then off, then on, then off... the cycle repeats about once every second. It makes an audible click every time it does so.

I tried removing all components, leaving just the mobo, cpu and ram. Seems to work fine. Turned off and tried adding graphics card... no go. Removed power from that and tried hdd/dvd. No go. Anything above just the cpu/mobo/ram seems to result in the weird power cycle thingie.

Other weirdness:

I've had the system shut down while plugging in the headphone jack. Happened 2-3 times so far.

I've had the system lock up after extremely harsh gaming sessions (Crysis near max in extreme battles).

I've checked the system for possible shorts (things touching the mobo), but everything seems normal. PSU connections to mobo & components seem normal. CPU temp seems fine (~33C idle). GPU temp does not seem to be extreme(~42C idle).

Here are my specs (I'll put them in my sig later):
Intel E8400 Core2Duo Wolfdale 3.0 GHz
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R
Corsair HX620W PSU
8GB (4x2GB) Crucial Ballistix Tracer DDR2 800
XFX GTX 260 Black Edition Core 216
Samsung F1 1TB HDD
LG 22x DVD
Antec Nine Hundred Case
Windows 7 RC1

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by kewlman

Dani AI

Generated

Short version: the pattern described points most strongly to the power subsystem or a protection/short that trips when extra devices are attached. That makes and sensible to call out the PSU; 's OS suggestion isn't useful until the machine will reliably stay powered, and the fact the board will start with only basic components narrows the fault toward power delivery or a peripheral creating a short under load.

Recommended checklist (do these in order; each step is quick and narrows the fault):

  • Swap in a known-good PSU of adequate wattage (best single test). If a spare isn't available, use a quality PSU tester.
  • If you must measure, use a multimeter on the ATX connector while powered: check the +12V, +5V and +3.3V rails under load (expect roughly +/-5% tolerance). Avoid the paperclip "fan-spin" test as a definitive indicator.
  • Try a bench test: move the board out of the case on standoffs, install only CPU, one stick of RAM and PSU, then add the GPU (or other device) and test. This rules out case shorts/standoffs.
  • Test the GPU and any suspect drive/optical unit in another working system (or boot this system without them). Faulty PCIe power connectors or a shorted device often trips modern PSUs immediately.
  • Visually inspect PSU and motherboard for bulging/leaking capacitors, burn marks or a burnt smell. Reseat the 24-pin and 4/8-pin CPU power plugs and check all PCIe power clips.

If a PSU swap cures it, the original PSU is the likely culprit. If the problem persists with a known-good PSU, the failing device is likely the GPU or the motherboard (consider RMA). Safety note: always unplug mains before changing wiring, use anti-static precautions, and avoid probing live caps if unfamiliar with power electronics.

Recommended Answers

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Member Avatar for arghasen

Well your case seems extreme but once I had similar problem when reinstalling the OS enabled me to get it up and running. Try putting up a stable OS like XP/VISTA/UBUNTU and check if the problem persists.

Member Avatar for syclick

Installing a new OS is not really an option, seeing as how the system won't start.

Member Avatar for HornyDevil

Sounds like the power supply

Member Avatar for kewlman

i would swap out the power supply with a new one..

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