Member Avatar for Trigun086

ok so heres my problem. ive had my computre for just over 2 years now. never had a problem with it til recently. when i turn the computer on it starts up, all the fans and everything kick on, but after 5 seconds the computer just powers down, waits a second and then tries to restart itself. ive narrowed the problem down to when i unplug the 8pin 12v cord from the mother board the computer stays running but when i plug it back in it gives me this problem. any suggestions...

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A focused troubleshooting roadmap to narrow whether the fault is the PSU/cable, the motherboard power delivery, or a chassis short — built on the suggestions already in the thread (thanks to for the capacitor check). Priority is to isolate the CPU power feed and to test with a known-good supply or safe diagnostics that don’t risk parts.

  • Safety first: unplug mains before touching connectors. Look closely at the CPU power connector and cable for melted plastic, dark discoloration, loose crimping, or foreign metal. Smell for burnt odor.
  • Minimal-boot isolation: with power off, remove nonessential cards and drives so only motherboard, CPU, one RAM stick, CPU fan and PSU are connected. Boot the board outside the case on a nonconductive surface to rule out standoff/short problems.
  • Power-cable / PSU swap: try a different, known-good PSU that has the correct CPU power plug. If the PSU is modular, do not swap cables between different PSU brands (pinouts differ). A PSU tester or bench multimeter that can read +12V under load is helpful; if the rail collapses or OCP trips immediately, the PSU is likely at fault.
  • Memory and POST checks: test one stick in every slot (as suggested) and attach a system speaker or watch onboard diagnostic LEDs for POST codes to guide diagnosis.

Also inspect the VRM area (MOSFETs, solder joints, heatsinks) for heat damage or discoloration even if caps look normal. Expected outcomes: if a different PSU cures it, the original PSU or its cable is defective; if it only runs outside the case, look for a short or misplaced standoff; if it fails with a verified-good PSU and correct cables, the motherboard power delivery or socket area is the likely culprit and deserves board-level testing or replacement.

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Member Avatar for Rik_

What computer is it?

Member Avatar for Trigun086

its a custom one i built. heres the specs;
-GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
-Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V
-Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor BX80570E8500
-HIS H487F512P Radeon HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16

those are whats in the computer if it helps at all

Member Avatar for Rik_

It does. You need to have a close inspection of the capacitors on your motherboard to see if any have domed up and/or leaked. If you find any, they need to be replaced.

Member Avatar for Trigun086

all the capacitors look good and none have leaked. ive tried taking out the mb battery and waiting 30 mins to put it back in. i went to try another power supply but it wasnt compatible.

Member Avatar for Rik_

Have you tried running it with just 1 ram stick? You could have a faulty one perhaps?!?

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