View Full Version : Need new PSU
rben13
06-07-2009, 03:20 AM
My current system is a home built machine with the following:
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P mobo
4G DDR2
Tunic Tower 120 Cooler
Intell Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0GHz
EVGA nVidia 9800 GTX+ connected to 2 LCD monitors
EVGA nVidia 9800 GT connected to 3rd LCD monitor
BFG ES-800 800W PSU
Raidmax Smilodon case
The BFG PSU apparently never really has been up to the job. The original build had only the 9800GT GPU, but even then, I had some intermittent problems that smelled like PSU. I even had the unit replaced, but that didn't fix anything.
When I added the GTX+ and put one monitor on each card, the one on the 9800 would go blank after a about ten minutes and the graphics system would lock up.
I've pulled the GT and am running on just the GTX+, but I'm still getting random reboots and can't read my DVD drives in Vista. (They work fine under Linux, go figure.) I get an occasional BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) that says something like "driver memory fault." When I googled, I found that the most likely cause was too little power on the 12V line.
I obviously got the wrong PSU, even though all the specs said it should work. So what I want to do now is replace the PSU without requiring a second mortgage. I have figured out I should go with a single rail design this time and am leaning towards PC Power and Cooling. I'd love to have a modular PSU, but I've read that can introduce problems and I've had enough of those. I got the overclockable mobo not because I want to overclock, but because I figured it would be more robust.
Please tell me what I really need in terms of a PSU.
Thanks,
Ray
---
Have gotten confirmation from EVGA that what I'm seeing is what they'd expect to see if there is a problem with the 12V power, so I really do need a new PSU. The tech at EVGA said they couldn't make a particular recommendation, but he personally likes the Corsair 750TX.
Olle P
06-07-2009, 12:17 PM
Your current PSU really should be up to the task without any problems. (Unless there are some 12V heavy consumers you don't mention.)
You might run into trouble if you try to use mostly one of the four 12V lines though. Make sure you use separate cables to feed the graphics cards, and you should be fine.
If this doesn't help there's something wrong with your PSU. Is it safe to assume there's no warranty left? Perhaps a simple cleaning of the PSUs cooling fins will help?
Cheers
Olle
rben13
06-08-2009, 02:12 AM
BFG is offering to RMA the unit, so I'll probably do that, but I'm beginning to think I should replace it with a higher quality PSU from PC Power and Cooling or Corsair. I've already RMA'd the power supply once.
I've been careful about how things are plugged in. There are two 12V lines specifically labeled for use with the GPUs and those are the ones I'm using.
According to EVGA, the power should never go below 11.96. I've never seen it go higher than 11.92 and it's usually around 11.72. While that's still within 3%, it's outside the range specified by EVGA.
EVGA techs also say my symptoms are consistent with what they'd expect to see, and after reading a lot more about power supplies than I ever wanted to know, I can see what they are saying. It looks almost as if the OCP is kicking in.
Ray