Are the upgrades leading to ongoing and unpredictable system failures?
Are the upgrades leading to ongoing and unpredictable system failures?
Hello everyone. I’m trying to confirm if I’ve shared this correctly, or if there’s anything off. I’ve been struggling a lot over the past month since deciding I needed a CPU upgrade—mostly due to Amazon’s involvement—and it seems like everything was on track until today. It’s only been a day since I began the actual installation.
I’m replacing the old CPU and motherboard on a machine that’s been around six years or more. The original setup looked perfect:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/fxCKFG
It performed flawlessly, though the CPU was clearly showing signs of wear in modern games. I was planning to upgrade to this model:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/kW6n6D
and also install a fresh Windows 11 on the old SSD. I also upgraded to an EVGA 850W Gold G5 power supply, likely when I got the 3080. As expected, the older build never had any issues.
My new build, however, is experiencing frequent crashes—just shutting down and restarting repeatedly, sometimes multiple times in a row. I installed Windows before this started, which helped. I don’t see a BSoD message, so I’m puzzled by the lack of error alerts. I suspect it might be related to driver installation or software updates, but it still powers off and restarts on its own. I double-checked all connections and cables, making sure everything was firmly in place. The temperatures look normal when I open the case right after a crash, and I checked the BIOS hardware monitor as well.
I’m hoping this is due to a bad installation—maybe it pulled old drivers from Windows 10 before. I attempted a clean reinstall, but it crashed again during setup. The issue seems tied to how the system powers off, especially since the 850W PSU worked fine before the upgrade. I’m feeling really frustrated and mentally drained by all these problems that should have been simple to fix.
Could anyone help or offer some advice?
The search indicates the 3080 requires a 750 watt power supply. The EVGA unit there could work, but it seems you likely replaced your old one, which may be several years old and worn out. As power supplies degrade over time, this is probably where I should begin.
Do you believe it's best to purchase a new PSU now, or should you try to determine if this is the problem first? Would the issue require only a replacement PSU, or should you consider a more robust unit instead of an 850? Please keep your overclocking off and stick to standard components.
I don’t think a fresh psu will fix the issue, but since they suggest a 750 watt unit and yours is several years old, it could be worth updating for better reliability. Personally, I own a Corsair RX 850 watt psu, but if you need more power, a bigger one might be better just in case you upgrade your GPU in a few years.
The challenge with locating faults remains unchanged, regardless of how confident you are about component X being responsible. Often, the real issue lies with component Y or Z. This week I completed troubleshooting a mate's old Phenom II X4 965 PC. Initially, I replaced the PSU, then the RAM, followed by the SSD, hard disk, and CPU. After installing a compatible motherboard, the problem was resolved. The previous motherboard would only boot after being exposed to a hair dryer for a few minutes. Purchasing a new high-quality PSU could cost between $100 and $200, but it might not resolve the underlying issue. If you have another computer available, you can borrow components or visit a local shop to prevent unnecessary expenses on functional parts. Good luck!