PC Power Cycling
PC Power Cycling
Friends prebuilt PC is causing me frustration
My friend got a prebuilt unit from ABS with a 13400f, 4060 ti, 16 GB RAM, and a 600w PSU. He upgraded the CPU to a 14700k but didn’t use it for a while before recently trying to play games.
The issue is that the PC remains on for about 10-15 minutes before it starts power cycling. Fans spin loudly and rapidly, yet it never boots again. It keeps being loud and stays active. If he turns off and on the PSU, it boots briefly but then stays booted for even less time—usually around a minute or two before another cycle.
I came over to check it out and found myself confused. I tested both 13400f and 14700k with a single RAM stick, disabled XMP, and undervolted the CPU. Used a PSU he had and an older GPU. With those components it managed one Cinebench test before stopping and power cycling again. Now it’s stuck in a loop of being on and cycling.
I’ve tried different motherboards and still can’t get it to finish the test. The CPU light is now on, and it keeps going through cycles. I’m not sure if both CPUs are bad or if the PSU is the problem. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Right now at work, I can’t think of any solutions and feel like giving it back would be the best option.
Consider trying to reset the CMOS first. Also, regarding the cooling method used for the 14700k, I don't have specific details.
I haven't attempted resetting CMOS on the new motherboard, but I did on the previous one and it still powers up. I'm going to reset it on this newer model. The cooling solution is a fairly inexpensive-looking cooler. It seems they installed an Intel cooler and added their branding. If you'd like more details about the system he received, feel free to share a photo of the prebuilt unit. I understand the 14700k has problems, the 14th series isn't performing well either, and the 13400f is also facing similar issues, which is confusing.
The base cooler from Intel, particularly in older HSF models, isn't effective. When the CPU overheats, it may trigger a reboot, and if the heat persists, the system could enter a boot cycle.
Would the stock cooler on the 13400f experience similar heat problems as the 14700k? I understand the 13400f isn't very power-hungry. There have been times when I entered BIOS before a crash, with the CPU temperature at 45-55°C, and it would need to power cycle even then.
The 13400f consumes less power and won't reach as high temperatures as the 14700k. The Intel stock cooler is likely only designed for the TDP wattage (65W) and not the maximum turbo boost (148W). However, if it's running at idle in BIOS settings, the CPU shouldn't be operating at full capacity then. Are you able to update the BIOS to a newer version?
Hey there,
The specific PSU isn't clear. A 600w rating doesn't necessarily indicate quality, and it might be a faulty unit that could lead to problems.
After updating the BIOS, don't forget to reset the CMOS.
Also, which motherboard is currently active?
I can definitely attempt to flash a newer BIOS on the motherboard. I plan to do it when I get home.
It is a Smart Thermaltake 600watt psu. I will also be sure to update you if updating and clearing CMOS yields better results. The mobo it came with is MSI Pro Z690-A. The one I put in to determine if it was a bad mobo was ASUS TUF Gaming Z790 Plus
This PSU isn't very good. It wouldn't be suitable for a gaming machine. It might be worth getting a better one for the 14700k. Meanwhile, you can also run memtest86+ on the memory to check if the RAM is fine. Just boot with a USB thumb drive that has memtest installed.