PC randomly shuts down, then restarts intermittently until it stops working.
PC randomly shuts down, then restarts intermittently until it stops working.
Hey everyone. My computer has been acting oddly recently. It all began one day when the BIOS flashlight started flashing, and there was no way to boot it up, so I unplugged the 24-pin connector, reinserted it, and it worked again for a few weeks.
Later, it would shut down unexpectedly and refuse to start, even after repeatedly pressing the power button. Neither holding it nor turning it on helped. Eventually, I removed the motherboard, restarted with the CPU and RAM installed, and after connecting the HDDs it would shut down again, randomly. At that point, I left the PC unattended for a few days.
After that, I took it back and removed the motherboard, which allowed it to boot up using the CPU and RAM. Once I connected the hard drives, it started shutting down once more. Then I moved the files from a "loan" drive to another, erased the original drive, and transferred everything there. This should have cleared any possible corrupt OS issues.
Eventually, the PC functioned normally for two days before the same problems returned. I changed the CMOS battery and re-flashed the BIOS. It would only start after turning off the power supply, then it would randomly shut down again. When it did shut down, it would attempt to boot once more, then stop a few seconds later, restarting again. This cycle repeated 2–3 times before it finally stopped working. At that point, I had to turn off the PSU, wait a moment, and then power it back on—it was like a time bomb until everything reset.
I’m not sure if this issue is related to the power supply or the motherboard, or possibly some malware in my files (though I doubt it). My PC is quite old:
- CPU: Intel 3770K
- Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-M
- RAM: Gskill Sniper DDR3 4GB (x2)
- Power Supply: Deep Cool DQ 650W M V2L
- Graphics: GTX650 Ti boost
- Storage: One 1TB HDD and several SSDs
The operating system is installed on the SSD. I’m exhausted from all this, as it’s essential for my studies and programming. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Mediocre quality PSU. However, with your unit having a 10-year warranty, I recommend sending it back for replacement if the PSU is under 10 years old. Clear warning sign for the PSU is showing issues. You can either return what you have or get a new one of better quality, such as Seasonic Focus/PRIME or Corsair RMx/RMi/HXi/AXi. For another opinion on your PSU, refer to the PSU tier list here: https://forums. Your unit is Tier B, whereas a replacement I suggest would be from Tier A.
I purchased this PSU two years ago at most. It's a piece of crap now, but it's still working on my PC, though it has some bad days. I plan to replace the PSU. I found an EVGA Supernova 750 P6 at a reasonable price, but there are many model names and it's hard to tell which one is good. Is this model worth considering?
There are some issues with the EVGA P6, but reviews are important to judge the power supply unit properly. A "good price" doesn’t always mean a good PSU. I’d prefer a better or even superior unit rather than just average. The DeepCool model could be seen as decent. If you choose EVGA, consider the G7 instead.
For top performance, the Seasonic PRIME TX is the best choice.
Other solid options include Seasonic Focus (used in my Skylake and Haswell builds), and Corsair RMx/RMi. The Super Flower Leadex series is also a strong alternative, which would be my second pick if Seasonic isn’t available.
From the Aris review of the 850W model, it doesn't seem overly problematic. Some internal components might need improvement, but it provides solid performance. Testing with another PSU would be beneficial, though it's the latest component available. The motherboard could also be considered, given the unusual behavior observed. Ultimately, power delivery to the parts is managed by the motherboard, which is over 10 years old.
Decent isn't enough for dedicated GPU build with high loads. Decent is enough for iGPU office build though.
Being newest doesn't mean nothing, since there are varying degree PSUs out there. That, and there is a reason why hardware has a warranty.
Well, his configuration doesn’t seem to handle heavy loads well. A 650ti + 3770k with the rest won’t even reach over 300W. Also, what’s the issue with B tier PSUs? Sure, I wouldn’t go lower, but examples like the Corsair CX450,550,650 are solid budget options that I’d recommend for a mid-range build. The same applies to this Deepcool model using an LLC resonant design. I’m still convinced the motherboard is the next thing I’d check, especially if there are any problems. Purchasing something like the Prime TX or EVGA G7 means the PSU will likely cost as much as—or more than—his whole setup. Is that a good trade-off? Probably not.
Older models of Corsair CX and CXm series (with green labels) were so bad units that they ended up as low quality units (on-par with current Corsair VS series). Corsair has since improved their CX and CXm line (with gray labels) and now, they are better but not enough to be considered as good quality PSU. Most Seasonic units are either good quality or great quality (depending on the series). I'll take Corsair CXm 650 as an example. While CXm series are cheap, you won't get solid build quality and all Japanese caps as you can get with many Seasonic units. Here's one in-depth review of CX650m, link: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/corsa...ries-650w/ Corsair CX650m does provide some good results but it also provides some bad results. Like hold-up time that is way lower than the ATX standard specifies it to be. CX550m has hold-up time of 10 milliseconds while the ATX standard for hold up time is a minimum of 17 milliseconds. For comparison, Seasonic PRIME 650 80+ Titanium (one of the best, if not the best 650W PSU money can buy) has hold-up time of mythical 35.3 milliseconds. And it's just not the hold-up time, there are other, more apparent things that doesn't make it good quality unit. One of them is the very noisy fan used in it. At minimum, you're looking easy 40 dB(A) from the fan, which can rise up to 51 dB(A). It's even worse than having 140mm Noctua industrial 3000 RPM fan in your PC running at max speeds (Noctua fan goes as loud as 41.3 dB(A) ). Seasonic PRIME 650 80+ Titanium is one of the quietest PSU out there, averaging at 18.94 dB(A). PRIME review: Since CX650m has nice list of good things and also bad things, it's a mediocre quality unit. If there were more bad than good (including price) it would be a bad unit and vice-versa. I, personally, wouldn't use it. While it can be used just fine for an office PC that never sees any high loads and also where the PSU noise isn't that important. But for home use in a gaming PC, where PC longevity and noise are important factors, i'd use and also suggest using better quality and more silent PSU. Different persons have different standards (some have higher standards while others have lower standards) and it's up to every person to decide how good of a build quality components are safe to use in their PC. But keep in mind that PSU is the most important component inside the PC since it powers everything. Since i care a lot about all my PCs, i won't put a mediocre quality unit into my PC that fails to meet ATX PSU standards set in place for all OEMs to follow, so that the PSUs are safe to use and doesn't damage other components. In fact, i've gone above and beyond regarding PSUs in my PCs. Some may call me nuts that i payed €206.80 for a PSU that sits in my Skylake build (Seasonic SSR-650TD) and my latest PSU purchase for Haswell build costed €205.50 (Seasonic SSR-650TR), while i would've been safe with a PSU that costs €80.50 (Seasonic GX-550). While that can be true and i could've saved a lot of money, i feel safe and comfortable that my two main PCs are powered by the best offered by Seasonic. Only for my 3rd PC, old AMD build, i slightly reduced my PSU quality standard and bought a PSU that costed €101.50 (Seasonic PX-550). Still, all 3 of my PSUs are Tier A quality. I won't suggest expensive PSUs in builds when the budget is way restricted. But i still suggest getting a PSU that at least meets all the ATX PSU standards (like Seasonic Focus-GM-650). Do note that all the PC components that i've shared here in this topic (and elsewhere in the forums) are suggestions and not recommendations. Suggestion, as such, is an idea that i present for OP's consideration while backed up with additional data (specs page, reviews, comparisons etc) where OP has easy way to access for additional information. With suggestion, it's up to OP to decide which part to go with. Recommendation, in the other hand, is a statement where i basically say that:"this is the one", without proving why i want OP to go with this part and where OP only have my word to rely on. If i do recommend something (happens very rarely), i also state that it's a recommendation.
I'm focusing on the CX650, 550 models with grey labels—the newest versions. These units feature a double forward topology on the main side, placing them in tier C instead of B like the CX. The CX(grey label) model uses an LLC resonant converter for the primary side and DC-DC conversion for the 5v and 3.3v rails. This setup is clearly superior, which is what I was referring to when talking about my secondary build (using the HX1000i for the main rig, built robustly). The design matches that of Deepcool and most high-end units. I wouldn't even consider the green label versions anymore, as they seem to be discontinued outside the used market. Outside of that context, I've kept the conversation focused. Let's try resolving this by initiating a return for the PSU and see where it leads us.
The Corsair CX650 offers even less hold-up time compared to its CX650m version, measuring at 8.3 ms. Review: Regardless of how I view the CX650, it doesn't seem significantly superior to the CXm model. In fact, it performs worse. Additionally, the CX650 is fully wired as well. A group-regulated design may be outdated, but it isn’t as poor as many claim. In reality, a well-crafted group-regulated PSU can surpass newer DC-DC models. To highlight this, I’ll mention the top group-regulated PSU: Seasonic S12II-520, review: https://web.archive.org/web/2015010...od...t&reid=185 I can’t dispute the solid review (jonnyguru). I’ve used the S12II-520 for several years before retiring it and swapping it with the Focus PX-550. Although, at the moment, the S12II-520 is still recommended because its platform dates to 2009, it remains a reliable choice when built well. It’s also proven dependable, often lasting well beyond the initial three-year warranty. The S12II-520 has consistently delivered strong performance, far exceeding expectations. Builds I’ve seen have lasted 5 or even 8 years while still operating efficiently. In terms of specifications, compared to the CX650, the S12II-520 maintains a ripple at +12V below 25mV, whereas the CX650—being newer (2020) with a modern design—shows a ripple of 48.58mV. That’s essentially double the level of noise from the CX650. The standard has been set by the S12II-520 since 2009. Any contemporary DC-DC PSU that can’t match the group-regulated S12II-520’s performance from that era isn’t worth considering. This includes, but isn’t limited to, all Corsair CX and CXm models.