The PSCI connector issue is unusual.
The PSCI connector issue is unusual.
Hey there. I experienced some monitor issues where they went black while my PC continued playing videos, but games would crash. After checking, the problem seemed to be with one of the PSU's PCIe connectors. Specifically, the PSU model is a Seasonic G12 GC850, less than three years old and still under warranty. It was the second unit I received during a refurbishment. I found that on one PCIe rail (two 6+2 pin connectors), no crashes occurred. Switching to the other connector also prevented crashes, and all pins appeared intact. The rail itself seemed fine since the second connector worked properly. Now I’m considering replacing the PSU again. My PC is essential for business accounting, so I need confidence it’s in good shape. An alternative would be purchasing PCIe extension cords and using the second connector, as my case wouldn’t close with the second one connected.
System specs: Z490 Gaming Plus (MSI 11900kf, MSI BIOS overclock at 1.4V), RTX 3070 Ti Gaming (MSI S8000+, Samsung 870 EVO Plus M.2 1TB, Corsair Vengeance DDR4 3600MHz xMP on), 2TB HDD, Arctic Freezer 360m RGB AIO, MSI Velox 100P airflow with four RGB fans.
I’ve been using it for over two and a half years. (Except for the DOA PSU and one with loud whine—the third one seemed fine until now.) Event logs showed kernel errors from needing to reset it and many unrelated issues. Any advice or insights would be appreciated.
It seems the issue isn't related to wattage. Likely a cable or connection problem exists. Whether replacing the PSU is necessary depends on the PCIe connector condition. The 11900k can handle up to 300 watts, but overclocking it could cause faster wear. Performance gains from overclocking aren't significant. The 3070ti reaches about 290 watts, while other components use roughly 40-50 watts at 12v (around 15w for fans). The HDD, RAM, and SSD run on 5v, so keeping CPU usage under 220-250 watts is advisable. This reduces stress on the PSU when both CPU and GPU are near full load.
Thanks for the update. The CPU is running smoothly overall. I just enabled the auto OC feature in the BIOS (reference image included). Still puzzling why the connector seems identical between the two ends of the cable, but only the second one works on the line. (Cables connect to the first and split at the second.)