computer died just a moment ago
NGartplay
Posts: 3,399
Typing on my old Windows 7 (so slow...ugh). My new computer died. I had a program running when a repairman came to the door. I left the computer going while we talked then I made hubby dinner. About 2 hours went by. I walked in the room and heard it running then I sat down and it went off. I looked around the back and the little green light was still on then it went out. That little green light never goes off.
Could this be my power supply? Could my graphics card over heated and blew something up? It's a card that I put in myself. I noticed that a wire connection was resting on the fan.
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It could be any of 10,00 things that might cause your computer to seem like it died.
Sounds like your new computer has Windows 10, and the old one you're typing on now is Windows 7?
If so, that's kinda good news. If you can reboot your new machine and get into Windows you can check the reliability history to see what happened.
Can you turn it on and boot into Windows?
Hi, it's a Windows 8.1. No, it's stone cold dead. I changed the power cable, just in case but that made no difference. I usually fix things myself if it can be diagnosed but maybe I'll call Geek Squad. I think my power supply was a bit low for my new graphics card. It was right on the verge of not being enough.
What was it doing at the time it "died"? Why do you suspect the graphics card, was it rendering at the time? Even if you have a GTX1080ti it would only draw a max of 250watts, plus a few more for the computer parts. Is your power supply really that small?
So when you turn on the power supply switch what happens?
Nothing happens. The green light on the back of my computer is no longer lit. It's always on but now it isn't. When I use the power on button nothing happens. It doesn't even try to start.
I had a game running.
Could be a dead PSU or motherboard. If you can pull your hard drives to check those, do it. Then you can rule those out.
Laurie
Without more information it's almost impossible to diagnose. What green light, the one on the power supply? Did you check the wall outlet or power strip that's feeding the computer? Maybe you're overloading the outlet and a breaker tripped. Are other things plugged into the same outlet?
Did you open the computer and see if there are any lights on the motherboard?
Is this a computer you built recently? Did you verify that the cables to the motherboard are okay?
Is there an external fuse on the power supply you can check? And why do you think the power supply might be overloaded?
Without investigating those kinds of things it will be nothing but hunches and guesses.
And also check the obvious stuff like maybe when you sat down you pushed something against the power supply and it turned off the power switch (the rocker switch on the back). Or maybe the power cord came loose.
I really appreciate all the responses.
I have all the plugs plugged into a surge protector. My old XP is plugged in there as well but that's never on. My W7 is on a different surge protector.
The green light is on the back of the power supply. It is not lit anymore. I don't see a rocker swith but it has a red slider switch on the PSU that says 115 on it. My XP machine has the same red switch (if it is a switch) on it.
This computer is an HP Envy. I put a new graphics card into it (EVGA Nvidia 1080ti..I think) because Substance Painter can not use integrated GPU and wouldn't run on it. I've been using this computer for almost a year. I bought it right before Windows 10 was coming out but I let it sit un-used for over 2 years. Yeah, I know, silly.
The computer is acting as though it's not plugged in. No lights anywhere.
I turned on the old XP that is on the same surge protector and it works fine.
PSUs are inexpensive enough. I'll get a new one first and see it that was the issue I might even have a power supply around here that I can test it with.
Weird thing is that I just got a new Comcast internet modem and was going to hook it up tonight. Supposedly I can get up to 100 MB/s. I get 6 MB/s with AT&T. Was looking forward to testing it.
You PS might have a power light that indicates it's working OK. If it is then it is probably the motherboard.
I see you state that you installed the graphics card. Try reseating it.
I recently had a similar situation with my HP Pavilion. I installed some new memory in sockets that were very close to my graphics card and evidently I disturbed the seating of my graphics card. The computer worked normally for a day or so then one time locked up and when I shut it down and tried to restart it it would not restart.Black screen, no lights, and no beep codes; but the fans turned when I tried to restart the computer. Wiggling the graphics card in its seating allowed the computer to restart.
Also check the surge protector you are using.
BTW: Look again. Nearly all computer power supplies have a an on/off rocker switch usually labeled I for one position and O for the other. That red slider switch is NOT it. That red switch tells the power supply whether you are using 115 volt or 220 volt AC power.
Ok, thanks guys. My PSU says max power 300W at 25 degrees C...model DPS-300AB-73A.
Tomorrow I'll disect the machine. I'll make sure that everything is seated correctly. I know nothing about motherboards so if that's it then it's way over my head. Pulling out the hard drive wouldn't bring me any closer to telling if it's the motherboard or not. I wouldn't know how to check.
Not having my computer is awful. Didn't realize how addicted I am to it.
The PS fan should spin for just a bit on start up. It's likely not the PS though.
What graphics card are you using? A 300 watt PSU sounds like it might be too low for most graphics cards when considering the other system requirements.
Power Supply calculator: https://images10.newegg.com/BizIntell/tool/psucalc/index.html
One other silly thing to check isplugging the cord of the computer into a different outlet, on the surge protector or not. I have had ONE out5let on a surge protector go bad. Everything else on the surge protector worked fine exept for that one outlet.
Gus
...Charlie has a good point, I had an old GTX460 which peaks at 160 w and the recommended PSU is 450w. My system has a 750w PSU and I have an auxiliary 450w one which I got when I was running dual 3 GB Radeon HD 7950s
While the peak load for a 1080Ti is 250w a 600w PSU is recommended (that 300w PSU is half the recommended wattage). I always err on the overhead as PSUs are not that expensive.
The calculator doesn't include all models of GPU cards, could not find either the GTX 460 HD 7950X, or Titan-X (had to use a Quadro 6000M for the Titan-X which had the same specs and power requirement). Had to use 4 GB x 6 DDR3 for the total memory on the board as there was no 24 GB category. Total recommended power was 693w which is sort of my estimate but when I clicked on the "Find PSUs" button it only pulled up 650w units, not 750w ones. which I would have expected. This also makes me wonder what, system configuration Nvidia bases their recommendations on as even for a 1070, the Newegg calculator has it running at 593w which is almost 100w over what Nvidia recommends (500w).
Oh....my....gosh...
I switched surge protector plug outlet per Gusf1's suggestion and the computer boots up fine now. Never heard of an outlet on a surge protector going bad. Time to update to a battery backup or a better surge protector. It's something that I never think about.
You guys rock, thanks so much for all the suggestions and help.
...whew, that's a relief. I would still use the Newegg calculator and upgrade your PSU as you could be running on borrowed time with half the recommended wattage. It may be handling it for games as GPU power isn't running at peak for an extended period of time. Rendering in Iray will push it to its limit until the process is done.
If The PSU goes it can take other components with it and then you may end up looking for a new system.
Wow!! Awesome news....glad it was just as simple as that. I know the pain of losing your beloved computer...lol. Even for a little bit ;). You can pull your stomach off the floor and back up into your midsection again...lmao.
Phew! :)
Laurie
You are absolutely correct. I knew when I bought the vid card that the PS was at the low end. I've just been putting it off. Time to kick my lazy bone into action, lol.
You definitely want to, having an underpowered PSU can damage the hardware in your computer. It effectively makes the computer run under a permanent brown out. You want to always have a bit more power than you think you need.
Power supplies have a max efficiency sweet spot, that is generally less than 100% I've seen 60% of max wattage mentioned in a few places, but it varies a bit by power supply.
Nonetheless, not maxing out your power supply all the time can help extend it's life, so keep that in mind when you are shopping for a new PS.
We had an outlet go bad on us. we only used it for a table lamp and to plug the vaccuum in. One day I plugged the vac in and nothing. We found out later that it was wired wrong and had power going to the ground :O
To get the best efficiency out of your new Power Supply, get one that is at least 125% of your calculated MAX power draw (for ALL components.) That way you have additional headroom for anything you might add later. If you are even remotely considering a second (or much more powerful) graphics card, use 150% as your target.
Also, get a Power Supply that is rated "80 Plus" bronze or better. This is a spec that determines how efficient it is (while maintaining it's spec) at various wattage draw levels. "80 Plus Titanium" is the highest, then "Platinum", "Gold", "Silver", "Bronze", and then just plain "80 Plus" certified.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/80_Plus
I second this advice. Not all PSU's are created equal and a lot of them don't run very close to what they're rated as unfortunately. It's better to spend a little more for more peace of mind. I've had a power supply go and take my mobo, hard drives and memory with it. The only thing that survived that particular fiasco (oddly enough) was the graphics card.
Laurie
Indeed, I've had a PSU go south and take everything but one memory stick and the CD Burner with it......MB, CPU, 3xMemory sticks, 2 HDDs, GPU, and a Video-Input PCI card. Since then, I am VERY careful to spend an extra $50-$100 on a quality Power Supply when I do a build, and always get reputable brands with plenty of headroom on the wattage rating. I was very happy when the "80 Plus" certifications came out.....as it makes it easier to choose, though it's not a yes/no question.
(Also, some no-name/off brands claim "85 Plus" certified or something SIMILAR to "80 Plus". They are simply making up stuff to look like a high-end, quality PSU, when they're actually cheap junk. Don't fall for it!)
The most comprehensive PSU Calculator I've seen yet: https://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator
Just input everything in you machine, how you use it, etc......(I'd ignore the monitor, unless you plug it into the same UPS)....it'll tell you what to look for.
Agreed, you should plan for powering more stuff on your computer in the future. At least I do.
Just be realistic when deciding, and don't believe the "more is better" hype that is so common in computer tech forums. Things like "improved efficiency" and "longer life" are usually WAY overstated, and often impossible to quantify, or ultimately of little impact when you actually look at the numbers.
And yes, longer life is a nice idea. Unfortunately its almost impossible to prove. If you buy a 1200 watt power supply for a machine that draws 400 watts max, how much longer is your power supply lasting than if it was a 600 watt power supply? It's impossible to answer.
And I recommend people spend a few bucks on a simple power meter to measure ACTUAL power usage, not rely on what some calculator tells you. Read the manufacturer specs for ACTUAL numbers, and don't be swayed by fear and hunches. Those calculators assume the very worst case conditions that most will never experience. A power meter will tell you the facts.
By the way, if you're really concerned about efficiency, here's a simple calculation to tell you if it matters:
I agree, I would upgrade that 300watt power supply it is kind of low for running Pc and video card. I would also install MSI Afterburner and check temps on GPU and make sure your video card is not over heating HP is not known for great case cooling. If this is a problem just take side panel off and point a fan at your computer so your expensive video card is not cooked by Iray. ~My 2cents