Solved! Games crash and restart my PC during cut scenes. I reproduced this behavior with FurMark stress test, but don't understand what it means. Send help :)

[_xyz123_]

My main game, World of Warcraft, crashes and restarts my PC during cut scenes. After running a bunch of stress tests, I was able to reproduce the behavior with FurMark. When I run FurMark stress test with 8x MSAA and turn on post-FX my PC crashes immediately.

What I find strange is that only this combination of settings crashes my PC. I can run the test with post-FX on low MSAA, or high MSAA with no post-FX, and it runs fine. However, when I do both (8x MSAA and post-FX), my PC crashes the moment I press the hot key to enable post-FX.

The two usual culprits are faulty cooling and faulty PSUs. I don't think it's cooling. I ran a battery of other tests on my CPU/GPU, and both run fine with 100% load for extended periods of time. The temp, even under 100% load, doesn't exceed 50C on the CPU and 70C on the GPU. These successful tests run at full TDP, which I assume also rules out the PSU as the source of the problem.

The interesting tidbit is that during FurMark, my rig crashes immediately once I turn on post-FX. Does this mean there is some driver issue?

The card I am using is 1080TI. The PSU is 650W and nearly brand new (~3 months). I am using the latest Nvidia drivers. I have dual boot (Win7, and Ubuntu 18), and I have had games crash on both operating systems. I am really confused as to whether this is a hardware or software problem. At the moment, it feels like this is some sort of a controller issue having to do with anti-aliasing.


Let me know if you have any thoughts and thank you!!

 

[Leeea]

These types of issues are the worse .

Does the issue occur with v-sync* on?

*Sometimes cutscenes will render at 1000+ fps, and flipping v-sync on slows them right down eliminating certain power related issues.


double checking: Did you use two separate wire sets all the way from your power supply to plug your GPU in? (sometimes there are two plugs on the same wire set)

 

[_xyz123_]

These types of issues are the worse .

Does the issue occur with v-sync* on?

*Sometimes cutscenes will render at 1000+ fps, and flipping v-sync on slows them right down eliminating certain power related issues.


double checking: Did you use two separate wire sets all the way from your power supply to plug your GPU in? (sometimes there are two plugs on the same wire set)

Heya, thanks for your response.

I have V-sync turned off. The power supply has a single set of wires that first feed into a main plug, and then branch off into a second plug.

 

[Sable]

what the rest of your specs?

And WoW not graphically intensive so possibly (probably) not your graphics card)

 

[Sable]

edit: answered in you post.

hmm...

Anything overclocked?

 

[Leeea]

I have V-sync turned off.

I suggest turning v-sync on and see what happens.

I have V-sync turned off. The power supply has a single set of wires that first feed into a main plug, and then branch off into a second plug.

What is the make/model of your power supply?

AIB 1080TIs will peak over 300 watts. It will average much less. Running that off of a single set of wires is questionable. Run a second set if you have them, 9/10 chance that fixes your problem.

What is your CPU?

 

[_xyz123_]

I have an old i5-3570. It's rated at 70ish W TDP. My whole rig, until recently, was running on a ten-year old Rosewill 550W with no problems. Then the Rosewill finally died, and I replaced it with a generic brand PSU from ebay (ebay link). The generic is actually 750W, not 650W, so it should be fine in terms of power output.

Looking at the ebay listing now, I see there is a new comment from November 2020 saying the 6+2 PCI-E plugs on this PSU are bad. I suppose this moves the PSU to the top of the suspect list.

I'll buy a new PSU, and see if that fixes the problem. I'll find one that has separate wire sets for the PCI connectors. If you have a PSU you like, please suggest.

Thank you for your help.

 

[_xyz123_]

edit: answered in you post.

hmm...

Anything overclocked?

Nope, nothing overclocked. I think we narrowed it down to a janky generic PSU (see discussion above). I will replace it, see if it helps.

 

[Leeea]

I'll buy a new PSU, and see if that fixes the problem. I'll find one that has separate wire sets for the PCI connectors. If you have a PSU you like, please suggest.

There is a PSU forum, where they probably can answer your question far better then I can. I am not an expert on PSUs. They might know the best option for reliable watts per dollar.

. . .

My non-expert answer is below:

It seems the PSU I have purchased for many years, 210-GQ-0650-V1*, seems to have its price trending up. Perhaps manufacturing has stopped?
*you can find it, but I was buying it for $70, they want >$100 now

Anything on this page would likely work well:
https://www.newegg.com/p/pl?N=10000...31 600553801 4114 600038000 600479295&Order=1

If it was me buying, I would buy this:
https://www.newegg.com/evga-superno...1-750w/p/N82E16817438132?Item=N82E16817438132

. . .
Band-Aid fix:

Turning v-sync on will typically reduce your GPUs power consumption, by forcing it to wait for the monitor to sync. You could down clock your GPU also to reduce power consumption.

. . .
Super cheap fix:
Open up* your Rosewell 550 watt unit, and visually inspect it for component failure. Most common failure is a fuse or a bad capacitor. Both are cheap to fix yourself <$5, or find a local repairman. TV repairmen among others can do it, usually for <$30.

*short the capacitors out with the tip of a screwdriver before touching the metal circuits, not necessary if your just looking and not touching

 

[_xyz123_]

There is a PSU forum, where they probably can answer your question far better then I can. I am not an expert on PSUs. They might know the best option for reliable watts per dollar.

. . .

My non-expert answer is below:

It seems the PSU I have purchased for many years, 210-GQ-0650-V1*, seems to have its price trending up. Perhaps manufacturing has stopped?
*you can find it, but I was buying it for $70, they want >$100 now

Anything on this page would likely work well:
https://www.newegg.com/p/pl?N=10000...31 600553801 4114 600038000 600479295&Order=1

If it was me buying, I would buy this:
https://www.newegg.com/evga-superno...1-750w/p/N82E16817438132?Item=N82E16817438132

. . .
Band-Aid fix:

Turning v-sync on will typically reduce your GPUs power consumption, by forcing it to wait for the monitor to sync. You could down clock your GPU also to reduce power consumption.

. . .
Super cheap fix:
Open up* your Rosewell 550 watt unit, and visually inspect it for component failure. Most common failure is a fuse or a bad capacitor. Both are cheap to fix yourself <$5, or find a local repairman. TV repairmen among others can do it, usually for <$30.

*short the capacitors out with the tip of a screwdriver before touching the metal circuits, not necessary if your just looking and not touching

Thank you for your comment. I have a bit of a plot twist here.

I remembered that I have an old GTX 770 lying around. So before ordering a new PSU, I decided to test the old one with the 770. I replaced the 1080ti with the 770, and ran the same FurMark 8X MSAA + post-FX test that crashed the 1080ti. The 770 passed the test just fine. It works without crashing. Now I am not entirely convinced its a PSU issue. The 770 has TDP of 230W, which is almost the same as the 1080ti (250W). And, if you recall, the 1080 was able to run at 100% TDP in other tests. It only choked in the 8xMSAA + post-FX test.


So now the possible list of issues looks like this:

1) It is a PSU issue. Either the extra 20W on the 1080 are making a difference, or the connectors are faulty. The 770 uses 8+6, while the 1080 is 8+(6+2). Maybe those 2 extra pin plugs are causing the problem.
2) It's a driver issue. Drivers that run the 770 are fine, but drivers that run the 1080 are messing up somehow.
3) The 1080 itself is broken.


I'll still replace the PSU, as you suggested. But I'll also play around with the drivers, maybe that will help.


PS

I don't think vsync and downclocking are going to help. The 1080 recently crashed during normal game play (not a cut scene) on low settings in WoW. WoW on low settings can't be consuming that much power. Anyway, the plot thickens. I'll figure it out.

 

[Leeea]

The peak wattage of a GTX 770 is 250 watts.

I don't think vsync and downclocking are going to help. The 1080 recently crashed during normal game play (not a cut scene) on low settings in WoW. WoW on low settings can't be consuming that much power. Anyway, the plot thickens. I'll figure it out.

The detail settings have minimal effect on the power usage.

---------------

One last note:
Cheap chinesium will always disappoint. Especially chinesium on ebay. There are quality products made in China, but they are not sold on ebay.

It is not possible to save money buying cheap. A person will always find themselves in an endless treadmill where they have to keep repurchasing a product over and over. You are better off living with what you have until you can buy something worth owning.

ex:
You have already spent more on these 2x failed PSUs then buying a quality one from the get go would have cost you. The 3rd will put you farther in the hole.
+ these crap PSUs are very inefficient, running up your electric bill needlessly.
+ Non-brand specs on Chinese PSUs are normally a lie - https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/low-cost-psu-pc-power-supply,2862-2.html
+ your KDM powersupply is actually a rebranded leadman powersupply ( youtube tear down of a differant leadman )
+ leadman is an infamous brand ( https://hardforum.com/threads/leadman-psu-is-it-any-good-and-will-it-work.1092861/ )

 

[_xyz123_]

The peak wattage of a GTX 770 is 250 watts.



The detail settings have minimal effect on the power usage.

---------------

One last note:
Cheap chinesium will always disappoint. Especially chinesium on ebay. There are quality products made in China, but they are not sold on ebay.

It is not possible to save money buying cheap. A person will always find themselves in an endless treadmill where they have to keep repurchasing a product over and over. You are better off living with what you have until you can buy something worth owning.

ex:
You have already spent more on these 2x failed PSUs then buying a quality one from the get go would have cost you. The 3rd will put you farther in the hole.
+ these crap PSUs are very inefficient, running up your electric bill needlessly.
+ Non-brand specs on Chinese PSUs are normally a lie - https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/low-cost-psu-pc-power-supply,2862-2.html
+ your KDM powersupply is actually a rebranded leadman powersupply ( youtube tear down of a differant leadman )
+ leadman is an infamous brand ( https://hardforum.com/threads/leadman-psu-is-it-any-good-and-will-it-work.1092861/ )

The 550W Rosewill PSU lasted me over 10 years. Please don't call it crap.


As far as the KDM goes, the jury is still out on whether it's the PSU issue or something else. Since this has become a bit of a mystery, once I fix it, I'll let you know

 

[Leeea]

The 550W Rosewill PSU lasted me over 10 years. Please don't call it crap.

My apologies.


My understanding is Rosewell rebrands the following manufacturers:
ANTG - unknown to me
Super Flower - exceptional
Sirtec - a bit random
Solytech - not so great
Wintech - on the avoid list
Youngyear - infamous

See:

Who's Who In Power Supplies, 2013: Brands Vs. Manufacturers

Do you think that all power supplies are manufactured by the brand on the label? Think again. We show what makes a good PSU and reveal who builds them. You can actually find lots of quality (instead of just scrap metal) behind some of the budget labels.

www.tomshardware.com

or

http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page2917.htm

The thing with the Rosewell branding is some are exceptional, and some are not. It is difficult without way to much research to know at purchasing time which your getting :\.