Help:Intel i7 & GTX280 gaming rig crashing, is it PSU issue?

[MajinWu]

I just got a Gateway FX6800-09 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-090-_-Product) from a fellow Hardforum member for a good price. But when I run 3DMark Vantage or any serious gaming, the whole system hangs and doesn't respond. I'm thinking the PSU has issues, but I want to get some more insight from everyone.

It runs an i7 920 (2.66 ghz), 6gb Samsung DDR3 PC8500F (533 Mhz), and a GTX 280 1gig. Below are screenshots from CPU-Z.
I haven't overclocked anything, and everything is factory default I believe. But I'm not sure if having bus speed as 133 mhz and 12 multiplier is normal. Also not sure if 1:4 FSBRAM ratio is normal either... unfortunately this mobo from Gateway doesn't give me any control on this in the BIOS.

Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated. I hope it's not the mobo because I would have to get a new case as well

It uses a Delta brand PSU (Taiwanese brand) model GPS-750AB. I got the PDF spec from their website
My starting place is that instead of one 12V line, it has 4, and each is 18A. I think most high-level PSUs have one 12V line that's rated for 60A. I'm thinking maybe the GTX280 needs more juice than what this Delta PSU can provide? Also the spec says its efficiency is 80% @ 20% load, but only 50% @ 100% load...

 

[theAnimal]

But I'm not sure if having bus speed as 133 mhz and 12 multiplier is normal.

Yes. It will run at 133 Base CLocK x 20 when there is a load, but Speedstep will drop the multiplier when idle.

Also not sure if 1:4 FSBRAM ratio is normal either... unfortunately this mobo from Gateway doesn't give me any control on this in the BIOS.

Default RAM speed is 1066 (533 x2) for i7 9XX.

Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated. I hope it's not the mobo because I would have to get a new case as well

Things to try...swap video card, swap PSU, test PSU voltages, stress the CPU only with Prime95, switch power connectors on the video card, check temperatures with CoreTemp/RealTemp & GPU-Z.

It uses a Delta brand PSU (Taiwanese brand) model GPS-750AB. I got the PDF spec from their website
My starting place is that instead of one 12V line, it has 4, and each is 18A. I think most high-level PSUs have one 12V line that's rated for 60A. I'm thinking maybe the GTX280 needs more juice than what this Delta PSU can provide?

Read the sticky about the splitting of the 12V rails.

Also the spec says its efficiency is 80% @ 20% load, but only 50% @ 100% load...

Actually it is 80% or greater at 20% & 50% & 100% load.

 

[JEDIYoda]

I just got a Gateway FX6800-09 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-090-_-Product) from a fellow Hardforum member for a good price. But when I run 3DMark Vantage or any serious gaming, the whole system hangs and doesn't respond. I'm thinking the PSU has issues, but I want to get some more insight from everyone.

It runs an i7 920 (2.66 ghz), 6gb Samsung DDR3 PC8500F (533 Mhz), and a GTX 280 1gig. Below are screenshots from CPU-Z.
I haven't overclocked anything, and everything is factory default I believe. But I'm not sure if having bus speed as 133 mhz and 12 multiplier is normal. Also not sure if 1:4 FSBRAM ratio is normal either... unfortunately this mobo from Gateway doesn't give me any control on this in the BIOS.

Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated. I hope it's not the mobo because I would have to get a new case as well

It uses a Delta brand PSU (Taiwanese brand) model GPS-750AB. I got the PDF spec from their website
My starting place is that instead of one 12V line, it has 4, and each is 18A. I think most high-level PSUs have one 12V line that's rated for 60A. I'm thinking maybe the GTX280 needs more juice than what this Delta PSU can provide? Also the spec says its efficiency is 80% @ 20% load, but only 50% @ 100% load...

If everthing is stock as it was shipped from gateway then the Delta shouldm be just fine for that system. Delta`s that are put in gateway amd HP prebuilt systems are very good PSU`s. gateway and HP as a rule do not put junky PSU`s in their systems.

Also did you ever wonder why somebody sold that particular PC to you??? I bet there was already a problem and it very well could be a faulty mobo...it could be the OS......it could be your memory.....last place i would check is the PSU.....

Good Luck!!

 

[MajinWu]

This seller and I met up personally and I believe him to be trustworthy. He said he sent the rig to Gateway once and they replaced the PSU and videocard and mobo. He also stressed that he would be willing to give me a full refund and he'll just take it back (he is local to my area).

It may be the RAM...

I tried the OCCT linpack test and I didn't get any issues. Then I tried the OCCT Memtest (FYI it says "GPU Memtest" and it literally gave me over 50k errors... I googled OCCT's memtest and I found that a lot of people with perfectly stable rigs get thousands of errors with OCCT's memtest, so I thought this was OCCT's miscalculation/poor programming.

I also tried the actual memtest program (http://hcidesign.com/memtest/). I opened up three instances of it (each testing 2047 MB of ram), and in the end I didn't get any errors either...

What's the proper way to uninstall an Nvidia video card? I tried using Windows 7's uninstaller but after restart Windows 7 would always reinstall the drivers automatically. I think Win7 stores the nvidia drivers some where in C:\windows

 

[MajinWu]

Thanks everybody for all your help.
Actually, now I'm 100% sure it's the videocard that's bad.

I just went to Best Buy and purchased a Corsair 750W PSU that has a single 12V rail that's rated at a beastly 60A. The video card still craps out during graphic tests.

I know the RAM is fine by using memtest.
I know the CPU is fine by using prime95.

I'm going to return the PSU to Best Buy now.

 

[TemjinGold]

Have you checked your temps? It could also be a heat issue especially since it seems it only crashes when you stress the video card.

 

[MajinWu]

Yea, I ran EVGA Precision during the tests, and it seems once it hits 70 degrees C, it crashes.