Randomly will not power up

[Carbuncle]

I have a new computer I built a few months ago. I have had no issues till a week ago.
The machine will randomly shut down. When I power it up it powers up for 3 seconds not even getting to POST. Then it shuts down for 3 seconds and will repeat this cycle indefinitely. Almost like it's trying to power up but just can't do it. I have to unplug power to stop cycle and just let it sit for a few hours and try again. It eventually powers up.
This problem has happened twice so far one week apart. I keep it on all the time unless I need a restart. It runs at a good temp, usually 30 deg C. I'm not sure where to start troubleshooting this. Could it be a short in the wire to the power button? Something wrong with PSU?
Any input would be great, thanks!
~Carbuncle

 

[Ketchup]

It sounds like a problem within the power supply (overheating capacitor) but that is only a guess. Please give us your computer specs (including the power supply model).

 

[Carbuncle]

i5 4690K
gigabyte ga-z97-hd3
crucial ballistix sport 8G
cruxial mx100 256G
sapphire radeon 280 3G
thermaltake tr2 600w (this guy was a left over part I was hoping to keep)

 

[Ketchup]

One thing you can try is taking out the video card, seeing if running onboard video makes a difference.

Some Thermaltake power supplies are decent, and some are not, all depending on who actually made that model (Thermaltake doesn't make their own anything).

A little Googling shows that a lot of people are suggesting around 600 watts for that. Combine that with your 4690k (which isn't a terrible power hog), and that unit might be cutting it a little close.

But the switch to Intel video should tell us for sure.

 

[Carbuncle]

I take it you mean to see if I'm using too much power. So if I take out the graphics card and the problem does not happen again, that means I need more power. Am I correct? Thanks for the help!

 

[Carbuncle]

Well since I was just hoping to save some money and keep the power supply, I may as well just replace it. I'm guessing I should go up just a bit in wattage and get a psu from a reputable manufacturer. It gets confusing when multiple manufacturers make branded parts that are supposedly the same but can vary widely in quality. I have a microcenter nearby. Any suggestions?

 

[Ketchup]

Very nice having one of those stores nearby. Wouldn't be a bad idea to test without the card, but I love having a "spare" power supply, so another unit wouldn't be a bad idea IMO.

Antecs are good, and usually have a good price. My server has a Cooler Master, which has been running 3 hard drives for probably 5 years now. Corsair makes some really nice units. So does Silverstone, but they are a little overpriced.

There are a lot of other good brands. I would recommend at least 600 watts. I would look at your local MC and see what the have. For example this unit is $20 cheaper at Newegg than at the MC web store, and they both have the rebate:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139060
http://www.microcenter.com/product/425476/CS650M_650_Watt_80_Plus_Semi_Modular_ATX_PSU

 

[Carbuncle]

Problem is getting so bad now that I only get an hour or less at a time at my computer.
I went ahead and ordered
CORSAIR CSM Series CS650M 650W ATX12V v2.4 and EPS 2.92 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
from Newegg. Gogo Eggsaver Shipping!!!
Thanks for the help!

 

[corkyg]

Did you recently install Windows Update KB3035583 ? What you describe occurred in my system after that KB. I could sometimes do a normal shutdown, but then, the power on front panel switch was dead. Hmmm!

So, I reached behind and turned the PSU's power switch OFF and back ON. Voila! The front panel switch was back on - apparently some sort of reset.

In order to fix some other things not working right, I uninstalled KB3035583and then did a Registry scrub for its residue and power ON/OFF has worked normally every since.

Just an added thought. BTW, I got my Win 10 confirmation email from MS. I wish they would stop diddling with my system. 🙂