Bunch of Hardware Failures, centered around 7970/280X

Lime Koolaid · Mar 5, 2014

My computer died about two weekends ago. Lights on motherboard and CPU cooler (Antec 920) are on, but the power button doesn't work at all. I assume it's either the motherboard (ASUS P9X79 PRO) or the processor (3930K). I'm not sure which one would be the culprit here (I'm thinking probably CPU, but not sure).

I had a backup system (MSI 890FXA-GD70 board, 1090T processor) so I started using this backup with my 7970 and two hard drives. Everything works fine until this past weekend. Display suddenly goes out (black screen, no-signal indicators on monitor) and there's no way to get it working. I swap back to my ancient 3870 in the meantime so I have something to work on, and order an open box 280X from Newegg.

The 280X arrives today. Swap it with the 3870 and everything works fine so far. Reinstall the video card drivers, no issues yet. Open up a game, and I get black screen/no signal again. The computer turns back on, but will not run the game. At this point I decide to try swapping the backup PSU (900W Rocketfish PSU from Best Buy, lol) with my main one (1000W Rosewill PSU).

I get a bit greedy and try hooking up the 7970 as well with the 280X (hoping that it was just the display adapter part of the 7970 that broke, or that the 7970 is somehow fine, and that the chip itself can still crossfire). Computer will not stay on for more than 5 minutes now, and this includes after I've removed the 7970. Even if I'm in BIOS or booting off the DVD drive to try to reinstall Windows the computer will not stay on.

I'm back on the 3870 now, which is the only thing I have at the moment that will run without the computer shutting down.

Any ideas which parts might be bad/dead, or what else I could test to get more information? Thanks in advance.

aerys · Mar 5, 2014

motherboard in some reasons or the PSU but you did change it and still get black screens? or try to get the latest drivers of your GPU (HD 7970, R9 280x) check it here http://support.amd.com/en-us/download.

i have the same issue once when my HD 7770 alwys get blackscreens when i play. I just downclocked it and everything works normal no blackscreen. but i dont know if this problem relates on your problem.

aerys · Mar 5, 2014

or maybe the PSU is not supplying well the 12v rail that connects on your GPUs. because amps on the 12v rail is what is crucial to powering your card and specs and maybe it is not supplying well. better get PSU that has 30+ amps higher on the 12v rail. some issues i have read before almost same as yours

Lime Koolaid · Mar 5, 2014

I'm not sure if clock speeds are the issue, since now the system is shutting down or blackscreening even before windows loads up.

I'm running 14.2 Beta drivers at the moment for when it does load.

As far as the PSU, I've run crossfire 5850s on both PSUs before, and single 7970 has run fine on the Rosewill since last January 2012.

I'm pretty sure I do have two bad parts (either the ASUS mobo or cpu, at least one of the video cards, and possibly the MSI mobo as well)

aerys · Mar 5, 2014

Lime Koolaid :

hmm before the windows you say? maybe motherboard bios . hmm you jsut bought new 280x so it wont have any problem. unless it has defects. maybe the mobo is causing all the trouble

Lime Koolaid · Mar 5, 2014

aerys :

I'll have to check it out. It basically shuts down or black screens within a few minutes of turning on.

Admittedly the 280X is open box, but was optimistic it wouldn't come DoA

Could this have something to do with temperature sensors?

aerys · Mar 5, 2014

Lime Koolaid :

aerys :

I'll have to check it out. It basically shuts down or black screens within a few minutes of turning on.

Admittedly the 280X is open box, but was optimistic it wouldn't come DoA

yep better check it before you replace it.

Lime Koolaid · Mar 5, 2014

aerys :

Lime Koolaid :

yep better check it before you replace it.

What would you suggest would be way(s) to test the board and/or card?

I'm at work now, but I'll probably be spending all night debugging the thing

aerys · Mar 5, 2014

Lime Koolaid :

aerys :

What would you suggest would be way(s) to test the board and/or card?

I'm at work now, but I'll probably be spending all night debugging the thing

hmm try to open your pc with your other GPU or w/o gpu try it and if the screen wont turn black then try some test. maybe the motherboard of yours has a critical damage like short circuit issue or your RAM has defects, wires are not tight connected to your mobo. check your monitor cables that you connect in your GPU. this is the possible reasons why your PC wont open and ending up in a Black screen

aerys · Mar 5, 2014

ohhhh By the way what OS do you use?

aerys · Mar 5, 2014

maybe your OS can cause this problem too

Lime Koolaid · Mar 5, 2014

Using Windows 7, but it's not even getting into the OS before shutting down sometimes. I'll be idling in the BIOS and it'll shut down.

The MSI motherboard is working with no issues with my 3870, but it was not working with the 280X (shuts off after a few minutes) and 7970 (will not send signal to monitor at all)

aerys · Mar 5, 2014

Lime Koolaid :

what specific name of the motherboard do you use? maybe its PCIe slot has issue when using high end cards

Lime Koolaid · Mar 5, 2014

aerys :

On the Intel system it was an ASUS P9X79 PRO. On the AMD system it was an MSI 890FXA-GD70

smeezekitty · Mar 5, 2014

I wouldn't be surprised if the "rocketfish" POS caused some damage somewhere

Don't rule out the possibility of two bad PSUs either

Lime Koolaid · Mar 5, 2014

I've posted this problem up on AT as well and many of them are point at the power supply.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?p=36133505&posted=1#post36133505

The one other common denominator here is the cord connecting the power supply to the wall. I've been keeping that the same in both systems. I'll be home in a bit to test it, but is that something that could cause the problems mentioned?

smeezekitty · Mar 5, 2014

Cords are usually very reliable. I would bet more on two dead supplies

Based on the information between the two threads. It is possible
that the cheap PSU killed the 7970, and the rosewill is also unhealthy hence the shutdowns

But there are so many variables at play, it makes troubleshooting a pain in the behind

Lime Koolaid · Mar 5, 2014

smeezekitty :

Good to know.

So you suspect the intel mobo died two weeks ago, and then the cheap psu killed the 7970?

aerys · Mar 5, 2014

Lime Koolaid :

yep probably your PSU killed 7970 or if not yet damaged the PSU is dead try using true rated PSU's like seasonic, antec, Cooler master,corsair etc..

Lime Koolaid · Mar 6, 2014

Also posted on AT:

Well I got home real late last night so I didn't get to test anything out.

I took the video cards to a friend's place and threw them in his X58 system/ULTRA 750W PSU.

We flashed his BIOS to the latest version we could find and the results are basically identical to what I'm seeing in my AMD system.

7970 will not post or send a signal to the monitor.

280X will start but signal will be lost in about two minutes after power is on.

I'm pretty convinced now that both cards are dead. In the process of getting a refund on the 280X from newegg. 7970 seems beyond hope so I'm probably giving up on crossfire and just going to get a 770.

I'm also pretty sure the Intel motherboard is also dead (how do I distinguish between dead motherboard and CPU again?) but the AMD system is still OK.

smeezekitty · Mar 7, 2014

7970 will not post or send a signal to the monitor.

So the 7970 is almost certainly dead

280X will start but signal will be lost in about two minutes after power is on.

I'm pretty convinced now that both cards are dead. In the process of getting a refund on the 280X from newegg. 7970 seems beyond hope so I'm probably giving up on crossfire and just going to get a 770.

Yeah it looks like it. But if you haven't packaged it off for return, make sure it isn't overheating

I'm also pretty sure the Intel motherboard is also dead (how do I distinguish between dead motherboard and CPU again?) but the AMD system is still OK.

You would need to swap the CPU out (I know its a pain)

Lime Koolaid · Mar 7, 2014

Unfortunately the 7970 is 2 years old and with an aftermarket cooler attached so I'm probably SOL on the RMA.

I've already applied for a refund for the 280X and I have a 770 ordered already.

On the bright side I'm pretty sure both my power supplies are still good. And as far as the quality of the Rocketfish PSU, I was pretty sure I read somewhere (before buying the thing) that it was actually a pretty decent PSU unlike their other trash.

Dug around and found a review of it: http://www.itocp.com/htmls/56/n-656.html

aerys · Mar 7, 2014

Lime Koolaid :

nice decision on getting 280x a refund. I think you should change your PSU to a better one like seasonic,CM,xfx,etc.. so you can prevent things to happen like this again or if you don't want to happen this kind of problem again you better change all or build new PC.

smeezekitty · Mar 7, 2014

Yeah personally I would change out both PSUs since it is very suspicious on how multiple components failed

Bunch of Hardware Failures, centered around 7970/280X

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