- Sep 12, 2012
- 29
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- 10,530
I upgraded my rig over the weekend to a new GPU and a new PSU, while also upgrading to an SSD. I'll give my before and after specs, highlighting what changed:
Before
After
I installed all of the components last Thursday and did a BIOS check. Everything ran perfectly after a few tweaks with cables and whatnot. Got Windows started and checked how games ran with Steam. Everything ran flawlessly at Ultra settings and I was completely satisfied.
The next morning, Friday, I decided it was time to transfer Windows to my SSD. I backed up my C:/ drive (on my WD Blue 500GB) to my F:/ drive (Seagate 2TB). Took a while to transfer, but everything got backed up. I then got my SSD ready, formatted and all the works, and made it available. I slimmed down my C:/ drive, cloned it using EaseUS ToDo (website tutorial I was following recommended it) and transferred Windows and any other files to the new SSD.
During the transfer, and after messing with BIOS a bit, the SSD became my new C:/ drive, and I wiped my old WD Blue 500 GB drive and named it E:/
Everything still ran fine after the transfer. I was able to play Watch Dogs on Ultra and it all went great.
Saturday morning, 11:00ish, I booted up my PC as I normally would and went about my day. Forgetting I left it on idle, it went to sleep and I went to work around 4:00. Got back around midnight and pressed the power button.
Nothing. Not a fan running, no beep, no lights, nothing. Unplugged my PC from my surge protector (I know, my wife has already given me hell for that) and plugged it into the wall socket. Still nothing. Pretty sure at this point my PSU is dead.
I took my rig in to a local computer shop, Ribbit Computers in Wichita, and had them take a look at it. Uninstall the Corsair PSU, install a new Thermaltake 750W Modular PSU, test it. Boots, posts, but no video. Check connections, retry, no video. Thinking faulty GPU, test with a fresh similar GPU. No video.
So we move the GPU to the secondary PCI port and it works. My case is really tight with the new gigantic 780, so we can't test it on my current build. They have a similar rig set up near, I ask if they can test my card on that build, they hesitate but say that motherboard's already screwed, so they do it anyway. GPU works perfectly, thank God.
Get home, place my GPU in the secondary PCI port, it works, everything works fine except for a few Windows programs that needed adjusting when the PSU went out. I'm typing from my rig right now, actually.
So... Here's my final question(s).
I'm at a loss for this weekend upgrade... I ran my Before build perfectly fine though my surge protector for the last year and a half, but in three days my new build is DOA. My PCI Express port is shot, my brand new PSU is shot, and I'm worried that I'm going to compromise the rest of my system.
TL;DR: Upgraded my system, brand new PSU is shot and PCI express ports won't work after also installing SSD.
First post to Tom's Hardware, but after lurking for a while, I know you guys know your stuff, so give me some advice!
Thank you all,
Brandan
Before
CPU - Intel i7 3770k OC'd to 4.2 ghz
Mobo - Asus Z77 Pro
RAM - 8GB Corsair XMS3
GPU - MSI Radeon 7850 2GB
Storage - Western Digital Blue 500GB
Storage - Seagate 2TB
PSU - Rosewill Green Series 530W
After
CPU - Intel i7 3770k OC'd to 4.2 ghz
Mobo - Asus Z77 Pro
RAM - 8GB Corsair XMS3
GPU - MSI GTX 780 3GB
Storage - Western Digital Blue 500GB
Storage - Seagate 2TB
Storage - Crucial M500 240GB SSD
PSU - Corsair CXM750M 750W
I installed all of the components last Thursday and did a BIOS check. Everything ran perfectly after a few tweaks with cables and whatnot. Got Windows started and checked how games ran with Steam. Everything ran flawlessly at Ultra settings and I was completely satisfied.
The next morning, Friday, I decided it was time to transfer Windows to my SSD. I backed up my C:/ drive (on my WD Blue 500GB) to my F:/ drive (Seagate 2TB). Took a while to transfer, but everything got backed up. I then got my SSD ready, formatted and all the works, and made it available. I slimmed down my C:/ drive, cloned it using EaseUS ToDo (website tutorial I was following recommended it) and transferred Windows and any other files to the new SSD.
During the transfer, and after messing with BIOS a bit, the SSD became my new C:/ drive, and I wiped my old WD Blue 500 GB drive and named it E:/
Everything still ran fine after the transfer. I was able to play Watch Dogs on Ultra and it all went great.
Saturday morning, 11:00ish, I booted up my PC as I normally would and went about my day. Forgetting I left it on idle, it went to sleep and I went to work around 4:00. Got back around midnight and pressed the power button.
Nothing. Not a fan running, no beep, no lights, nothing. Unplugged my PC from my surge protector (I know, my wife has already given me hell for that) and plugged it into the wall socket. Still nothing. Pretty sure at this point my PSU is dead.
I took my rig in to a local computer shop, Ribbit Computers in Wichita, and had them take a look at it. Uninstall the Corsair PSU, install a new Thermaltake 750W Modular PSU, test it. Boots, posts, but no video. Check connections, retry, no video. Thinking faulty GPU, test with a fresh similar GPU. No video.
So we move the GPU to the secondary PCI port and it works. My case is really tight with the new gigantic 780, so we can't test it on my current build. They have a similar rig set up near, I ask if they can test my card on that build, they hesitate but say that motherboard's already screwed, so they do it anyway. GPU works perfectly, thank God.
Get home, place my GPU in the secondary PCI port, it works, everything works fine except for a few Windows programs that needed adjusting when the PSU went out. I'm typing from my rig right now, actually.
So... Here's my final question(s).
My PSU went out, probably because I had it plugged into a surge protector, even though that surge protector is rated at handling 2000 Watts. If that's not the case, was it just a bad egg? Would my surge protector be the issue or was it actually the PSU? I know Corsair is infallible when it comes to their products so I was surprised it failed within 3 days.
Would a PSU failing cause my PCI express port to fail as well? Does this mean my motherboard's at risk for further failure?
I know my GPU, the GTX 780, is only rated to run off of a minimum of 600 watts. Is there something that could've caused it to overheat my PSU?
The local computer guy recommended that I replace my motherboard, preferably with the exact same model, so I don't have any other issues that pop up. Is this a good idea? The Z77 is already a few years old, and the chipset's getting dated, but everything else in my system is almost as old as the motherboard. Should I consider getting a Z87 or something similar? Or not?
I'm at a loss for this weekend upgrade... I ran my Before build perfectly fine though my surge protector for the last year and a half, but in three days my new build is DOA. My PCI Express port is shot, my brand new PSU is shot, and I'm worried that I'm going to compromise the rest of my system.
TL;DR: Upgraded my system, brand new PSU is shot and PCI express ports won't work after also installing SSD.
First post to Tom's Hardware, but after lurking for a while, I know you guys know your stuff, so give me some advice!
Thank you all,
Brandan
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