Is my GPU DOA? Or is it just my power supply?

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csjdruid

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Hi,

So earlier this week, my friend built his first computer but on boot, there was no display to the monitor. When we took the gpu out, which is the PowerColor TurboDuo r9 290, it powered on just fine. Does anyone know if the gpu is doa?

Also, on another note, the power supply he has is the GX 650W. And from the reviews I have seen it's pretty low quality. Is it possible that the power supply is not outputting enough power for the 290? I also saw that the recommended psu requirement on newegg is 750w for it. But, when I went onto the Cooler Master Power supply calculator, it said max system load would be 550w. I really don't know at this point. If I plugged in my hd 7970 into my friends pc and see if it boots then would I have the conclusion of a dead graphics card? I really don't know at this point.

Heres a link to the gpu: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131569

Power Supply Review: http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/11/22/cooler_master_gx_650w_power_supply_review/5#.V9gwLE0rJ5w

Thanks
 
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I don't think that makes sense personally, others may disagree.

If I'm testing the R9 290 for faults, then it would the focus of my tests and I would use methods to isolate it as the issue. There's an obvious one which needs to be addressed before you can really test the R9 290: the inadequate PSU.

The quality of the PSU isn't the issue here but a matter of providing the power the R9 290 requires to run. I'd imagine the recommendation you saw on Newegg probably accounts for low tier PSUs. Higher tier PSUs may be able to supply the necessary power (but that close to full output probably isn't good either).

To check a GPU, the first thing is usually to install it on another PC. (Even this assumes this other PC meets the power...
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Obakasama

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If you're testing his R9 290, then surely you should install it in your system to check if it works and not installing an HD 7970 in his PC. Assuming you have a sufficient PSU, of course.

If the power requirement is in excess of what can be provided, it's a good idea to find a PSU which can supply the power. Until the power requirement is met it's too soon to claim the GPU is defective.
 
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csjdruid

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Ok, but I kinda don't have a full pc yet kek. Have some parts laying around including my hd 7970 but no actual build to test it in. Is there another way using the scientific method that will work as well? I was thinking that putting in the 7970 and seeing if that boots up will definitely tell me that the 290 is dead. But if it doesn't then i'm stuck with the power supply and also another fact that my 7970 is also dead... So would that be an ok experiment to test?

 
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Obakasama

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I don't think that makes sense personally, others may disagree.

If I'm testing the R9 290 for faults, then it would the focus of my tests and I would use methods to isolate it as the issue. There's an obvious one which needs to be addressed before you can really test the R9 290: the inadequate PSU.

The quality of the PSU isn't the issue here but a matter of providing the power the R9 290 requires to run. I'd imagine the recommendation you saw on Newegg probably accounts for low tier PSUs. Higher tier PSUs may be able to supply the necessary power (but that close to full output probably isn't good either).

To check a GPU, the first thing is usually to install it on another PC. (Even this assumes this other PC meets the power requirements the graphics card requires.) If it works, then the problem is with the original PC; and even then it isn't necessarily a hardware issue.

The problem with using the HD 7970 is it has different power requirements; lower power requirements than the R9 290 from what I could find. As such, using it wouldn't confirm anything to do with the R9 290 for the time being. If it has identical power requirements, then you could conclude the graphics cards are faulty or the PSU can't provide the necessary power. The problem is: it's not conclusive. Also, you risk damaging the PSU.

Now, that isn't to say the R9 290 isn't faulty. It could well be. But without providing the necessary power to give it all the chance to work, it's a premature conclusion to make. Truth be told, at the moment it's like a car which doesn't have fuel. If the car has enough fuel and still doesn't move, then there's more to work with in drawing a conclusion.

My belief is, you need to eliminate the PSU as an issue. Because, at face value, it's a choice between an underpowered PSU for its intended purpose and a faulty R9 290 at the moment.

Also... just to be on the safe side, you made sure to plug in all the power connectors, right? (Not that will help with anything if the PSU can't supply the power but I'm nit picky.)
 
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csjdruid

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Alright, thanks a lot. Ill see if my other freind has a 750w psu in his pc that I can use to test in. But yeah, I plugged in the 8 pin and the branching 6 pin into it. Thats how you're supposed to do it right?

 
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