PSU causing gpu errors

[jrz895]

Lately, I have been having in game crashes and artifacts on my 9800 GTX SLI config. I took each card out to see which one was the problem but both had the same issues. Now I was wondering if it is my power supply is not giving my comp enough juice to
the vid cards while at full load anymore.

I have an Antec Truepower Quattro 850W. This thing has 4 12V rails each outputting 18amps. Yeah I know that 18amps isn't enough but this thing has been running SLI for atleast 7 months. When I actually bought the PSU it was rated on newegg for 25amps each rail, but I looked at the box today and it said 18amps. Is it possible that the cards either A) Sucked the life out of the PSU, or B) The Cards got ruined themselves from the low power.

My specs are as follows:
AMD Phenom IIX3 720 OC@ 3.4GHZ
2 2GB sticks of DDR3 RAM
MSI-nf750 g55
Antec Truepower Quattro 850W
Thermaltake Kandalf LCS
Nvidia 9800 GTX+ SLI

Please tell me what you think!! Thank You!

 

[Griffolion]

It is possible for the PSU to have been worn out by that config. This is why multiple 12v rails are a total no-no nowadays. Cards not getting enough juice won't hurt them, its only when they get too much (heat, over volting etc). An 850W Corsair HX has only 1 12v rail rated at 40 amps which is more than enough for just about any SLI config so if you can afford it, try that.

By the way, are you sure its the graphics card? If you're starting to get intermittent crashes with artefacts, theres a possibility of it being the memory. Run memtest to check for memory errors.

 

[jrz895]

thank you soo much!!! Yeah memtest has already been done. Forgot to mention though im not on that same MSI DDR3 setup yet its still happening. And once again this ram has been memtested too. Thanks alot btw. I was looking at that exact PSU anyways. So it is possible that SLI can run on an under amped PSU but just wear it out I guess???

 

[Griffolion]

Rails can burn out if they are strained too much. Thats why one proper beefy one is better than multiple wimpy ones. Its not like its a bad make of PSU or its a low wattage but its just strange that your cards are still doing this. Anyway, if you can, get a corsair hx in there and see if theres any difference.

 

[jrz895]

Thanks sooooo Much!! I'm going to buy the PSU today. Ill get back to you if I notice anything different with the new PSU. Also, the reason im not on the MSI board right now is that it's being RMA =(. Tried to update the BIOS to see if that was the problem lol. It did not go so well.

 

[jrz895]

But the strange thing also is that this started when I installed the MSI board about a month ago. I'm thinking my OCed Phenom IIX3 at 3.4ghz was the thing that made it finally go.

 

[jsc]

It is possible for the PSU to have been worn out by that config.

PSU's do not "get worn out" with a particular configuration. Over years, components may deteriorate, but that's not the same thing.

This is why multiple 12v rails are a total no-no nowadays.

Most PSU's with advertised "multiple rails" really aren't.

An 850W Corsair HX has only 1 12v rail rated at [strike]40[/strike] 70 amps ...

There. Fixed it.

 

[jrz895]

PSU's do not "get worn out" with a particular configuration. Over years, components may deteriorate, but that's not the same thing.


Most PSU's with advertised "multiple rails" really aren't.


There. Fixed it.

LOL nice fixes. So you agree with this?

 

[delluser1]

This is why multiple 12v rails are a total no-no nowadays.

Only in the minds of the misinformed.

 

[jrz895]

Best answer selected by jrz895.

 

[jrz895]

Only in the minds of the misinformed.

Ok so what do you mean??? What is your input on this??

 

[jrz895]

Also just now read about single / multiple rail PSUs and found out that a config like mine is not good with a multiple rail PSU because my PSU only has 2 PCI-E connectors. Each of these connectors has their own rail. To have SLI on 9800 GTX cards you need 4. So I then had to add two more PCI-E connectors by using an adapter attacthed to a molex. The problem is that this these suck the power from the CPU, MOBO, HDs and everything else on the rails they are connected to. Thus causing problems with graphics and crashing. BINGO!!! My problem exactly!!!

 

[delluser1]

The 18 amp rating on the rails is just that , a label rating.
They can actually provide much more power
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/555/8

It's more about the quality of the power supply than the number of rails, and the TPQ is pretty good in that category
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=58

 

[delluser1]

Also just now read about single / multiple rail PSUs and found out that a config like mine is not good with a multiple rail PSU because my PSU only has 2 PCI-E connectors. Each of these connectors has their own rail. To have SLI on 9800 GTX cards you need 4. So I then had to add two more PCI-E connectors by using an adapter attacthed to a molex. The problem is that this these suck the power from the CPU, MOBO, HDs and everything else on the rails they are connected to. Thus causing problems with graphics and crashing. BINGO!!! My problem exactly!!!

Your psu has 4 PCIE connectors, 2 hardwired and 2 modular, there's no need for adapters, unless you've lost the modular cables.
Your video cards use less than 9 amps apiece, so both could be run off a single 18 amp rail.

Here's some reading regarding multiple rails
http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3990

 

[jrz895]

Ok but the PSU isnt even SLI certified by nvidia to run that type of config. Is it possible that I damaged a rail from overuse on one?? Remember what was said about using a molex to run the cards? Maybe I used molexs from the same rail. Everything in this case has been replaced except for the PSU and the vid cards. The cards have each been checked seperately but ended up with the same problem. Also if you check on Newegg this psu has many bad rating due to it failing. Please somebody give me a direct answer. Either way though im still buying a new PSU.

 

[jrz895]

Read this from Guru3d.com

* A single GeForce 9800 GTX requires you to have a 450 Watt power supply unit at minimum if you use it in a high-end system. That power supply needs to have (in total) at least 25-30 Amps available on the 12 volts rails.
* A second GeForce 9800 GTX installed is another ballgame though; on this system it requires you to have a 750 Watt power supply unit at minimum if you use it in a high-end system. That power supply needs to have (in total) at least 45 Amps available on the 12 volts rails.
* A third GeForce 9800 GTX requires you to have a 1000 Watt PSU, with recommended 55 AMPs available on the 12 volts rails.

http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce--9800-gtx-sli-review-bfg/3

 

[delluser1]

Ok but the PSU isnt even SLI certified by nvidia to run that type of config.

No, but it was certified for the 8800GTX, a card that uses around 6 watts less power than the 9800 GTX, not enough to cause a power issue.

The Antec TP 550 is SLI certified for the 9800GTX, still think what Hilbert has to say means much ?

 

[jrz895]

OMG I JUST HAD LIKE A FRIGGIN EPIPHANY!!!!!!! LOL. Ok so I was just in bed and then I was thinking "Ok. This all starting happening after I installed my MSI mobo....wait a minute!! I mixed around the wires!! Maybe the way I rerouted the wires was drawing too much power from 1 rail!! I mean I had the same setup working fine on my Asus M2n Sli deluxe!!!!" And now that I think of it, no problem of that such happend on the Asus this past week yet (the MSI is being RMA due to flashing bios lol). Only thing that happened was yesterday during COH but it was different. Like the entire screen flashed different colors but just stopped and continued to play normally. So now im thinking it was just the way I plugged everything together. For now im gonna hold off on the new PSU and put my 2nd card back into this puppy, get the modulars (think the reason I never used them/didnt know they existed was because i needed the space in the PSU) and see what happens!!!

 

[jrz895]

Just found 1 of the modulars and then looked at my power supply. All of the spaces are taken up. Darn. I guess im gonna have to do some number punching and figure out what to do.

 

[jrz895]

Wait under further investigation I found out that I my Vid card is using 1 modular and one hardwired!! That means I have the other modular and a hardwire is still in there!! Sweet. Also not all the spaces are taken up. There is still 1 space left. Looks like I have some work to do tomorrow!!

 

[jrz895]

Wait so is it possible that I was taking too much power from 1 rail (read above posts)?? Please answer.