PC System Sensitive to electrical supply?

[jtflynn]

I purchased and built a system with these components last September...

Ultra X-Blaster Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
Ultra LSP550 550-Watt Power Supply
Asus P7H55-M LE Motherboard
Intel Core i3 530 Processor
Corsair XMS3 TW3X4G1333C9AG 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 RAM - - PC10666, 1333MHz, 4096MB (2x 2048MB), 240 Pin, Dual-Channel
XFX HD577AZNFC Radeon HD 5770 Video Card
Western Digital WD5000AAKS Caviar Blue Hard Drive - 500GB, 7200rpm, 16MB, SATA-300, OEM

I've had issues since day 1, which mostly amount to blue screens of death of many varieties, mostly occuring during bootup but can also simply be lots of unstability in running the system. I've swapped/replaced most every component at some point including taking it to a local computer repair shop that got very good reviews and has impressed me with their diligence and genuine caring in trying to get me up and running. Finally, their short answer is that despite always running the system on an APC surge protector and/or UPS, they believe the system is sensitive to something in my home's electrical supply and advised buying a Smart-UPS from APC to "fix" the problem. I realize that I haven't given great details/info on the details of the crashes, but i'm just fishing to see if this is a realistic diagnosis.

I ran an extension cord to a neighbor's house to test another power source and still had BSOD crashes. I plan on bringing the system into my office to test again, but I'm really at the point that friends are advising that I toss the system and start over. This whole process been a serious test in patience and troubleshooting.

I'm happy to supply other details that may help assist, whether in troubleshooting or "starting over" with minimal hassle. (Cost is no longer much of an issue, as I'm just done fighting the thing.)

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[Deleted member 217926]

I would not put any Ultra power supply on my recommended buy list. Sounds like a power or a memory issue to me. You can check the memory with a program called Memtest.

 

[Deadstick50]

I would go with trying a different PSU, get a Corsair around the same size as you have now and I will just about bet it clears up the problems. You see if the voltages on that Ultra are unstable it can cause all sorts of odd problems...so your repair shop is partially correct............it is a power issue!

 

[westom]

Finally, their short answer is that despite always running the system on an APC surge protector and/or UPS, they believe the system is sensitive to something in my home's electrical supply and advised buying a Smart-UPS from APC to "fix" the problem.

You have two choices. Keep replacing parts until something works. Or find the problem by doing what only a minority (and also electronic designer) will recommend.

Step one is to buy or borrow a digital multimeter. Get the system up and running so that it accesses the internet while playing complex grasphics (ie a movie), while searching the hard drive (ie defrag) while powering USB devices, while playing a CD-Rom, while ... Now the computer is ready to report useful numbers.

Set the meter to 20 VDC range. Measuare any one purple, red, organge, yellow, and green wire where PSU attached to the moterhboard. Report those numbers to three digits. The resulting post will report without doubt what is defective or where to move on next.

Meanwhile, also search for error messages in the system (event) logs and in Device Manager. If necessary, use Windows Help to find these.

And finally, you have BSODs? That means numbers that report specific and necessary information. Never ignore any number. And never short your help of those most useful facts.

All three recommendations must be done so that the few who know more about computer can provide assistance.

 

[jtflynn]

Per suggestions, I purchased and installed a Corsair GS600 power supply, restarted with a fresh install of Win7 64bit and have created a bootable USB key with Memtest86+ (and may also test using the built-in Win7 Memtest option).

Re: Stress Test (message from "westom")... it takes many reboots to get the system to run for any length of time before I hit a BlueScreenOfDeath, so I can't perform the test you suggest. However, I will follow your advice to post error messages when I get the system running again.

Although my progress is slow, I appreciate the input and would be happy to follow other suggestions that will keep me plugging away toward a solution.

...the lingering question for me is whether the conclusion from my PC repair shop is viable: could I have some intermittent issue that arises from my home's electrical system that, despite running through a surge protector and/or UPS, causes BSOD (accompanied by what my shop called "kernel panic" errors)???

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[Deadstick50]

You have two choices. Keep replacing parts until something works. Or find the problem by doing what only a minority (and also electronic designer) will recommend.

Step one is to buy or borrow a digital multimeter. Get the system up and running so that it accesses the internet while playing complex grasphics (ie a movie), while searching the hard drive (ie defrag) while powering USB devices, while playing a CD-Rom, while ... Now the computer is ready to report useful numbers.

Set the meter to 20 VDC range. Measuare any one purple, red, organge, yellow, and green wire where PSU attached to the moterhboard. Report those numbers to three digits. The resulting post will report without doubt what is defective or where to move on next.

Meanwhile, also search for error messages in the system (event) logs and in Device Manager. If necessary, use Windows Help to find these.

And finally, you have BSODs? That means numbers that report specific and necessary information. Never ignore any number. And never short your help of those most useful facts.

All three recommendations must be done so that the few who know more about computer can provide assistance.

Dude, not everyone has your mad skills with electronics. We do what we have to with available tools and skills, If you can track down his prob with a MM then thats cool for you.

 

[westom]

Dude, not everyone has your mad skills with electronics.

What skills? Set the meter to 20 VDC. Touch probes. Read number. The most complicated part is overcoming your fears. If you cannot use a multimeter, then you have no business even trying to use something extremely more complex like a mobile phone or Ipad. If you cannot do it, then give the instructions to a 13 year old. Why are meters sold in K-mart? Because things in K-mart are sold only to geniuses? Nonsense. The meter is sold in K-mart because any 13 year old who can use a mobile phone can also use the meter.

Nothing I read from the repair shop says anything useful. Posted were things useful. Such as numbers from the BSOD screen. And a report from the comprehensive hardware diagnostic.

But most important is to have numbers from a multimeter. Without those numbers, then useful replies here are not possible. Without those numbers, then other failure information may even report about things that are not really defective.

If any power source caused the system to fail, then a defect exists inside the power supply system. Numbers from the meter could identify that defect.

The power 'system' can be defective. Swapping a PSU may not solve that power 'system' problem. Only a meter might report anything useful.

 

[mdd1963]

I owuld also drop back to but a single mem stick in required slot, testing each alternately.....