PC turns off immediately being turned on, then turns back on again

beefynerd

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Mar 7, 2012
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I've been having an issue with my PC which I believe is related to the power supply. I originally posted here a while ago about the same issue, but at the time I believed it was a GPU issue. The other thread can be found here: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/f...rint=0&numreponse=0&quote_only=0&new=0&nojs=0

PC specs for review:
Intel Core i7 2.93Ghz Quad-core Unlocked CPU
16Gb Gskill Ripjaws PC-10666 DDR3 RAM
Gigabyte GA-P55-UD4P LGA1156 Mobo
EVGA Nvidia GeForce 460GTX 2win 2GB GPU
Western Digital 500GB SATA3 7200RPM HDD1
Western Digital 160GB IDE 7200RPM HDD2
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 PCI SPU
ABS Tagan ITZ 1100w PSU
Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit OS
Thermaltake Armor+ Full Tower Case

My primary issue: the monitors on my PC will go blank at random intervals (my monitors are not the issue, as they both blank out at the same time, and any music/video playing while the monitors blank out also cuts off at the same time). There is no warning, and requires me to either shut the PC down by holding down the the power button or to hit the reset button; this resolves the issue temporarily (I've become very diligent at saving or enabling autosave when working on a projected because of this issue). This was thought to be an issue with the GPU, but I had it replaced by EVGA with a replacement. After the replacement was installed, the issue seemed to be resolved for a month, and then resumed again.

Secondary issue: If I am not going to use my PC for a while (like when I'm at work), I'll shut the surge suppressor off that the PC is plugged into after shutting down the PC. When I want to use my PC, I turn the surge suppressor on, and hit the power button on my PC. Immediately, the PC shuts off, waits a few seconds, and turns on again. This issue only occurs after shutting off the surge suppressor the PC is plugged into. This issue leads me to believe my primary issue is PSU related.

I've researched the issue of PCs turning off immediately after being turned on, and read that its most likely a short in the PSU. I hooked the ATX and PCI-E 6pin cable of the PSU up to a PSU tester to rule out voltage issues. A note: the PSU did not shut off after switching it on while plugged into the tester. A photo of the PSU tester:
2012-06-20%2010.12.15.jpg


In short: the PC shuts down when the cables are installed into the mobo/GPU but only after turning the surge suppressor on after it was off. The PSU does not shut down when plugged into the tester. My monitors still blank out intermittently due to an unknown issue.

The PSU has never been used apart from this build, and happens to have multiple +12v rails as well (six to be exact) and read on some forums and the review for this PSU that the PSU will shut down if a rail is overloaded. When I built this PC, I initially used two of the PCI-E connectors that came with the PSU, which is a 6+2pin and a 6pin (this PSU comes with two pairs of 6+2pin and 6pin). For giggles, I swapped the single pair of PCI-E cables for all four cables, utilizing the two power adapters that came with the GPU, which turns four 6pin connectors into two 8pin. This did not solve the issue, as my primary issue remains.

A bit of history on the PSU: I purchased it four years ago but never used it since I ran out of funds for the build at that time. Never removing the PSU from the box, I stored it in my apartment until such a time arrived that I had the funds to complete my build. Hence, the reason why I am now using it. I explain this to belittle any questions of age/wear of the PSU.

My initial conclusion was to replace the PSU, but I am hesitant since plugging it into the tester did not cause it to power cycle. I am also hesitant to replace it without some feedback from a reputable forum. PSU I am planning on replacing it with: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139014&Tpk=corsair 1200w

Any insight into this issue?

UPDATE: A new symptom appears! My PC will now shutdown by its self inadvertently. This started earlier today after I originally posted this topic, and has happened twice so far.
 

tougas

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Sep 25, 2011
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as to your issue with the surge protector it actually has the symptoms of an OC causing a failure of post and then it would reset to default on its own and turn on again. do you have and OC'd hardware inside your pc?
 

beefynerd

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Mar 7, 2012
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Only OC I had running was the Turbo Boost on the CPU. Disabled and turned off the PC and surge suppressor. Turned it back on...and same issue. There are no other OC going on. All speeds are at stock.
 

beefynerd

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Mar 7, 2012
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Correct.

I had an idea of ruling out the surge suppressor too. IO turned the PC off, and turned the surge suppressor off as well. I plugged the cord from the PSU directly into the wall. :eek: Then I hit the power button on my PC, and no change. It still powers on for a second, powers off, then powers back on again.