Is my PSU too weak?

[rockhard]

Hello,

I have recently bought and installed a second matching graphics card. I've installed all the latest mobo/graphics card drivers (started with fresh OS) but can't seem to run bf3 in high without crashing. Single GPU ran fine on a different motherboard (ASUS M5A97). I've tried modifying my settings based on other users complaints for the same problem. I've even tried previous versions and beta build mobo/gpu drivers/bios with no luck.

I'm wondering if I have a power bottleneck. Here is my build (I don't overclock):

AMD Phenom II X6 1055T
Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3
2x4GB G.Skills DDR3 1600
2x Gigabyte Nvidia Geforce GTX 550 TI in SLI Dual 16x PCIe on mobo

My PSU is a 650W Corsair TX650 V2 with specs found here:
http://www.corsair.com/power-supply-units/enthusiast-series-power-supply-units/enthusiast-series-tx650-v2-80-plus-bronze-certified-650-watt-high-performance-power-supply.html

What do you guys think? Do I need a bigger PSU or is something else at fault?


Here are some stand alone temps/voltages/etc:
http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg481/OldGarageChris/PSUpic/PSUtoosmall.jpg

Any help is appreciated. I believe I still have time to return the GPU and Gigabyte mobo if they could be the cause. I will get temp/voltage readings while running bf3 now...

 

[nekulturny]

The power supply is sufficient for two 550 TIs

What to you mean by crashing? the computer crashes? (blue screen of death?)

I'd be wondering if theres something hinky with that motherboad. I had the UD5 variant of the board for my build originally, it died after 3 weeks.

 

[rockhard]

I should have saved my original error as I am not getting it any more. It was a windows error that crashed/closed the game.
I just loaded bf3 to get some readings, and the comp froze with a black screen and could not change numlock status. This hasn't happened before. I've been messing with bios/drivers for the last 3 hours so who knows what caused it now. Going to try again...

I was not happy moving to a Gigabyte mobo. First of all the bios and utilities are crap. I've also never had any issues with all of my previous ASUS mobo's. However, I wanted a mobo to support dual 16x PCIe cards thinking it would be much faster than 8/8. That led me to Gigabyte as it was in my 100-150 price range.

 

[rockhard]

Now I keep freezing when I run bf3, forcing a reboot. It's likely the beta nvidia drivers I just installed...but I think this is the last straw with this gigabyte mobo.

Thanks for confirming its not a power bottleneck. I'm going to return this board and go back to Asus. I'll likely go with the sabertooth board I see you have. I'm reading great reviews on it.

Thanks again nekulturny

 

[nekulturny]

No problem, yea.. I can say the Asus Sabertooth board has been great to me so far, I've been using it for about 2 months.

Too bad you couldn't get your hands on an 1100T Black edition, when I did my computer build, they were still available on Newegg, I thought they were too expensive, not that the 975 hasn't been good to me, but it was a missed opportunity I regret.

 

[rockhard]

So I've done the mobo swap to the sabertooth 990FX board. I should have never left Asus!

However, after an hour into playing bf3, the comp froze again with a black screen and required a reboot. With a black screen, I am thinking its the GPU now. I should get a bsod or some type of error if it wasn't.

I've realized that my new antec 300 case could be the problem. I bought it (with the 2nd vid card when the problems started) because it moved the PSU to the bottom to allow 2 fans at the top where the hot air is. Brilliant idea. HOWEVER, my psu fan now blows directly onto my graphics cards.

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg481/OldGarageChris/PSUpic/DSC08132.jpg

I've monitored the GPU temps and both hover around 70-72 after adding a GPU case fan. I think my problem will be resolved if I make a wall to deflect the psu exhaust up.

I guess it wasn't the gigabyte board...but I will still blame it

 

[rockhard]

Too bad you couldn't get your hands on an 1100T Black edition, when I did my computer build, they were still available on Newegg, I thought they were too expensive, not that the 975 hasn't been good to me, but it was a missed opportunity I regret.

Yea I gave the 1100T a very good look on boxing day when buying my setup....but all of the top end components sold faster than I could refresh the page I was also looking at a budget system...so I didn't want to go top end. If I had the money, I would have gone Intel. However, all this money savings talk is now moot since I've added a second GPU and then repurchased a mobo @200 for dual 16x SLI . Oh well. At least I'm set up for FX chips when the time comes.

 

[nekulturny]

However, after an hour into playing bf3, the comp froze again with a black screen and required a reboot. With a black screen, I am thinking its the GPU now. I should get a bsod or some type of error if it wasn't.

Odd. Does it do it playing any other games? I'd wonder if the game itself was the problem.

I've realized that my new antec 300 case could be the problem. I bought it (with the 2nd vid card when the problems started) because it moved the PSU to the bottom to allow 2 fans at the top where the hot air is. Brilliant idea. HOWEVER, my psu fan now blows directly onto my graphics cards.

Actually you got it backwards, the fan on the PSU is an intake, air is sucked into the fan and expelled through the back of the PSU. Either way, temperature isn't the problem. 72 is not too hot for a 550 TI. Having said that however, the 550 isn't the best video card on the market, thats another one of my "regrets" on my build, its sufficient for the kind of things I do, but I should have gone with something like a 6870.

Even so, a single 550 TI should be sufficient for smooth gameplay on maxed settings, anything above 40FPS consistent is enough, contrary to the flame wars that start on the forums.

http://www.geforce.com/optimize/optimal-game-settings/Battlefield-3-NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-550-Ti-OPS

I guess it wasn't the gigabyte board...but I will still blame it

I don't blame you for blaming it, but even so, since you're still having the problem, somethings going on. But, unless the PSU is flaking out, which I kinda doubt, I'm out of ideas. But again if its only doing it on one game, then I'd be inclined to try a clean install.

Now the 1055T is not the best Phenom II model out there, you would have been better off with a Deneb quad core, but again, it should be sufficient.

 

[rockhard]

the 550 isn't the best video card on the market, thats another one of my "regrets" on my build, its sufficient for the kind of things I do, but I should have gone with something like a 6870.

Even so, a single 550 TI should be sufficient for smooth gameplay on maxed settings, anything above 40FPS consistent is enough, contrary to the flame wars that start on the forums.

http://www.geforce.com/optimize/optimal-game-settings/Battlefield-3-NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-550-Ti-OPS

I'm starting to realize the 550 TI wasn't the best option as well. I'm within my 30 day refund period...so I think I'll return the one I just bought. I wanted to try SLI but this isn't the way to do it in the long run. I was fine running bf3 on high with a single 550ti.

It's too bad because I bought the new mobo just for SLI...I guess I should return the sabertooth beast of a mobo. My old M5A97 will work fine with 1 GPU.

What a mess. I've rebuilt my machine 5 times throughout all of this reformatting each time.

 

[rockhard]

Best answer selected by rockhard.