Graphics card causes PC to crash

[berkinbuoy]

Hey, so here's the deal. I bought a new graphics card (GeForce GT 630) to replace my old one (GeForce 405). I read countless instructions, watched many videos on how to safely install it, and I followed the instructions very carefully. After installing, I rebooted my system, as instructed, and all seemed fine until I opened Firefox and wanted to watch a video. The browser crashed, so I tried again. Same thing happened. Many games I tried playing crashed as well. I also saw an image that looked like it was 8-bit colour, although the rest of the screen was fine. I rebooted my system and everything went perfectly. The next day my computer wouldn't start up. It froze at the screen where it says F10 for BIOS etc.

I reinstalled the latest driver twice, no improvement.

Anyway, I have a feeling that the problem is with my power supply, because this card uses more power than my previous one.

I have 12GB RAM and AMD Phenom II X6 processor (System Requirements well met, as you can see).

So if anyone has a solution to my problem, tell me how I can boost my power supply to my card or give the card some sort of priority, I'd be happy to hear from you! Thanks!

email me at berkinbuoy@yahoo.com if you'd like.

 

[xerxces]

What PSU do you have?

 

[berkinbuoy]

Not sure what that is, where do I check?

 

[jaideep1337]

Open up your computer case and look for rectangular box with wires coming out of it. There should be some amperage ratings,brand name and other stuff on that box.
Also look at the amperage on the +12v rails.

Also try uninstalling the old drivers with a driver sweeper program and then install the latest drivers from the Nvidia website.

 

[berkinbuoy]

Open up your computer case and look for rectangular box with wires coming out of it. There should be some amperage ratings,brand name and other stuff on that box.
Also look at the amperage on the +12v rails.

Also try uninstalling the old drivers with a driver sweeper program and then install the latest drivers from the Nvidia website.

 

[berkinbuoy]

Open up your computer case and look for rectangular box with wires coming out of it. There should be some amperage ratings,brand name and other stuff on that box.
Also look at the amperage on the +12v rails.

Also try uninstalling the old drivers with a driver sweeper program and then install the latest drivers from the Nvidia website.

Okay, sorry, I'm kinda new to this (Can't I post a picture?).
Anyway, I found the PSU sticker. Here's what it says:

AC input (50-60Hz): 100-240V ~ 6A
DC Output +5.06v /25A, +12V /19A

+3.3V /18A, -12V /0.3A
+5.08Vsb /2A


+5.08v & +3.3v SHALL NOT EXCEED 175w
+5.08v & +12v SHALL NOT EXCEED 258w
MAX OUTPUT POWER: 300w

 

[solman79]

Hi,

It definitely points to an underpowered PSU. Could you tell me the brand? If you don't see a brand name, you probably have a generic PSU. They advertise a certain wattage (300 W in your case), but do not put out that much under load conditions.

300W is the minimum requirement for that card. So I suggest upgrading to a 500W PSU from a reliable manufacturer like OCZ, Corsair, or Coolermaster with an 80+ Bronze rating. Ideally, go for a 650 W PSU, which will last you through your next upgrade as well. Unless you plan on using dual graphics cards (SLI/Crossfire) a 650 will serve you for years.

 

[berkinbuoy]

Hi,

It definitely points to an underpowered PSU. Could you tell me the brand? If you don't see a brand name, you probably have a generic PSU. They advertise a certain wattage (300 W in your case), but do not put out that much under load conditions.

300W is the minimum requirement for that card. So I suggest upgrading to a 500W PSU from a reliable manufacturer like OCZ, Corsair, or Coolermaster with an 80+ Bronze rating. Ideally, go for a 650 W PSU, which will last you through your next upgrade as well. Unless you plan on using dual graphics cards (SLI/Crossfire) a 650 will serve you for years.

Thanks for the info! I changed the energy saving setting from "Balanced" to "Performance" and plugged my monitor in the other slot. I don't know which worked, but it seemed to have fixed the problem for now. If I get any problems later on I will look into a new PSU.

Thank you all for your help!