Flashing power light?

Hogzy

Yet another problem with my new build.
Everything has been going dandy until tonight.

I was playing Crysis today and paused it (For around an hour and a half tops). Came back to the computer and it appeared to be in sleep mode (Monitor light was yellow). Went to click the mouse to get it out of sleep mode and nothing happened. Monitor stayed yellow. The computer was still running, all the fans were running etc but i noticed the power LED on the case was blinking (usually it doesnt blink.)

So i held the power button to turn it off and now it wont boot back up. All the fans etc come on and the HDD spin up but now POST or Beeps. The LED power light is still flashing.

Any ideas what it could be?

Solitaire

Sounds like all kinds of bad things. Fried CPU or GPU, damaged PSU or RAM, screwy BIOS, shorted mobo, loose connectors... the list goes on

Try checking all physical cable connections and reset the CMOS while you're at it to start with.

Deano12345

Hogzy wrote: »

Any ideas what it could be?

Sounds like it could be your PSU, could be ram too, try booting with only one stick at a time to rule that out

Hogzy

OK. Oddly enough i plugged out the Computer from mains (while it was on and not posting) i plugged it back in again almost instantaneously (1second later tops) and the computer booted up and posted. When i logged into windows everything was as normal. The game was open and still paused. I unpaused it and played it for 5mins just to see that everything was ok. Performed perfectly. No stuttering or anything.

So I dont think it could be the CPU or the GFX card.
Im thinking the PSU as it seemed really strange that plugging it out and back in very quickly would start it up. This method worked before too when the computer wouldnt post.

Any opinions?

EDIT: Earlier when i flicked the switch on the PSU it didnt do anything and would post. So plugging out and back in quickly seemed to do the trick. VERY strange.

Solitaire

That means you tripped one of the protection mechanisms in the PSU. Given how dire the coding is in Crysh!t I suspect that pausing the game did nothing to change the CPU/GPU utilization and the PSU slowly overheated and the overtemp protection tripped.

Hogzy

Solitaire wrote: »

That means you tripped one of the protection mechanisms in the PSU. Given how dire the coding is in Crysh!t I suspect that pausing the game did nothing to change the CPU/GPU utilization and the PSU slowly overheated and the overtemp protection tripped.

No temps were normal. I always have speed fan running and it recorded everything. GPU didnt go above 35 and CPU temps were around 25 while it was paused.

Would you think the PSU is going?

Solitaire

Sounds like it What is it again anyway?

Hogzy

Solitaire wrote: »

Sounds like it What is it again anyway?

Fortron Source Epsilon 1010W

I bought it in a day where i though more watts was better so automatically assumed 1010W was better than a 650W.

My knowledge of PSU's has advanced in the last 4yrs though.

Looks like she might need replacing.

Solitaire

Epsilon argh!! :mad:

I didn't even know they made ones that big, the Epsilon platform has issues past the 500W mark!

Captain Commie

work in it and anytime we see a pc with a flashing power light it tends to be the PSU is about to fail/ has failed.

I would get a different PSU into that thing pronto

Hogzy

Q6700 (Stock but will be OC'd)
GTX 460 1GB
4 Sticks of 1GB DDR2
1TB WD Caviar Green HD
500GB Seagate SATA HD
Zalman 9700 CPU Cooler
DVD-/+ RW Drive
Asus P5Q Pro Turbo Board.

Would a 650W be sufficient?

Solitaire

Yep, get one with a very strong 12V rail (i.e. >=50A) or a good 700W PSU (again >50A) if you intend on OCing both CPU and GPU

Deano12345

Hogzy wrote: »

Would a 650W be sufficient?

Easily, Id say even a 550W would be fine. As long as its a good quality unit you'll be fine

Solitaire

Deano12345 wrote: »

Easily, Id say even a 550W would be fine. As long as its a good quality unit you'll be fine

It would be pushed pretty hard - most "good" 550W PSUs have less than 500W of 12V power and that rig will consume over 250W of 12V running flat-out... at stock With a moderate CPU+GPU OC its more like 300W+.

Hogzy

Just looking at PSU's. Elara charge 17-20 euro for P&P for an Antec TruePower 650W :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

Hogzy

@Solitaire:

Is this a good PSU for my needs?
Antec True Power 650W

Solitaire

So long as it doesn't cost crazy money, yes. Excellent units those