GPU or PSU, couple questions.

[anarkeygodslam]

Here is the issue:

2 days ago while playing WoW, my computer turned to blocky, multicolored strips and then locked up. I tried a different game, same issue. I checked the temp, and was reading ~65C under load, which is decent for 280GTX's.

I then removed 1 of the 280GTX's, and it worked fine. Yesterday, it did it again, and I restarted. Every game I tried froze up the same way.

For some odd reason, I decided to swap the PSU cables with the open cables from the removed GPU. It worked. After sleeping for the night and work today, I swapped the cables back, and it still works.


This only happens in games, and it has been intermittent if I change something around. I am curious if this IS a GPU heating or going bad, or PSU issue, or even possibly software? All drivers are up to date, as well.

My system is:

Windows 7
300GB Velociraptor
2 x 280GTX in Sli
I7 930
6GB DDR3 Dominator
Antec 1000W PSU

 

[prodigy]

Sounds like a GPU issue. Could be a motherboard issue. I would try to start eliminating possibilities by using just one GPU in each PCI slot, then the other GPU in each slot, etc. Could also be a RAM issue, so I would also try to eliminate that as a possibility by making sure all your sticks of ram are good, what do you have 3x2gb sticks? If so that's likely it, as most DIMM slots these days are supposed to utilize a PAIR of memory slots. So if you're using 3/4 slots, you might find a 4th stick, or the removal of the odd stick out will solve it. Definitely start eliminating possibility by ensuring the integrity of the GPUs separately and each RAM stick.

 

[anarkeygodslam]

I tried swapping between both graphics cards, no issue yet. I tried checking each stick of RAM (I have 3 and the MoBo supports 6) and no issues.

 

[prodigy]

Are they overclocked at all?

 

[anarkeygodslam]

No overclocking in my system at the moment. I am now on 6 hours of playtime and no crashing. I made the hasty decision it was the PSU and ordered one, big time expense, and now I am going to have to RMA it.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

WoW performs better with 1 GFX card than 2 in SLI. Check out the SLI 295 versus the 275 / 285 in this graph

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/world-of-warcraft-cataclysm-directx-11-performance,2793-5.html

 

[anarkeygodslam]

I took out 1 of my cards, swapped the PSU. The system ran fine 1 day, then this morning it crashed on a simple video clip. I restarted to the same issue. Waited a few minutes, and now it is running fine, all games smooth and no crash. I can't figure this out at all.