New graphics card triggering asus anti-surge - RMA?

[kingwizardlcb]

A while ago I bought a GTX 980 for a pc I built. The very first time I tried to play a game after installing the card got very very loud and it immediately overheated, causing my pc to shut down. Upon restarting my computer, the card didn't output a signal anymore and so I RMA'd it.
Three weeks later I got the exact same card back (same serial number). The temps are now good, no overheating issues - about 30 degrees when idle and somewhere below 70 degrees under load.

However, almost every time I boot my pc with the 'new' card installed, I get an ASUS Anti-Surge warning. I can then just press F1 to get into the BIOS, discard & exit, and the pc will go on to boot just fine with no further warnings. This never happened before I installed the card. Also, when waking the pc up from sleep, I sometimes get a q-code 41 (which is not even in the manual) and it won't wake up.

Should I RMA the card again? Is the anti-surge protection too sensitive and should I ignore it/turn it off? Or could there be another problem with the pc?


My specs:
gpu: asus strix 980 dc2oc 4gd5
cpu: i5-6600k (stock speed)
cooler: corsair h110i gt
motherboard: asus maximus viii hero
ram: 16gb corsair dominator ddr4
psu: corsair rmx 750w
ssd:samsung 850 evo 250gb
hdd: western digital red 2tb

 

[bjornl]

The Asus anti-surge is supposed to detect powersupply problems not graphics card problems. It is possible for the card to be causing this, but it is unlikely. Do you have another gfx card to test this with?
Have you tried testing your electrical circuit? Very cheap. http://www.amazon.com/ELECTRICAL-RECEPTACLE-TESTER-OUTLET-PRONG/dp/B002Q3R7HI
Good electricity is very important to PC stability. I use and recommend a good UPS and/or a good line conditioner/surge suppressor.

 

[kingwizardlcb]

If it is the PSU, does it make sense that I didn't have any problems when I was using no graphics card? Could the additional load of the gpu be exposing a defective PSU? Unfortunately I don't have any other gpus to test with.

And if it is the electrical circuit that's causing issues, what would my options be then?

 

[bjornl]

If it is the PSU, does it make sense that I didn't have any problems when I was using no graphics card? Could the additional load of the gpu be exposing a defective PSU? Unfortunately I don't have any other gpus to test with.

Sure. A GFX card typically adds well over 100w more load.
Consider a car. The clutch might not slip with 1 skinny person. Load it down with your biggest friends and it might show the problem. This does not mean you friend is doing something naughty; it might only mean that your car's clutch is not able to deal with the load. The same with your PC. Ultimately you will have to isolate it to test it. Testing is done by eliminating your variables. Either you do this for yourself or you have to pay someone to do it for you.

And if it is the electrical circuit that's causing issues, what would my options be then?

Best = call an electrician.
Options include getting a line filter (with surge suppression) and a UPS, moving, testing another circuit in your house (you can tell what plugs are on what circuits by checking the fuse box). But begin with getting the $6.00 part I linked to. Dirt cheap and generally a good idea to have one laying about.