Power loss while under heavy load

[alexpapa]

Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only ho

So. Before you tell me, "it's a power supply issue," hear me out. This is a long story and it has, so far, stumped and confounded multiple professionals I've taken it to.

I built a new computer in mid-August. It's the first one I've ever built, and after building it, it worked perfectly and I was over the moon. After some weird USB-related issues, and an issue where the computer would lose input to the monitor and required a hard reset to regain it, I decided to RMA the motherboard after I encountered an issue where the computer wouldn't start at all (the debug lights on the mobo claimed CPU error).

The above issues might or might not be related to my current problem; I'm just including them for thoroughness' sake. Once my replacement motherboard arrived, I stopped having the previous problem. Now I have a new one.

The computer loses power during heavy load, especially during games. This especially happens when playing FFXIV, which, while not a very graphics-intensive game, is difficult on the GPU. I've found, after my various attempts to try to fix it, it doesn't crash during other games, like Destiny 2, even after long play sessions. Don't know if that makes a difference, but FFXIV crashes me most often.

The crash is a power loss, as if the power was cut. There are no artifacts, no BSODs, no overheating warnings. Just on one second and off the other (though, if I'm wearing a headset, I do get some popping and static in it when it happens).

In addition to the original RMA of the motherboard, I have:
1) RMAed the GPU
2) Replaced the original PSU with a Corsair RM650X (which I returned when it didn't fix the problem)
3) RMAed the CPU
4) Tried the computer plugged into different sockets, different power strips, etc.
5) Tried reseating the CPU/cooler several times, removing old thermal paste and replacing with Arctic Silver 5
6) Taken it to a local computer repair place to see if they could figure it out (they could not, though they said the problem did replicate there and also replicated with different RAM and GPU, so they did not think it was the RAM or the GPU, instead claiming it to be either the mobo or the CPU, both of which I had RMAed already)

My case doesn't have the best airflow, so I added a few more fans. Temperatures seem steady while playing video games at ~50c for my CPU and ~65-70c for my GPU. Admittedly I have not observed a temperature monitoring program before a crash (I do not have two monitors, so it's difficult), so I don't know if there's a sudden spike, but I doubt it.

At this point, I have tried every single thing I could possibly think of, spent way more money than I ever wanted to, and am at a point of desperation. If you have any ideas, please, I am completely open to them. Thank you.

SPECS:
CPU: Intel i5 7600k 3.8GhZ Quad-Core
CPU Cooler: be quiet! - Dark Rock 3
Motherboard: MSI Z270 SLI PLUS
Memory: G.SKILL FORTIS Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4
Harddrive: 850 EVO Series 1 TB SSD
GPU: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB SC2
PSU: Seasonic G-Series 550w (original)
Corsair RM650X (second, returned)
Seasonic Focus Plus 850w (current)

Please let me know if you require any other information.

 

[Lutfij]

I take it that you're on the latest BIOS revision? What of your ram? Can you provide a link to the kit? You didn't mention the make and model of your case. Please include that as well.

 

[alexpapa]

I take it that you're on the latest BIOS revision? What of your ram? Can you provide a link to the kit? You didn't mention the make and model of your case. Please include that as well.

I haven't flashed the BIOS of this new motherboard since I received it (this is next on my list, though MSI makes it bloody difficult to actually find proper downloads for making a USB ready for BIOS flash). I currently reinstalled Windows, as per another suggestion, so as soon as I'm able to flash the BIOS I'll do that and see how that goes.

As for the RAM, what do you mean? Are there drivers I should look to update, or do you mean the type of RAM used (I put it in the list above)? Please forgive my ignorance on all of this... this first build has been a trial by fire.

Case is a Thermaltake Versa C22. Admittedly has pretty poor airflow and some other issues... I picked based on aesthetics rather than stuff that actually matters, and I'm anxious that might be a factor. I currently have this weird issue with the case where a red light constantly flickers in the blue LEDs on the top? No idea if it is also affecting this issue, but it's been doing that since I've had this problem.

 

[photonboy]

My best guess after careful reading is that the 2nd motherboard is also defective.

Your exact issue IMO could only be one of three causes:

1) AC wall power not there
2) bad PSU
3) bad motherboard

The number of PSU replacements makes that very unlikely, as does the wall power since your issue happens only in intense gaming. I'm fairly certain the graphics card would not cause the PC to fail in that manner.

None of the other parts should cause that type of failure.

IMO then, it's a bad motherboard. Perhaps they had a bad run of them and you got unlucky twice?

 

[alexpapa]

Alright. Sorry for not replying for a while, but I thought I was out of the woods, but apparently that's still not the case.

- I did attempt flashing the BIOS, but it seems like whatever BIOS version was on the motherboard I received through the RMA is the most updated one I could find on the website.
- I reinstalled Windows and it seemed to mostly be behaving, but I just had another power loss while playing FFXIV (I recently capped the framerate at 60fps, which seemed to help, but seemingly not perfectly).

It's very strange because I only receive this issue with FFXIV. I've been playing a lot of Destiny 2, Overwatch, and Heroes of the Storm, and I haven't experienced an issue with any of these games even after hours of play. I know FFXIV (and other MMOs) consume a lot of resources in a very trying way on the computer, so I guess that's the reason.

It's very possible that the problem is tied to where I'm living. The problems were also replicated in a different building when I took it to a computer repair place for diagnostics, but that was when I had my 550w power supply (and since upgrading to the 850w, the problems certainly do not happen nearly as often, though they do still happen). So maybe it's the wiring in the apartment causing problems. Maybe it's the ambient heat; I live in Florida, and it's hot as hell. I don't know. The problem is so weird and sporadic, it's nearly impossible to figure out.

So yeah, photonboy, you might be right about the mobo. I'm fairly fed up with MSI at this point. My RMA of my first card cost 1/3 of what I spent on the original, so I think I might just buy a replacement outright. Don't suppose anyone has any good recommendations in a $100-200 range? lol

Regardless, thank you guys for your help. I'll... keep trying, though I'm ill thinking about how much I've sunk into this computer post-build just trying to get it to work properly.