[SOLVED] System shutting down, won't start until I reseat Mobo Power Cable

[jellostairway]

I built a new PC about 3 weeks ago. In the last few days I've been getting a very odd and frustrating problem. During some games (not all) my PC will randomly just power off and will not come back on no matter what I do until I've reseating the power cable for the Motherboard. I've unplugged, flipped the PSU switch, everything I can think of. Will not power back on without that power cable reseat, and that works every single time. I have no idea what's going on. I've run some stress testing and stuff and haven't found any problems. I also haven't really been able to reproduce it except by just playing the games that cause it to happen (New World Beta, Dyson Sphere Program, and it happened once in Valheim), but I've also been playing Space Engineers and WoW Classic without any issues, so I have no idea. CPU/GPU temps look fine (60-70 degrees, up to 80 under really heavy load)

System specs:
Mobo: Asus TUF Gaming X570-Plus
CPU: Ryzen 9 5900X
CPU Cooler: Corsair iCUE H150i 360mm
GPU: Gigabyte Radeon RX6800 XT
RAM: G.Skill Trident Z DDR4 3800 (2x16GB)
SSD: Samsung 970 EVO 1TB NVMe
PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 650GA 80+ Gold Modular Compact
OS: Windows 10 Professional 64-bit

It feels like a bad Mobo but I'm really hoping that's not the case. If anyone has any suggestions for troubleshooting or has seen/heard of this before I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Un-build the whole thing. Remove the graphics card, memory, unplug EVERY single cable, drive cables, all of it. Remove the motherboard and make absolutely certain there are no standoffs placed incorrectly beneath it in a location that doesn't line up exactly with one of the motherboard mounting holes.

Get some quality thermal paste if you don't already have it. Remove the CPU cooler block and CPU. Check the CPU closely for even a minute pin deviation. ANY sort of bent pin, however minor, could be a contributing factor. If all is good, reassemble.

Often, a LOT of the time, these kinds of problems are resolved with a complete reassembly, and the reason why is not easily explainable other than in some cases something just wasn't 100% seated correctly or fully and intermittently the system didn't like it.

That at least will eliminate any possibility of it being build related.

If you find nothing, and nothing changes, then it might be a motherboard issue but I'd be inclined towards the PSU before the board. It's really not a great PSU model to begin with, unlike many of EVGA's earlier Super Flower built units.

Simply reseating the graphics card might make the difference as well. Also, it could absolutely be spike related, as your PSU is below the recommended capacity for that card model, on top of it not being a really excellent model. So, mediocre quality + not enough capacity, might easily explain your issues.

http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page362.htm

 

[jellostairway]

Well, I'm going to be completely reassembling in a few days. I don't really like the case that I bought (Fractal Design Meshify C Compact). It's a nice case, but not really intended for a high-end build I don't think. So I've ordered a new case (Corsair 5000D) and Power Supply (MSI MPG A850GF) that should be here by Wednesday. I was already leaning toward PSU issue so I just pulled the trigger and ordered a new one. I suppose I should also get some nice thermal compound for when I move everything over to the new case as well. I'll post back after I move everything over and go from there I suppose.

Side note, do you know if the additional 4-pin 12v connector is needed? This Mobo has an 8-pin and a 4-pin for the CPU, which seems like overkill.

 

[Darkbreeze]

The 5000D is a good case. So is the Fractal S2, Meshify S2, Meshify R6, etc. The case you got is a budget offering really, and is significantly smaller than most modern mid tower cases especially in terms of overall length and it lacks some features as well.

It doesn't matter what it "seems" like, the extra 4 pin EPS connector is there for a reason and if you are using a higher end CPU like the 5900x, rather than one of the less power hangry models, then it is advisable to use ALL of the three four pin EPS CPU auxiliary power connections, but in reality that extra four pin probably shouldn't be necessary unless you are overclocking to a significant degree.

And it should absolutely not cause it to not power on, but, it really depends on which four pin is not getting used as well because two of them are ABSOLUTELY essential to be plugged in, and again, it IS advisable that all of them are plugged in if your power supply has the required number of 4+4 pin (There are NO "8 pin" EPS connectors. There are only 4+4 pin that break in half) EPS connectors. A lot of older power supplies only had a single 4+4 pin, even a lot of current ones. Very good ones even.

Yours does not have it, so you will need a better power supply, which you probably need anyhow since it is not of sufficient capacity to run that card according to recommendations anyhow.

 

[jellostairway]

Alright, I really appreciate your time. I'll report back after I get everything switched over with the new case and PSU I ordered.

 

[Darkbreeze]

👍


Out of curiosity, WHICH power supply DID you order?

For reference, my guide at the following link, while somewhat limited in scope, is a good primer on what to look for or at when it comes to buying a power supply.

Discussion - PSU recommendations and power supply discussion thread - Tom's hardware

Below you will find MY standard list of recommended power supplies and beyond that this thread is intended as a landing place for questions or discussions regarding specific units, platforms or related PSU tech, all of which are all welcome to be discussed here. If it's related to power supplies...

forums.tomshardware.com

And the link I posted earlier to RealHardTechX is about the most reasonably accurate resource you will find regarding what the recommended capacities should be based on card model.

 

[jellostairway]

This is what I got:

https://www.newegg.com/msi-mpg-a850gf-850w/p/N82E16817701009

I'm open to returning and getting something different. I've never delved too deeply into PSUs, I'll read over your guide and see how bad I messed up. =)

 

[Darkbreeze]

That would definitely not have been my first choice, and very little is known about that model since there are no professional reviews of it. MSI is also a POS company in most regards.

This would be a much better choice if you can cancel that one. This is an outstanding, high quality unit for the price. Especially under the current conditions in the market. For only a few dollars more than that MSI unit, it's a no brainer.

PCPartPicker Part List

Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($144.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $144.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-02-13 14:52 EST-0500

 

[jellostairway]

I actually have a Corsair RMx 750w in my old PC. I considered just moving it over to my new PC but I can't find the extra cables I had for it, so I don't have everything I need. I'll grab the one you suggested and just return the other one to Newegg when it gets here. Thanks again.

 

[jellostairway]

Okay, so the Best Buy near me actually had the RMx 850 in stock so I just went and picked one up. So far so good. New World was crashing on me almost immediately and I played for about an hour with no issue after installing the new PSU. I'll report back if anything else comes up but looking good for now. Thanks again!

 

[Darkbreeze]

That is pretty much the result I expected to hear. You never know for sure, but there are just some scenarios where it can't be much else. Hopefully this was an easy fix for you, relatively speaking.