Hello everyone,
Apologies in advance for the wall of text. Here goes...
About half a year ago I decided to build my very own (and first home-built) gaming computer. Once finished, however, it did not want to boot. Specifically, the problem is that it will power on for 3-5 seconds before shutting down again (before any kind of POST-beep), before it starts up again 3-5 seconds later, etc etc. This continues for a few minutes, with occasional extremely long sessions of up to 20 minutes before the computer eventually manages to boot up. I then stripped my pc down to the bare minimum (being an 800W CoolerMaster Silent Pro PSU, Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge 3570K processor and ASUS P8Z68-V Pro / Gen 3 motherboard) but nothing changed.
I did extensive troubleshooting (together with a friend who is majoring in computer technology) and I called some technical support centers around where I live (I did not send it in with professionals because it's ridiculously expensive and with only 2 cables to plug in in this test configuration (which both me and my friend checked multiple times) we concluded it must have been a simple case of RMA). Everyone told me it most likely was a motherboard failure, but to be sure I brought my pc to my friend's place to try some of his parts. We tried his 600W PSU (which was compatible even though it was a few years old). The reboot loop stopped, but it would just turn on and not boot (no beep). Fans were whirring, but it did not want to beep and go into BIOS. Please note that we discovered, in hindsight, that we had plugged it in to an extension cord that was not guaranteed to be able to power 800W, so it might have been this that caused the change in symptoms. We tried his RAM, but that didn't change any symptoms (be it either on my PSU or on his). We didn't have more compatible parts to try so I eventually ordered a new motherboard.
I replaced the motherboard but the problem stayed exactly the same. I then bought a new processor, thinking that it must be that, but it didn't help either. It is after this that it by chance DID boot up for me the first time, and I discovered that if I leave it be long enough it eventually boots up.
After 6 months of this hassle I wanted to get it fixed. I went back to thinking it was the PSU anyway so I ordered a new one. I just finished installing the new one today, but surprise: no difference. In the end I have tried replacing every single part of the test configuration and nothing changes with the symptoms. I now have used this computer for nearly half a year and it is becoming a chore to have to boot it up, since the reboot loop seems to be increasing in length.
The only things I can think of now is that somehow the power in my house cannot feed the PSU when it first turns on (the new PSU I got is a Corsair 850W, and it seems that it makes the boot loops last longer, so I'm not sure if that's related to the 50W more power)... Then again, the fuses blow if I use some outlets in the house (making it obvious they can't handle it), and all the outlets that don't blow fuses have this problem, so I doubt the outlet's power supply is the problem. Or it could be that I got 2 identical RMA parts in a row (that somehow do work perfectly once it boots up)...
Finally, one more thing to add. Once it manages to boot up it WILL crash if I start a program very soon after it goes to desktop. If I say, leave it be for 5 minutes after it booted it usually doesn't crash (although sometimes it does even though I haven't touched it). If I get past these first 5-20 minutes it runs completely stable. In 6 months of intensive gaming I have 'only' had one or two crashes after it had been running for more than half an hour. I added the minidumps for all these crashes. I also added a DXDIAG for good measure, figured it's better to give too much information than too little.
I would be ecstatic if anyone has ANY idea about what could be the problem... The only alternative I otherwise have left is to send it in to professionals and lose a lot of money :/
Thanks in advance,
Bratyn
Apologies in advance for the wall of text. Here goes...
About half a year ago I decided to build my very own (and first home-built) gaming computer. Once finished, however, it did not want to boot. Specifically, the problem is that it will power on for 3-5 seconds before shutting down again (before any kind of POST-beep), before it starts up again 3-5 seconds later, etc etc. This continues for a few minutes, with occasional extremely long sessions of up to 20 minutes before the computer eventually manages to boot up. I then stripped my pc down to the bare minimum (being an 800W CoolerMaster Silent Pro PSU, Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge 3570K processor and ASUS P8Z68-V Pro / Gen 3 motherboard) but nothing changed.
I did extensive troubleshooting (together with a friend who is majoring in computer technology) and I called some technical support centers around where I live (I did not send it in with professionals because it's ridiculously expensive and with only 2 cables to plug in in this test configuration (which both me and my friend checked multiple times) we concluded it must have been a simple case of RMA). Everyone told me it most likely was a motherboard failure, but to be sure I brought my pc to my friend's place to try some of his parts. We tried his 600W PSU (which was compatible even though it was a few years old). The reboot loop stopped, but it would just turn on and not boot (no beep). Fans were whirring, but it did not want to beep and go into BIOS. Please note that we discovered, in hindsight, that we had plugged it in to an extension cord that was not guaranteed to be able to power 800W, so it might have been this that caused the change in symptoms. We tried his RAM, but that didn't change any symptoms (be it either on my PSU or on his). We didn't have more compatible parts to try so I eventually ordered a new motherboard.
I replaced the motherboard but the problem stayed exactly the same. I then bought a new processor, thinking that it must be that, but it didn't help either. It is after this that it by chance DID boot up for me the first time, and I discovered that if I leave it be long enough it eventually boots up.
After 6 months of this hassle I wanted to get it fixed. I went back to thinking it was the PSU anyway so I ordered a new one. I just finished installing the new one today, but surprise: no difference. In the end I have tried replacing every single part of the test configuration and nothing changes with the symptoms. I now have used this computer for nearly half a year and it is becoming a chore to have to boot it up, since the reboot loop seems to be increasing in length.
The only things I can think of now is that somehow the power in my house cannot feed the PSU when it first turns on (the new PSU I got is a Corsair 850W, and it seems that it makes the boot loops last longer, so I'm not sure if that's related to the 50W more power)... Then again, the fuses blow if I use some outlets in the house (making it obvious they can't handle it), and all the outlets that don't blow fuses have this problem, so I doubt the outlet's power supply is the problem. Or it could be that I got 2 identical RMA parts in a row (that somehow do work perfectly once it boots up)...
Finally, one more thing to add. Once it manages to boot up it WILL crash if I start a program very soon after it goes to desktop. If I say, leave it be for 5 minutes after it booted it usually doesn't crash (although sometimes it does even though I haven't touched it). If I get past these first 5-20 minutes it runs completely stable. In 6 months of intensive gaming I have 'only' had one or two crashes after it had been running for more than half an hour. I added the minidumps for all these crashes. I also added a DXDIAG for good measure, figured it's better to give too much information than too little.
I would be ecstatic if anyone has ANY idea about what could be the problem... The only alternative I otherwise have left is to send it in to professionals and lose a lot of money :/
Thanks in advance,
Bratyn
8 gigs to be exact.
