PC blacks out, fans and lights still running

[Illusiphix]

I built a computer earlier this month and I've been having problems with it ever since.

At first it kept shutting down or crashing every 10mins-1hour but I seemed to have sorted that out by configuring my BIOS to tell it what speed RAM I was using and making sure all the connections were in and secure. I also updating everything I could to make sure nothing else happened.

New Problem:

I had been working well for about 2 weeks with no problems at all but 3-4 days ago it started blacking out, the lights would be still on, fans still running but the monitor would go blank and mouse and keyboard won't work. Also holding down Power button for 5 seconds for an emergency shutdown does not work neither does resetting, I literally have to turn the PSU off at the back which makes me cringe every time.

PC Specs:

Operating System:
Windows 7 Professional 64-bit SP1

CPU:
AMD FX-8350 21 °C
Vishera 32nm Technology
RAM:
Corsair 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Vengeance Memory Module CL10

PSU:
Corsair CX 750W PSU - 80plus Bronze Certified

Motherboard:
ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. M5A99X EVO R2.0 (Socket 942)

Graphics:
VA2213w-4 (1920x1080@60Hz)
2048MB ATI AMD Radeon HD 7800 Series (ASUStek Computer Inc)

Storage:
931GB Hitachi HDS721010CLA332 SATA Disk Device (SATA)
111GB Crucial_ CT120M500SSD1 SATA Disk Device (SSD)
931GB Western Digital WD Ext HDD 1021 USB Device (USB (SATA)

Optical Drives:
TSSTcorp CDDVDW SH-224DB SATA CdRom Device

I've also posted this on another forums and here are my current updates on the problem and what I may have tried.

Update: I've updated my BIOS, which I thought I had, my BIOS oddly changed my RAM reading frequency again which could have been a problem.

I'll post/update if I crash again. I believe it could be my PSU or SSD but I'm not sure.

Update: It just BSOD'd, happened while I was playing Skyrim.
Update again: Blacked out like before so it wasn't my BIOS not being updated. So far it does seem to be when I'm playing games but I've never encountered this problem with any of my other builds.

Update: 18:56 27/12/2013

I changed my ASUS GPU tweak to respond faster when more resources are being used and to cool down the video card then left it on overnight doing nothing but idling and it didn't crash. I got on it while ago and hadn't done anything major but talk on skype and browse the internet with no problems. I turned on Skyrim and immediately the fan got faster, as it should, and within five minutes; black screen, unresponsive, couldn't turn it off by off switch so had to flick the PSU off. Went to boot up again but it wouldn't do anything.

I really need help here guys can someone get back to me.

I did just read the "before posting" thread which I'm about to go and try some of the programs there. I posted this here just incase anyone has had the exact same problem as me I might be able to diagnose and fix the problem earlier.

 

[Tmagic650]

Is this PC your first build? Sounds like the GPU (Radeon HD 7800) is bad

 

[Illusiphix]

No it isn't my first build. Why do you think it is bad, is this what a bad GPU usually does? (Never had problems with one before so I'm asking genuinely)

 

[Tmagic650]

Because you describe "blacking out" and the monitor going blank. You have experience building PC's so you should know how to troubleshoot right?

 

[Illusiphix]

I've completed a whole load of troubleshooting and tests.

Basic windows utilities and a few others.

FurMark stress test on my card, no problems found.
SpeedFan, seemed normal
WinDFT, no problems.

...and a few others.

The only thing I haven't done is memtest but so far I haven't had another blackout after switching my RAM's DIMM slot but will post if I crash again.

Thanks for a speedy reply!

 

[Tmagic650]

Okay, good luck

 

[Illusiphix]

Okay as of Dec 28 it hadn't crashed at all until today. I opened the side up to look at the computer in its running state (while on but showing symptoms) and my CPU fan was the only fan not running. This leads me to believe either the fan is faulty or again its the dreaded answer of all, the mobo. I switched the fan to the CPU_OPT port and the pc started straight away but warned me that the fan had a problem and the CPU temp gauge on BIOS was getting high. So I switched it off and put it back onto CPU_FAN and it booted up, no problems whatsoever.


I truly am confused. I've tried many things to replicate what is causing the problems from leaving my pc on for 3-4 days when I sleep (and I've been playing it too, lots of Borderlands 2 and Skyrim. So not easy games). I just got home from being out for the evening and I had left it on. I browsed Youtube and then opened League of Legends and about 3mins into the game it conked out. This is a game a play regularly and this doesn't usually happen.

Any help would be awesome guys, I'm getting rather worried.

 

[Cycloid Torus]

"my CPU fan was the only fan not running" & "pc started straight away but warned me that the fan had a problem and the CPU temp gauge on BIOS was getting high"

Could your CPU fan speed control be at fault? The only time I've ever had CPU fan stopped is with an overly aggressive speed management driver from AMD - which resolved when I opted out.

 

[Illusiphix]

Getting really frustrated now, Since my last post it hadn't done anything up til about 3-4 days ago. It crashed once, same symtoms. Then again the next day except it restarted almost instantly.

I've removed my graphics card just after it was being persistant in not starting and put in a temporary one and it wouldn't load with that in either, I also tried removing the graphics card altogether to see if it would give me the "no video card warning" as it doesn't have one built in and it wouldn't boot from that either.

I also pulled my RAM out and put some old RAM sticks in to see if it would at least boot, and no luck. Again I also tried pulling out all the RAM and see if it would give me a missing RAM beep, to no avail.

It is really disheartening to spend so much on a pc to have so many problems with it, it literally make me sad and angry almost to the point I want to punch the machine and cry (I'm not even kidding, I thought I sorted the problem out but it just keeps sneaking up on me when I think it is gone).


Can someone please help me, I am at a total loss here!

 

[Tmagic650]

Try another power supply

 

[Cycloid Torus]

Trying to analyze based on partial data..please correct if I have mistaken impression.

You built machine in early December, it had some issues which you thought you cleared, then you lost all function from computer (dead/black) in late December, removed CPU fan from mainboard power, used another source of power for CPU fan, booted properly, returned CPU fan connection to proper location - AND THEN the computer worked properly for over a month to 6 weeks.

Then, recently the computer started to fail. The fails were progressively worse until it reached the point of 'totally dead' and it will not reboot/restart/hum a tune or anything. You tried swapping some components (video card, ram) and are frustrated. The computer is and remains 'dead' - no beep or anything.

Do the fans spin? I surmise not.
Did you move CPU fan from one mainboard power source to another? (it worked before)
Did you swap PSUs? (I surmise you have since you were swapping components)

If fans are dead and all components have been swapped to no avail, I would guess you have a bad mainboard (though it might just possibly be the CPU - just pretty unlikely unless you didn't get the pins in straight or used way too much thermal paste). This hypothesis gets more likely if you have tested the components you removed in another system (my wife wonders why I have so many) and they were 'ok'. IF you haven't done a swap on the PSU, this remains as a possible source of the problem. I would want to know that the PSU works as it should.

Most likely problem: bad mainboard
Possible: mainboard grounds on case due to incorrect standoff
( I have had this happen due to a lost screw floating around under there - another similar, I failed to check & clean mainboard before install and a loose copper clipping hid in one of the slots)
Less Likely, Possible: CPU fan issue (it has a short)
Less Likely, Possible: connection problem (some connection somewhere is shifted off a couple of posts or is cockeyed - so many USBs are usually keyed to prevent this but something else might be off)
Leaving - if all above is checked out - bad mainboard at the solder level - you cannot correct or service

You made the build less than 3 months ago - while infantile failure usually occurs sooner, this qualifies - too bad it did not fully fail earlier.

If you are still just 'dead/black/no sound/no fan', you probably should be working with your vendor or ASUStek to determine if they will issue a return authorization. I know that can be a pain, but they do not want the return of a good mainboard (and nor do you).