Problem with PSU (I think)

D

DLA

New Member
Hey, I just built a PC from scratch about 5 months and it worked wonderfully, but now I'm having problems with the video card. It's a Radeon 4890 and it worked wonderfully with all of my PC games until I lightly bumped into the computer and the screen went blank. Now it won't boot, and it's giving me a message saying that I need to connect the VGA to the power supply. It's definitely plugged in, and I even swapped out the cable connecting the VGA to the power supply and it still gives me the same message, leading me to believe that the problem is with the PSU itself.

The PSU is 500w, which I now think may be a little low for the hardware I have, though I really can't be sure. If it is too low, then something like this was bound to happen eventually. I'm not sure what else it can be; I made sure that I didn't knock the VGA out of the slot; it's securely fastened with the screws and everything.

If anyone can offer some advice on how to fix this problem, I would very much appreciate it. I'm stuck on my archaic Compaq Presario right now, which takes about 5 minutes to boot :( If it is indeed the power supply that is causing the problem, please suggest an appropriate wattage that I can afford (I'd like to spend less than $100). If it's something else then I would definitely appreciate any advice; I'm by no means an expert.

Specs:
ASUS M4A79 Deluxe AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard
4 GB RAM
AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Black Processor
SAPPHIRE 100269OCSR Radeon HD 4890 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - OC edition


Thanks for your help.
 
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What is the specs of your computer. What brand PSU do you have. Are you using a 4pin to 6pin adapter to connect to the card.
 
I just updated the post with my specs... the PSU came with the chassis, and the chassis' brand is Linkworld, so I'm guessing that's the brand of the PSU. And yes I'm using a 4 to 6 pin cable.
 
Yep sounds like the PSU to me. Linkworld is an off brand and off brand PSU are not good. Not only that but the 4pin to 6pin adapter is really not helping things. I would say you defiantly need a new PSU.
 
Cool, I appreciate it. I already failed at getting the right power supply once, so do you have any suggestions for an adequate one under $100?
 
DLA said:
Cool, I appreciate it. I already failed at getting the right power supply once, so do you have any suggestions for an adequate one under $100?
Click to expand...

There are plenty good ones for under $100 I will list some for you

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371026

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341017

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371015

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341001

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151027

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...189007&cm_re=Xclio_psu-_-17-189-007-_-Product

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...189006&cm_re=Xclio_psu-_-17-189-006-_-Product

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...e=PC_Power_and_Cooling-_-17-703-016-_-Product

Any of those are good and will power your system fine. If I was you I would go for the best I could that way in the future when you want to upgrade you don't have to buy another PSU.
 
I would buy a new PSU if I were you. 500w off brand is a big gamble with nice hardware like you have. Cheap PSUs don't hold the power output that good quality brands do.

To test the PSU power output...you can use OCCT...it is a program that can monitor everything almost. It will show you the voltage while idle and then it will show you voltage under full PSU load. A good quality PSU will drop only a few tenths or a few hundredths of a volt. Cheap ones can drop entire whole number volts.

http://www.ocbase.com/perestroika_en/index.php?Download

I would get the first one on the list Fatback...a 750w Antec for less than $100 is a steal. It also has free shipping! With that PSU you could even run another ATI 4890 with no issues.
 
Is your monitor working at all? If not, try using the same monitor on another computer. If the monitor works, try using the video card in another computer. If the same problem occurs...probably the video card.
 
Thanks for the help guys... yes, the monitor works, but I don't think I have any other desktops that my VGA will fit in... it's pretty massive lol. I'll try on this desktop once I post this message.

Also, I can't run any programs on my malfunctioning computer so I don't see how I can test the power supply.

I'll update after I try the VGA in this desktop
 
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