# Is this a power supply problem or Geforce Graphics card problem?



## vps85 (Aug 5, 2010)

I'm facing a weird problem as below:

Display connected to Geforce 8600GT 256MB card port: 

a) It goes until windows XP boot screen (logo screen) and after 3seconds, system is auto restarting and never going to login screen of windows xp.

b) works fine when i login via safe mode

Display connected to inboard intel graphics port:

No problem at all..Works fine


--------------
Question:

1) Does the above scenario suggests the problem is with Geforce Graphics card or with (insufficient) power supply?
2) in occasional cases, when i disconnect my bsnl broadband connection the icon in the system tray doesnt goes off and when i open task manager the system is so stressing with high cpu utilization and restarts automatically
3) how do i determine how much powersupply is needed for my configuration?
4) how do i determine whether the fault is with Geforce card or insufficient power supply.

below is the configuration of my rig:

Intel 2.2ghz core2duo processor
intel desktop board with inbuilt GMA
2gb ddr2 ram @ 800mhz
samsung 17inch monitor CRT
SMPS is 400W 
dvd drive, cd writer and other normal stuff.


----------



## ajai5777 (Aug 5, 2010)

It must be your graphic card problem.8600 GT can be simply used with local SMPS.


----------



## coderunknown (Aug 5, 2010)

^^ looks like a driver problem. or maybe card problem.

@OP, open up the case & disconnect all the cables & clean the card thoroughly. use your IGP, go to Windows & uninstall all the Forceware drivers. use driversweeper from Safe mode if you wish to. now install the card. download the lastest ones. & install. check if the card spinning. if everything works fine, check the temperature. if something wrong, card will heat up surely.

do as i told & check if everyhing back to normal. than report here. will provide necessary help if this doesn't work.


----------



## vps85 (Aug 5, 2010)

@sam - thanks for ur inputs. i did tried few of urs.

1) cleaned up for dirt including card after opening the cabinet.
2) found card is spinning
3) but when i switch on my PC im hearing lots of spinning noise(dont know whether its coming from cpu or card - how to find?) noise gets stopped after 2-3 mins.

few doubts though:

1) how do i find the temperature (any good software?) or should i see the temp from BIOS. 
2) what are the normal temperatures?
2) how do i determine whether my card is getting heated?
3) 400W psu is enough for my rig?

Another curious question:

1) If Geforce driver is the problem? then why my computer is not even getting after the windows XP logo screen when the display is connected to Geforce port? does the device drivers gets loaded in the boot screen itself?

2) Sometimes though when the display is connected to geforce port and when the intel desktop bios screen flashes, the display is coming in less colors ( i mean say with strained colors)


I will try to uninstall all the Geforce drivers and try again..


----------



## ajai5777 (Aug 5, 2010)

vps85 said:


> @sam - thanks for ur inputs. i did tried few of urs.
> 
> 1) cleaned up for dirt including card after opening the cabinet.
> 2) found card is spinning
> ...



The spinning noise must be from your graphic card.If it was from proccy, you couldnt have logged even in safe mode.Also it stops after a while, so sure its from card.

Answers for your queries

1.) Try cpuid's HWmonitor
2.) It depend upon the hardware and the cooling method.In your case, for proccy idle would be 40-50 and 60+ in full load.For card, less than 50 in idle and 60-75 in max load.
3.) You can monitor the GPU temperature in HWmonitor.
4.) Desi PSU's cant be trusted.But in normal case it should work with 8600GT.

      You may have driver conflicts.Go to safe mode and uninstall all the drivers for display adaptors and check again.


----------



## coderunknown (Aug 5, 2010)

i having a strage feeling about the card. 

@OP, is your card the famous XFX 8600GT "Electric Stove Edition"? cause it have serious heating issues. so serious, it damages itself at times. open the cabby & boot the system. keep your hand close to the card (don't touch it). i sure you'll feel a gush of hot air coming from the card or around it. if it is so, its a sure shot, you got a overheating issue.


----------



## Cool Buddy (Aug 5, 2010)

Tell me one thing, did you plug out the card when you connected the monitor to your motherboard? Or was it there and you connected the monitor to the motherboard?
Also, do you have both Intel graphics and nvidia drivers installed?


----------



## asingh (Aug 5, 2010)

Which PSU you have, OP..?


----------



## vps85 (Aug 6, 2010)

@sam - my card is BIG Geforce 8600GT 256mb ddr3.no i didnt feel any hot air coming from the card. 

secondly im hearing noise from the PSU not from the card. the noise stops after 2-3 mins..

This is what i did till now:

Did a complete format and reinstalled windows xp with sp2.

-----Installed Intel GMA drivers with my display connected to the motherboard graphics socket --- Worked fine without any issues

---- Now shutdown the PC and connected my display to Geforce port after changing the video configuration to Auto in BIOS (i tried the other option too which is extended PC express)

What happening:

Without Geforce drivers installed system is booting up and im able to view my desktop with less colors.

I started the default drivers which came with my Geforce CD (its old forceware drives 168v) --- In between the installation system system is auto restarting throwing a blue screen of death for a second. This happens whenever i tried installing the driver for Geforce card

---- I downloaded the latest stable version from nVidia site which is 195v for my 8600GT and for that also in between the installation system is auto restarting throwing the same blue screen of death..

----- on both the above occasions after restart and before login screen, disk error checking is running (as if i manually restarted the system)

--------------

@asigh - PSU is zebronics M400W


------------

@coolbuddy -- i didnt plug out the card when i connected my display to motherboard-- I tried only 1 scenario --- first with intel GFX drivers already installed and then tried installing Geforce drivers -- is that wrong??


----------



## Cool Buddy (Aug 6, 2010)

Unistall the Intel GMA driver before installing nvidia drivers. Two drivers cause conflict.

PSU is ok, my friend's using 8600 with iBall 400W PSU for over 1.5years.


----------



## asingh (Aug 6, 2010)

PSU is dying.


----------



## vps85 (Aug 8, 2010)

*******Update*****:

Noise is coming from Graphics card occasionally. Seems PSU is working fine.
Windows 7 crashes during the boot screen. It throws an error (blue screen of death) saying

"Page fault in non paged area"

This happens only if the display is connected to Geforce card port. When display connected to Intel motherboard port its works fine.


----------



## coderunknown (Aug 8, 2010)

vps85 said:


> Seems PSU is working fine.



what makes you say that? cause PSU is powering your PC & fan is running?


----------



## vps85 (Aug 9, 2010)

@sam - your correct. I just removed my Graphics card and the noise seems to be coming from PSU only.

so the culprit is power supply..

i think when the graphics card is used power supply is dying.


----------

