Hello everyone, I have a sort of two-part question here and am pretty much at my wit's end. It's rare that a hardware or software issue will get the better of me, but I simply don't know what to do know.
First of all my system specs in full, important stuff first:
Intel i7 2600
Gigabyte P67A UD5 Motherboard
2x4GB G-Skill 1666Mhz DRR3 RAM Chips
Seagate 1TB HDD
Western Digital 320GB HDD
OCZ Vertex 2 120 GB SSD
LG Sata2 DVDR
2xATI HD 5770 (only 1 is currently installed, lending the other one to my wife for coop gaming shenanigans)
Zalman 850W PSU
Less important stuff second:
1xAcer T230H Touchscreen 24" Widescreen Monitor
2xAcer V203H 20" Widescreen Monitors
Microsoft Ergonomic Natural 4000 Keyboard
Logitech G9 Mouse
Lanboy Air RED Case
That is everything attached to my PC, I thought it wise to give a full listing just in case there was some weird conflict or something I don't know about.
I have been experiencing a variety of esoteric issues of late, from BSODs, to full system hangs in my OS, to no boot disk found, to hangs on the POST screen showing on my memory HZ, and nothing else, no CPU, no IDE HDDs, nothing, to windows starting a self-repair mid-boot by itself (which coincidentally hung) and so on. This system is custom built, I'm pretty comfortable with tech stuff, having built all my PCs I've owned and I'm a programmer to boot, so no real fear getting my hands dirty. It was running flawlessly for around 4 months. Lately it's been all sorts of crazy and I'm running out of ideas.
Now, my actual question is pertaining to what is realistically my last credible option, which is that perhaps my system isn't getting enough power, I find that somewhat hard to believe given my PSU, but hey, I'm grasping at straws now.
Something I've noticed, is that from my PSU there is the usual variety of cables, and there is the large 24 pin main connector that has 4 pins sort of detached a bit, allowing you to plug in all 24 or just the first 20 pins. This goes into the main socket on the mobo. Then, near the CPU is an 8 pin connector. You can see this on page 25 of the manual (if you have it). Now the 4 pin detached cable part of the main 24 pin cable, has this bright yellow sticker on it, saying - in short - don't plug this in if the 4 pin ATX 12v cable is also plugged in, or your PC will explode and the world will end.
My question is - what/where is this '4 pin ATX 12v cable'? Is it the one near the CPU, which is actually an 8 pin cable? Should I plug this in, could it be that my PC isn't getting enough power?
I don't really want to plug it in, and then have my PC explode and be like, "Well, I guess I did have the 4 pin ATX 12v cable in after all." when I don't know where it is.
But at the same time, I've never, not, had the full 24 pin cable connected, and when installing my other HD 5770 in my wife's PC, I noticed she too has the full 24 pins in, as well as the 4 pin by the CPU - the difference being she has no yellow sticker warning her of impending doom.
So I don't know, I'm pretty lost at the moment and just horribly frustrated with this entire setup, which was working fantastically, until that single fateful BSOD. I have by the way, reinstalled my OS since then, and currently *touch wood* it's running, but it's only been 8 hours so far, and I would be my last dollar I boot up tomorrow morning and it beings it's weirdness again. :'<
Any help or advice appreciated, thanks!
