HELP can’t plug power into my drives without gpu turning off

Troubleshooting Power and Hardware Compatibility Issues with SATA Drives and GPU

If you’re experiencing a perplexing issue where plugging in SATA power to your drives causes your GPU to turn off or behave unexpectedly, you’re not alone. This type of hardware conflict can be frustrating, especially after recent system changes such as swapping cases and coolers. Below, we’ll explore potential causes and steps to diagnose and resolve this problem.

Understanding the Symptoms:
– When connecting SATA power cables to your drives, your GPU ceases to function correctly; it may flicker or fail to initialize.
– Using the original SATA power cable results in drives not receiving power or not being recognized in the BIOS.
– The PC itself can run normally when SATA power cables are disconnected.

System Configuration Summary:
– CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
– RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 32GB (3600MHz)
– Graphics Card: Radeon RX 5700
– Power Supply: Seasonic Focus Gold 500W
– Motherboard: Gigabyte B550 AORUS Elite V1

Potential Causes and Troubleshooting Steps:

Power Supply Insufficiency or Faults
The Seasonic Focus Gold 500W PSU generally provides reliable power, but depending on your total system load, it might be strained. This can cause power distribution issues when multiple devices are connected.
Action: Use a PSU tester or multimeter to verify power delivery, or temporarily replace the PSU with a known-good unit to see if the issue persists.
SATA Power Cable or Connector Issues
Faulty or poorly connected SATA power cables can lead to inconsistent power delivery, which could impact the motherboard’s power regulators or connected components.
Action: Test with different SATA power cables and connectors. Ensure connections are firm and isolated from potential shorts.
Motherboard or Power Rail Conflicts
Installing multiple drives can sometimes cause power rail conflicts or overload certain motherboard circuits, especially if cables or adapters are not properly rated.
Action: Connect drives one at a time to identify if a specific drive or cable causes the issue.
Grounding and Short Circuits
The recent case swap might have introduced grounding issues or short circuits, particularly if drive mounting or cable routing was altered.
Action: Double-check all cable management and grounding points. Ensure no metal contacts or loose screws are causing