new computer died

**canadian_divx** · June 30th, 2003

2 dead PSU's
I assembled a new computer for a friend

Specs are:

XP Barton 3000+
Asus A7N8X Deluxe mobo
Radeon 9800 Pro 256mb
DDR Dual channel 3200 256mb ram (x2)
120gb WD harddrive

PSU #1 (400W)

For about 2 hours of running, we played UT2k3 for about 15 minutes then it shut down out of nowhere. Refuses to turn on, only power we see is a little LED on the motherboard, and when you turn it on fans flicker for a split second then nothing.

PSU #2 (my precious 350W from my new computer, now dead! )

Also for about 2 hours of running, it ran through chimp demo, a little warcraft 3, and died during Vice City. Same way it killed the 400W.

Why is this thing destroying PSU's??????
or sould it be something else???

**Taurus** · June 30th, 2003

hmm... tough one...

maybe check the voltages coming out of the wall. if they're a bit off of what they should be, that would put a strain on the psu. also, did you check the system voltages when you had it running?

**canadian_divx** · June 30th, 2003

yea, i am stumped on it, right now we are testing each part of hardware and all so see if it is a certian peace but so far nothing

**Zedric** · June 30th, 2003

It could be something "almost" short circuited on the hardware so it draws too much current, eventually killing the PSU

. This will be very hard to find without killing more PSU

though.

**Erbmaster** · June 30th, 2003

Originally posted by taurus
hmm... tough one...

maybe check the voltages coming out of the wall. if they're a bit off of what they should be, that would put a strain on the psu.

I agree you should ideally be running through some sort of surge/spike preventer. You may even find that the supply's aren't fried but they have internal fuses that have blown.

Remove everything before putting another PSU on the board and then reconnect everything one piece at a time. This should highlight any weak areas and will give you a chance to ensure all the connections are good.

Good Luck.

**Bootsy** · June 30th, 2003

I would say you try using a battery backup and maybe that will "work around" the problem. The outlet (ffrom the wall) you are using ight not be sending out the correct voltages (probably more than needed) nd also maybe some surges/spikes. The battery backup will regulate the voltage coming from the wall. Give it a try

**LeeJend** · July 1st, 2003

Check the your 350W supply (and the 400W psu) on another system to see if they really are dead.

There may be a thermal problem on the new computer. As the system heats up a component fails OR as the MB heats up it may flex just enough to short out one of the power traces on the MB to chassis.

I'm betting both PSU's are still good or you would have smelled something overheating or burning over 2 hours. If either of the power supplies is good pull the MB and disk drives out of the case and hook it up on an insulated surface (wood, plastic, todays newspaper). Try and power it up now. If it comes up start looking for standoffs or HD cage clearance problems.

July 3rd, 2003

What brand psu's are they? Could be just dodgy supplies. Also, are you loading your wall socket up with many things, or just the computer? Try powering the psu's up on their own as LeeJend suggested.

June 30th, 2003	Top \| #1
canadian_divx Canadian_divx Joined: June 2002 Location: waterloo, Ontario, Canada, Planet Earth Posts: 1,551 Reputation: 150 Power: 137	new computer died 2 dead PSU's I assembled a new computer for a friend Specs are: XP Barton 3000+ Asus A7N8X Deluxe mobo Radeon 9800 Pro 256mb DDR Dual channel 3200 256mb ram (x2) 120gb WD harddrive PSU #1 (400W) For about 2 hours of running, we played UT2k3 for about 15 minutes then it shut down out of nowhere. Refuses to turn on, only power we see is a little LED on the motherboard, and when you turn it on fans flicker for a split second then nothing. PSU #2 (my precious 350W from my new computer, now dead! ) Also for about 2 hours of running, it ran through chimp demo, a little warcraft 3, and died during Vice City. Same way it killed the 400W. Why is this thing destroying PSU's?????? or sould it be something else???

June 30th, 2003	Top \| #4
Zedric NTFS Guru Joined: January 2002 Location: Sweden Posts: 4,006 Reputation: 890 Power: 175	It could be something "almost" short circuited on the hardware so it draws too much current, eventually killing the PSU. This will be very hard to find without killing more PSU though. Did I help you? Please use the reputation system. Click the icon on the left! Proud host of the OSNN.net folding sigs. Want one? Check the folding thread! http://zedric.no-ip.com/

June 30th, 2003	Top \| #5
Erbmaster OSNN Veteran Addict Joined: March 2003 Location: Middle Of Nowhere - UK Posts: 1,195 Reputation: 270 Power: 126	Originally posted by taurus hmm... tough one... maybe check the voltages coming out of the wall. if they're a bit off of what they should be, that would put a strain on the psu. I agree you should ideally be running through some sort of surge/spike preventer. You may even find that the supply's aren't fried but they have internal fuses that have blown. Remove everything before putting another PSU on the board and then reconnect everything one piece at a time. This should highlight any weak areas and will give you a chance to ensure all the connections are good. Good Luck. The Cake Is A Lie? - Well There'd Better Be Cookies!

July 1st, 2003	Top \| #7
LeeJend OSNN Veteran Addict Joined: January 2003 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 5,261 Reputation: 3386 Power: 199	Check the your 350W supply (and the 400W psu) on another system to see if they really are dead. There may be a thermal problem on the new computer. As the system heats up a component fails OR as the MB heats up it may flex just enough to short out one of the power traces on the MB to chassis. I'm betting both PSU's are still good or you would have smelled something overheating or burning over 2 hours. If either of the power supplies is good pull the MB and disk drives out of the case and hook it up on an insulated surface (wood, plastic, todays newspaper). Try and power it up now. If it comes up start looking for standoffs or HD cage clearance problems. Thought for the new millenium: In a world without walls and fences, who needs Windows and Gates? - Open Office - Firefox - Thunderbird - Gimp -Ubuntu - Red Hat -

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June 30th, 2003	Top \| #2
Taurus hardware monkey Joined: May 2002 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 3,206 Reputation: 90 Power: 155	hmm... tough one... maybe check the voltages coming out of the wall. if they're a bit off of what they should be, that would put a strain on the psu. also, did you check the system voltages when you had it running?

June 30th, 2003	Top \| #3
canadian_divx Canadian_divx Joined: June 2002 Location: waterloo, Ontario, Canada, Planet Earth Posts: 1,551 Reputation: 150 Power: 137	yea, i am stumped on it, right now we are testing each part of hardware and all so see if it is a certian peace but so far nothing

June 30th, 2003	Top \| #6
Bootsy Huh? Joined: February 2004 Location: Miami, Fl Posts: 1,124 Reputation: 50 Power: 112	I would say you try using a battery backup and maybe that will "work around" the problem. The outlet (ffrom the wall) you are using ight not be sending out the correct voltages (probably more than needed) nd also maybe some surges/spikes. The battery backup will regulate the voltage coming from the wall. Give it a try

July 3rd, 2003	Top \| #8
jumpy Unregistered Posts: n/a	What brand psu's are they? Could be just dodgy supplies. Also, are you loading your wall socket up with many things, or just the computer? Try powering the psu's up on their own as LeeJend suggested.