Power Supply Failure

***Cosmonautical*** · 09-17-2009, 09:54 AM

I WANT TO PLAY MORROWIND GODDAMNIT STOP CRASHING YOU POS

Sim Kid · 09-17-2009, 12:35 PM

Time for a new Power Supply.

***Ace Mercury*** · 09-17-2009, 10:29 PM

If you have one of those no-name power supplies, it's usually the first thing that will crap out on you. It's the only thing that stand between your outlet and a poorly conditioned power grid.

Metal Man · 09-17-2009, 11:46 PM

I had a computer eat 7 of these once--it wasn't the power supplies that did it, though.

The motherboard enjoyed eating them instead.

***Cosmonautical*** · 09-18-2009, 08:59 AM

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's my ****ty chinese production supply unit just not being able to front enough juice for all of my hardware, so I've got to up the ante. I hear most power supply output ratings are BS anyway.

Lurch1982 · 09-18-2009, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ace Mercury

If you have one of those no-name power supplies, it's usually the first thing that will crap out on you. It's the only thing that stand between your outlet and a poorly conditioned power grid.

Seconded.

Even when building on a budget, you should splurge and get a decent PSU. I use Corsairs. Not sure if I'm lucky or what, but I always seem to find them on sale or rebated on NewEgg. Single Rail + better fan than the cheap-os, no-name, and "included with case" PSUs (which generally should be avoided like the Plague, Sars, or Swine Flu) + high efficiency rating.

Also, what's the wattage of your current one and what components are you using?

***Cosmonautical*** · 09-19-2009, 12:23 AM

Eh, typical system specs aren't anything stellar, just a 2-layer Athlon that runs around 2.4ghz. If RAM can affect it, I've got about 4 gigs of the older DDR2 format, which might be a bit much for the older mobo? I've got an external hd and large drawing tablet that are both power draws. I think the biggest draw is probably my sound setup, although I haven't had a look at how it operates, I might be wrong. It's an Audiophile 24/96 card. There's also a faulty sound card on the mobo that might have a short, which I should consider.

I actually haven't checked the PSU's rating in a while, and I don't know it off the top of my head. I can tell it's the PSU, though, since the damn thing either locks up from my USB devices or from using the 3D graphics card and the dvd drive typically, and then the computer gets boot hangs when it's trying to fire up the PnP crap after the initial lockup. Also, as a minor symptom the keyboard LED literally never turns off unless I unplug the thing, which means the think is leaking a little power even when it's off.

I'd check the PSU, btw, if I weren't so lazy and I didn't have a memory of google-searching the brand and coming up short on info. I got some guys at a local PC store to put the tower together for me, and I didn't put much emphasis on the PSU at the time, so my bad.

I bookmarked a page on a PSU I'm considering buying, but that's on SD's comp. Might link it later if I remember.

***Cosmonautical*** · 09-21-2009, 01:59 AM

Got a new PSU, so far so good. Far quieter that the previous one, which was kind of a constant industrial roar. I almost miss it. The new one should be much better for air circulation in general, and should provide more than enough power.

Now we get to find out if the PSU is the only thing that needs replacing.

***Ace Mercury*** · 09-21-2009, 08:10 AM

Hopefully, months of exposure to a terrible power supply didn't ruin your other components.</paranoid>

***Cosmonautical*** · 09-21-2009, 08:32 AM

Yeah, I know. I've run error checking utils on the HDD and RAM repeatedly, and never found a single problem. My motherboard might be wonky because of it, though. I think a power spike caused the on-board sound card to be blown. Not a big deal since I never use it anymore, but if it's anything nasty it could mean bigger problems down the road.

09-17-2009, 09:54 AM	#1
*Cosmonautical* Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 28,102 Thanks: 2,157 Thanked 5,338 Times in 2,433 Posts	Power Supply Failure I WANT TO PLAY MORROWIND GODDAMNIT STOP CRASHING YOU POS

09-17-2009, 12:35 PM	#2
Sim Kid Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The state of Denial Gender: Posts: 8,884 Thanks: 80 Thanked 198 Times in 122 Posts	Time for a new Power Supply.

09-17-2009, 10:29 PM	#3
*Ace Mercury* Marshmallow Knight ☆ Supermod Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Southern Ontario Gender: Posts: 23,275 Thanks: 568 Thanked 3,297 Times in 1,582 Posts Blog Entries: 1	If you have one of those no-name power supplies, it's usually the first thing that will crap out on you. It's the only thing that stand between your outlet and a poorly conditioned power grid.

09-17-2009, 11:46 PM	#4
Metal Man Fairy-Slaying Maniac Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: 1592 Miles Away From Here Gender: Posts: 18,062 Thanks: 148 Thanked 683 Times in 482 Posts	I had a computer eat 7 of these once--it wasn't the power supplies that did it, though. The motherboard enjoyed eating them instead.

09-18-2009, 08:59 AM	#5
*Cosmonautical* Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 28,102 Thanks: 2,157 Thanked 5,338 Times in 2,433 Posts	Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's my ****ty chinese production supply unit just not being able to front enough juice for all of my hardware, so I've got to up the ante. I hear most power supply output ratings are BS anyway.

09-19-2009, 12:23 AM	#7
*Cosmonautical* Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 28,102 Thanks: 2,157 Thanked 5,338 Times in 2,433 Posts	Eh, typical system specs aren't anything stellar, just a 2-layer Athlon that runs around 2.4ghz. If RAM can affect it, I've got about 4 gigs of the older DDR2 format, which might be a bit much for the older mobo? I've got an external hd and large drawing tablet that are both power draws. I think the biggest draw is probably my sound setup, although I haven't had a look at how it operates, I might be wrong. It's an Audiophile 24/96 card. There's also a faulty sound card on the mobo that might have a short, which I should consider. I actually haven't checked the PSU's rating in a while, and I don't know it off the top of my head. I can tell it's the PSU, though, since the damn thing either locks up from my USB devices or from using the 3D graphics card and the dvd drive typically, and then the computer gets boot hangs when it's trying to fire up the PnP crap after the initial lockup. Also, as a minor symptom the keyboard LED literally never turns off unless I unplug the thing, which means the think is leaking a little power even when it's off. I'd check the PSU, btw, if I weren't so lazy and I didn't have a memory of google-searching the brand and coming up short on info. I got some guys at a local PC store to put the tower together for me, and I didn't put much emphasis on the PSU at the time, so my bad. I bookmarked a page on a PSU I'm considering buying, but that's on SD's comp. Might link it later if I remember.

09-21-2009, 01:59 AM	#8
*Cosmonautical* Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 28,102 Thanks: 2,157 Thanked 5,338 Times in 2,433 Posts	Got a new PSU, so far so good. Far quieter that the previous one, which was kind of a constant industrial roar. I almost miss it. The new one should be much better for air circulation in general, and should provide more than enough power. Now we get to find out if the PSU is the only thing that needs replacing.

09-21-2009, 08:10 AM	#9
*Ace Mercury* Marshmallow Knight ☆ Supermod Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Southern Ontario Gender: Posts: 23,275 Thanks: 568 Thanked 3,297 Times in 1,582 Posts Blog Entries: 1	Hopefully, months of exposure to a terrible power supply didn't ruin your other components.</paranoid>

09-21-2009, 08:32 AM	#10
*Cosmonautical* Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 28,102 Thanks: 2,157 Thanked 5,338 Times in 2,433 Posts	Yeah, I know. I've run error checking utils on the HDD and RAM repeatedly, and never found a single problem. My motherboard might be wonky because of it, though. I think a power spike caused the on-board sound card to be blown. Not a big deal since I never use it anymore, but if it's anything nasty it could mean bigger problems down the road.