Help my PC just died (I suspect the PSU)

bratlett

Solid State Member
Messages
6
Please help Anyone,

I need help as my PC has broke.... :(

I was only playing a game (footy manager game) when all of a sudden dink it went off, not a slow shutdown just bang gone.

I'm not used to these ATX machines but is the Power Supply soft-controlled by the Motherboard as there is no direct connection between the on/off switch and the 350w PSU at the back of the case as there is on an older AT cases?

I do not have another case to put the psu in nor do I have a spare MB. Is there any way I can check the PSU even by plugging it into the mains?

There are absolutely no indications on nor do any of the fans (psu, graphics card, hdd cooler) rotate or even hum for that matter.

I suspect the PSU is completely duff but I am worried that my MB may have caused it as I don't know how the psu generates its power or if it's controlled by the MB. I have checked the inside of the PSU and the fuse is still intact and there is no evidence of overheating.
 
How about conecting your motherboard to friends pc and see what happens if it works then it defently is the psu otherwise it might be the processor, your ram or even worse your motherboard it's self. I believe it's either the PSU or the Motherboard.
 
If you have no power, its the psu... I guarantee. If some things power up (which i believe you stated did not) then its possible to look somewhere else. Its possible you experienced a brief spike, or surge, that wiped out your psu. The board wouldn't fry the psu, but the psu could fry the board, but I'll bet a hundred bucks...you put a new psu in, and your in business. Your correct, the psu plugs into the board, and is powered on by a soft power switch which is plugged into the board as well. There is a way to power on an atx psu, by jumping the number (this is a guess cause I can't remember for sure) I think pin number one and pin number four????
Not sure, I've done it before,,,but can't remember. Reguardless, from what I've read you have a bad psu my friend, no need to troubleshoot any longer.
 
PSU Problem

Many thanks People (I would have put Guys but you never know these days - how very PC of me!! lol),

I hope I didn't get a spike as I am using a surge protector and it didn't disable itself and none of the other units fried or went off unexpectedly. So as you are both so sure it's the PSU, exactly what I originally thought, I shall go and buy one.

One further Q if I may? What is the best wattage to get if I have the following spec PC:
Intel 2.4Ghz with Intel associated MB with integral 2 x USB 1.0 ports and network port (normally connected to broadband desktop modem - idividually powered)
3 x 40Gb HDD's
1 x Combi CDR/DVD
512Mb Ram
64Mb Graphics card
USB 2.0 adapter PCI Card?

Speakers fed off own PSU, Monitor fed off own PSU
 
I think a 400W or 430W should do the job allthough you could probably go lower to 350W and it's ok I'm a lad lol
 
Yippee my PC now works!

Thanks M8 for your advice. I went and bought a 400W PSU for £19.74 on the way home and fitted it and...... tada my PC now flashes up ok.

Although I had to repair my XP Home edition as it just kept resetting everytime it tried to go past the flash screen no matter if I tried the Safe option or not. And another thing I can see the additional 2 HDD I have on the 2ndry although XP sees them in Device Manager and came up as "new hardware detected" messeges. Any ideas on that one? I have checked the properties and they are both enabled in the profile.
 
What I meant to say was that Explorer does not see the HDDs when I view the directory tree.
 
Check and see the jumper settings on the back of your HDDs
The instructions should be on top of the HDDs
 
I'm all sorted now thanks as all of a sudden I got the old message that XP had detected new hardwar and installed the new drivers. All i can think is that it was the drivers for the motherboard 2ndary IDE device and low and behold I amm all sweet. Does this mean that I can now close this thread?
 
You don't need to close the thread. I don't think you can unless you are the administrator or a moderetor
 
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