Antec Truepower 380s problems

[DOS-man]

Hello, If someone could please help me with a power supply issue I'd appreciate it. I have an Antec Truepower 380s (www.silentpcreview.com/article61-page1.html) from my old Sonata case that recently stopped working reliably. My HTPC will no longer boot consistently with the Antec PS installed. The first boot when I turn on the switch at the back of the PSU always works just fine. Subsequent booting is the problem. I often have to press the power button dozens of times to get the PC to boot, if it will boot at all. I know it's the power supply, because replacing it with a spare PSU allows the PC to boot normally and reliably. My System: Antec Sonata Antec Truepower 380s Abit KN8-SLI motherboard AMD Athlon 64 x2 4200+ 4GB DDR Radeon 4550 512MB WD 1TB Green Drive. I've used two inexpensive PSU testers and a multimeter to test it as well as I can but those tests have given me some results I don't quite know what to make of. Multimeter Readings pin 1 3.3v = 3.36 pin 2 3.3v = 3.36 pin 3 GND = 0.00 pin 4 5v = 5.09 pin 5 GND = 0.00 pin 6 5v = 5.09 pin 7 GND = 0.01 Pin 8 PG = .06** pin 9 5Vsb = 5.19 pin 10 12v = 12.09 pin 11 3.3v = 3.36 pin 12 -12v = -11.95 pin 13 GND = 0.00 pin 14 green pin 15 GND = 0.00 pin 16 GND = 0.00 pin 17 GND = 0.00 pin 18 -5v = 5.0 pin 19 5v = 5.09 pin 20 5v = 5.09 ** PG reading is strange. Both PSU testers fail on it until I plug the extra 12v P4 connector in, then they quit complaining. Measuring PG. 1. Table top with green wire shorted to ground reads .06v 2. Tester 1 with 12v P4 connector plugged in reads 3.6v 3. Tester 2 with 12v P4 connector plugged in reads 5.06v So yeah, I don't get what's going on here. Something is obviously wrong with the PG signal, but why does it sometimes work, and other times not work? At this point I'm perplexed. I'd like to keep using the Antec 380s because it's still a pretty quiet unit and I'm using this as my HTPC in my living room. Any help you could give me is appreciated, Thank You,

 

[SparkyJJO]

The old Antec power supplies had bad caps in them that would fail. I'm sure that's what your problem is. And when caps are flaky, the PSU is flaky, it may work sometimes and not others.

If you are handy with a soldering iron it isn't too hard to fix. But honestly, that PSU is really old and you're trying to run newer hardware with it. It was designed for heavier 5V load but modern hardware pulls the majority of its power from the 12V now. I'd replace it with a new PSU... not long ago Newegg had Antec Neo Eco PSUs for like 40 bucks for a 520W.

 

[DOS-man]

Yeah, I guess it's time for a new one. It's not so much the money for a new PSU, I just hate to throw anything out. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

*Edit*, yeah just cracked it and there's at least one cap that's obviously failed. Should have known.

 

[pk_antec]

Hello, If someone could please help me with a power supply issue I'd appreciate it. I have an Antec Truepower 380s (www.silentpcreview.com/article61-page1.html) from my old Sonata case that recently stopped working reliably. My HTPC will no longer boot consistently with the Antec PS installed. The first boot when I turn on the switch at the back of the PSU always works just fine. Subsequent booting is the problem. I often have to press the power button dozens of times to get the PC to boot, if it will boot at all. I know it's the power supply, because replacing it with a spare PSU allows the PC to boot normally and reliably. My System: Antec Sonata Antec Truepower 380s Abit KN8-SLI motherboard AMD Athlon 64 x2 4200+ 4GB DDR Radeon 4550 512MB WD 1TB Green Drive. I've used two inexpensive PSU testers and a multimeter to test it as well as I can but those tests have given me some results I don't quite know what to make of. Multimeter Readings pin 1 3.3v = 3.36 pin 2 3.3v = 3.36 pin 3 GND = 0.00 pin 4 5v = 5.09 pin 5 GND = 0.00 pin 6 5v = 5.09 pin 7 GND = 0.01 Pin 8 PG = .06** pin 9 5Vsb = 5.19 pin 10 12v = 12.09 pin 11 3.3v = 3.36 pin 12 -12v = -11.95 pin 13 GND = 0.00 pin 14 green pin 15 GND = 0.00 pin 16 GND = 0.00 pin 17 GND = 0.00 pin 18 -5v = 5.0 pin 19 5v = 5.09 pin 20 5v = 5.09 ** PG reading is strange. Both PSU testers fail on it until I plug the extra 12v P4 connector in, then they quit complaining. Measuring PG. 1. Table top with green wire shorted to ground reads .06v 2. Tester 1 with 12v P4 connector plugged in reads 3.6v 3. Tester 2 with 12v P4 connector plugged in reads 5.06v So yeah, I don't get what's going on here. Something is obviously wrong with the PG signal, but why does it sometimes work, and other times not work? At this point I'm perplexed. I'd like to keep using the Antec 380s because it's still a pretty quiet unit and I'm using this as my HTPC in my living room. Any help you could give me is appreciated, Thank You,

The true 380 psu from the original sonata case is rather old. It's a great power supply. If you check your sn#, it would date back to 2003 or 2004. ANyhow, this should not be a cap issue otherwise the unit would not power up intermittenly at all. Think of the psu like a battery, in most cases, the 5 volt relay is having some issues starting up. when voltages drops, it may sometime start-up but most of the time not, but once you get it going, the system would be fine, that is until you go into hibernation or standby then or shutdown, you may run into the same cycle where your psu appears to have issues starting up again. If you are using a digital psu tester, you are required to plug in the Atx/eps connector for the correct reading of the 12V rails slated for the CPU which will supply your PG signal...and it needs to be around 100 to 500. All other voltages will come from he 20+4 MB connector. Standard deviation +- will be be 5% of that voltage readout. So if your voltage readout via the 3.3V is 3.2 ....you are still within deviation which means that voltage rail is still good. You can do the same for the 5V and 12V...again either neg or postive 5% is still good.
Chances are, the psu is running on its last leg...thanks! pk