• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Egads! PSU dies, takes out CPU... or is it the mobo?

Maetryx

Maetryx

Diamond Member
Maetyx here, 😎

My kids' computer was as follows:

300W PSU in mid tower ATX case
Jetway 663AS mobo
single 256MB PC133
AMD Athlon 1100MHz CPU (called CPU #1 below)
Maxtor 80GB HDD
Creative Labs dxr2 DVD-ROM drive + MPEG2 decoder card
nvidia GeForce256 video
boring old mouse, boring old keyboard, boring 17" monitor
joystick and steering wheel

Anyway, the power supply stopped powering the computer the other day, so I ordered a 350W replacement. I would press the power switch, and the LEDs and fans would barely react and then nothing. Multiple presses on the power switch did nothing at all. If I unplugged the computer from the wall and plugged it back in, and THEN pressed the power switch, the fans and LEDs would slightly activate again. And then it was inert again.

So I replaced the power supply and fired it up tonight. Everything took off spinning and lighting, but nothing ever came to the monitor and the mobo never even beeped. No POST. The heat sink and fan got REALLY hot to the touch, though. Uh oh! So I tried the CPU #1)in another computer that is working. With CPU #1, *that* computer didn't beep, didn't POST, and *it's* heat sink got real hot to the touch. I took out CPU #1 and put CPU #2 back in and the computer #2 went back to working correctly.

Obviously CPU #1 is fried, and is creating an enormous amount of heat, even searing the arctic silver so that it smelled kind of funny.

So here is my question: Should I try CPU #2 in the kids' computer? I hate to do it, because I'm wondering if the mobo fried the CPU #1, and it will do the same to CPU #2. But is that an irrational fear? Can mobo's fry CPUs? Or did the old dying power supply do that to the CPU #1 and the mobo is fine?

I'd love to hear some opinions on this. Thanks.
 
when my psu died it took my video card with it

it didn't hurt nothing else.i replaced the video card and it runs fine.but if it damaged the motherboard then it could damage the second cpu as well.

did it though is the question unanswered.

mike
 
Still, it's interesting to know your motherboard survived the ordeal. Like you said, that is the quandry. Is my motherboard a serial CPU killer? The only way to find out for sure is to drop another CPU in it and see if it survives. I'm starting to think that MAYBE even my 300W PSU is good, and maybe ONLY the CPU had a meltdown.

I think this because the 300W PSU would TRY to spin things up and couldn't do it. The 350W PSU will. Maybe the CPU is now just a big stupid resistor/heating element and 300W is not enough to overcome it.... but 350W is. So I'm going to put a multimeter on my 300W PSU tonight and see if it is actually functioning.

And maybe I'll try to get a really cheap 800MHz Duron or something and sacrifice it to the suspicious motherboard, rather than my wife's 1.2GHz Athlon.
 
Sounds like the perfect time to upgrade. (and a lesson not to buy cheap PSU's)

What does the budget bear ? If you want cheap, you can use a ECS K7S5A motherboard and not have to replace your memory ($56 or less refurb) and A XP1700 CPU $50.
 
Well, I didn't learn my power supply lesson... yet. The 350W replacement was $9.99 from http://www.svcompucycle.com/. That's because this particular system is the tertiary system at my house. The heirarchy (unfair) goes like this:
Maetryx's computer (primary) - Whatever I think is reasonable *is* reasonable to purchase for this system
wife's computer (secondary) - It's gotta run The SIMs and playback DivX movies
kids' computer (tertiary) - You kids are lucky I even bother. When I was your age I didn't even get an Atari 2600. In other words, you get my leftovers and your system can't be better than your mom's or I won't get any. (Okay, I don't say that last part).

Maybe *I* will upgrade and there will be a huge system guts shuffle down at my house.
 
The cheapo PSU's arent the only ones to fail. My ANTEC TRUEPOWER 330 just bit the dust after only 3 months. Just turned the power on in the morning and...nothing. HOWEVER...it could be said that the quality PSU saved the rest of my system. My brand new mobo (EPoX 8rda+), brand new CPU (2100+ Tbred B) and not so new video card are all working perfectly. On a cheapo PSU, it may have fried everything else in my box. BTW, the RMA was no problemo, looking for a new TruePower next week!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top