I let the smoke out! Help Please

[mcomisar]

Hello, this is my first post on this forum, so if it belongs in a different place, please let me know.

I built a PC about 1.5 yrs ago. Last night when I got home, the computer room smelled like something was burning up. My PC was on, but nothing would display (no input to the monitors), so I thought my video card burned up. I did a hard reboot, and the PC beeped quite a bit, but then seemed to boot normally (based on sound.. still no display). I did a hard power off after that.

This morning I tried once again to power up the PC, but now its completely dead. The caps dont even charge up in the PSU... So, now I'm assuming my PSU is shot along with my video card.

Can anyone offer advice? Whats the best way to debug the problem? It seems I need to start with a new PSU, but I'd rather not buy a bunch of components unless I know they need to be replaced.

Thanks!
Marshall

 

[ch33zw1z]

Try to locate where the smell is coming from. Best guess, it sounds like your PSU bit the dust, and the beeps you hear are POST errors because them VGA isn't getting power. Eventually the mobo stops sounding the POST error, which is why it stops. With everything plugged in, does the mobo get a power light? Please post a list of your computer specs!

 

[mcomisar]

Originally posted by: ch33zw1z
Try to locate where the smell is coming from. Best guess, it sounds like your PSU bit the dust, and the beeps you hear are POST errors because them VGA isn't getting power. Eventually the mobo stops sounding the POST error, which is why it stops. With everything plugged in, does the mobo get a power light? Please post a list of your computer specs!

Thanks for the reply. I wont be able to isolate the smell, as it was last night and it has cooled off. When I get home, I'll open it up and check power to the mobo.

My specs are as follows:

Intel Core2Duo E6600 Box Core2Duo 2.40GHz@1066FSB

ASUS P5B-E LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard

A-DATA 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit

COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power RS-430-PMSR/P Max: 400W (Continuous), Peak: 430W ATX12V Power Supply

EVGA 256-P2-N445-LX GeForce 7300GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 SLI

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s

Western Digital Caviar RE WD1600YS 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s

 

[Old Hippie]

The caps dont even charge up in the PSU

Just curious...how do you know that?


AAR, I'm voting with ch33zw1z that the smell and problem is with the PS.

I'll bet it doesn't pass the smell test even though it's cooled down.

If it took something with it, we won't know 'till it gets replaced.

I'm betting everything else is OK.

 

[mcomisar]

Originally posted by: Old Hippie

The caps dont even charge up in the PSU

Just curious...how do you know that?

I think you can hear it if its been off long enough... but maybe im just making that up

 

[Old Hippie]

Originally posted by: mcomisar

Originally posted by: Old Hippie

The caps dont even charge up in the PSU

Just curious...how do you know that?

I think you can hear it if its been off long enough... but maybe im just making that up

Ohhhh, you have that super-duper-uber-mega hearing! :laugh:

I hear stuff too, but mine's called tinnitus. :frown:

 

[mcomisar]

Ok, I got a new power supply... and its acting the exact same as it was before.

With the old power supply, yes the mobo LED was lit.... as it is now with the new power supply.

If i turn the PSU switch off, turn it back on and then try to start the PC, the CPU fan spins for about 2 seconds and then shuts off. THere was one time with the new PSU that the case fans began to spin, and the hard drives started up, but then once again everything shut down.

This is the old PSU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817171007

This is what i replaced it with:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817371007

Please help!
Thanks
Marshall

 

[Blazer]

chk the mobo for swollen and or leaking capacitors.

a good psu for modern system would have 24 amps on a single rail.

your second psu choice is 17 amps on a dual rail.

its very possible you fried the proc, look very closely at the cooler retainer pins, as you might find 1 unlatched.

 

[mcomisar]

I looked around the mobo and the processor, but i didnt see anything that stood out. I did however find a bunch of blown caps on the video card. any idea what can cause this? is this a root cause of my failure or a result of another failure?

i did notice that the fan on the video card seems like its off track or something. It doesnt spin well and scratches its case if i spin it. i dont know if the fan failed and led to overheating, or if overheating led to a fan failure.

thanks

 

[Blazer]

put the single 12v rail psu in with a known good video card and retest, if works buy a good single rail psu with 24 amps on the 12v rail.

 

[Old Hippie]

I did however find a bunch of blown caps on the video card. any idea what can cause this? is this a root cause of my failure or a result of another failure?

That could have been your smell to start with and the old PS may be fine.

It's pretty obvious you're going to have to replace the card.

Your new PS is more than adequate for your system.

 

[mcomisar]

Originally posted by: Old Hippie

I did however find a bunch of blown caps on the video card. any idea what can cause this? is this a root cause of my failure or a result of another failure?

That could have been your smell to start with and the old PS may be fine.

It's pretty obvious you're going to have to replace the card.

Your new PS is more than adequate for your system.

I borrowed a video card from a friend, and sure enough the system booted up... So i put my old PSU back in, and it seems to work just fine. Any ideas as to what may have caused the old video card to burn up? Maybe the fan failed and the heat on the board blew the caps? Or maybe a power surge i guess, but i would think a surge wouldve killed other components.

Thanks all for help and suggestions.
-Marshall

 

[Atheus]

It is possible the PSU burned out and took the video card with it. You would think it might take the mobo too but maybe the surge went down the 6-pin video power and nothing else. You were right to replace the unit I think.

 

[mcomisar]

Originally posted by: Atheus
It is possible the PSU burned out and took the video card with it. You would think it might take the mobo too but maybe the surge went down the 6-pin video power and nothing else. You were right to replace the unit I think.

No, I didnt replace the PSU. After i tested the new video card with the new PSU, I put the old PSU back in. Its working fine right now.

 

[Blazer]

the video card fan stoping will cause the card to overheat and the system to shutdown, it wont cause capacitors to blow, if it was my pc that psu would be thrown into the trash.

 

[Old Hippie]

Originally posted by: blazer
the video card fan stoping will cause the card to overheat and the system to shutdown, it wont cause capacitors to blow, if it was my pc that psu would be thrown into the trash.

+1

I wouldn't trust the old PS.