My PSU just died !!!!!!!

[eternalmakaveli]

i was using my computer and suddenly i heard a loud cracking noise and everything turned off. The strong burning smell was coming from the PSU. I tried turning it back on but nothing turned on....not even my monitor or my speakers.

Does this most likely mean that everything is dead...eg. my motherboard, hard drive, cd drive, monitor etc.

I'm wondering if the shop that sold me the power supply is liable for this because i still have the receipt.

I'm using the laptop now.

Any help on what i need to do is extremely appreciated...thank you.

 

[daniel49]

It may be just your power supply.
I have had them go bad . its not certain instant death to your MB.
Visually inspect for damage. Burned spots or buldging caps
Only way to tell is to swap PS out and see.

 

[jackschmittusa]

Rule number !: strong burning smell, smoke, etc., = DO NOT TURN ON AGAIN!

Sometimes it is not the psu even when the smell comes from it, as it will exhaust smoke from other components in the case.

Unplug everything from the outside of the case and open it up. Do a close visual inspection and smell around inside as well.

If you remove the psu, you can do a quick benchtest by shorting the green wire on the mb connector to one of the black ones.

 

[eternalmakaveli]

Thanks guys.

By the way there was no smoke...or at least not enough to be visible.....But i did smell burning plastic or something like that.

Ive inspected the hardware a little last night and theres no smell coming from anything but the PSU. So far i cant see any visible damage to anything.

Hopefully its only the PSU.

thanks.

 

[eternalmakaveli]

What are the chances of it destroying my motherboard and who is liable if it caused any damage? Because i only recently purchased the PSU as brand new about 2 weeks ago..if even that.

 

[jackschmittusa]

Sometimes only the psu goes. Sometimes, it can be multiple other things. Most mbs survive when I've seen this, but I've seen hds, optical drives, soundcards, etc. get knocked out, especially if it was during a thunderstorm.

While you may get the psu replaced, I don't see you getting reimbursed for any collateral damage.

What is the make/model of the psu?

 

[bruceb]

It all depends on how it died. If it was just a component failure with no increase
in the Output Voltages all the parts in the computer should be fine. If it did spike
higher, then some parts may be bad ... easiest way to tell is swap a new Power
Supply in and see if it powers up properly, checking for Smoke / Burning from
any parts in the computer ... if it does and no smoke / odors you should be ok

 

[Captante]

I've had PSU's fail & take other components along for the ride, but I've also had them go & not do any additional damage at all ... the only way to find out for sure is go & buy a replacement unit, plug it in & see what still works.

Note that it would be a very good idea to make sure it was the PSU that failed & not another system component before doing this or you may find yourself with two cooked PSU's instead of one ... you can test the old unit by carefully shorting the power pins or better still an inexpensive PSU tester can be purchased for about $10 at most electronics stores.

Finally provided it turns out to be the PSU (by far the most likely culprit) & you need to replace it, don't cheap out & buy a a crappy one ... there are plenty of high quality 450-500 watt models available for roughly $75 that won't let you down.

 

[eternalmakaveli]

Firstly, thanks for all the help.

The original PSU that died was a coolermaster 430W.
I went to the shop and informed them of the matter. One of the shop staff wanted to test to PSU to see if the problem was PSU related so he pulled out a PSU tester...plugged everything in and turned on the switch at the back of the PSU...next thing you know there was a lound bang accompanied by a large visible jolt of electricity...with expelled a fair ammount of smoke. The guy testing the PSU also got zapped.

Clearly the problem was PSU related so they suggested i exchange the PSU for a new one, instead i added an extra 40 dollars to the price and got a coolermaster 550W (clearly better).

When i got home i connected everything and everything seemed to be working fine..there was no smoke/smell coming from the pc. I tested the video card on a game and it was working.

On the box of the PSU it said the PSU had some sort of short circuit protection and it also said 100% burn-in (i assume this means the PSU will die without spreading uneccessary voltage to other components which its connected to)

Anyway, the PSU seemed to do a good job at not damaging anything but itself so im pleased, so far i've had no problems whatsoever so i hope it stays that way.
And lastly, no it did not occur during a thunderstorm.

And thanks for the help.

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: eternalmakaveli
The guy testing the PSU also got zapped.

Rofl, did he believe you after that? :thumbsup::laugh:

By the way, I think (not 100% certain) that the 100% burn-in means it will start giving your components everything it's specified for and won't need run for a few days to "warm up" or break in and start working at 100%.

 

[bruceb]

All 100% burn in means that the unit has been Rack Tested for a certain amount
of time at the factory, usually 12 -24 hrs .. this catches any early life part failures
The short circuit protection means it will only supply a certain amount of Current
to an output in the event of a short. This will usually limit damage to the Power
Supply only and not damage parts in the computer.