PC shut off while gaming and wont turn back on. Dead PSU?

[Faideelah]

About 5 minutes ago, my computer just shut off on me while I was playing Skyrim. My temperatures were fine because I was monitoring it earlier and it never went above 45C for my GPU or my CPU. I just replaced my GPU to an HD6850 yesterday and my CPU cooler to a Hyper 212+ yesterday. It has been running fine for the past couple months so this is a first.

Right when the computer turned off, the power LED started blinking and kept blinking until I turned off the power supply. Nothing happens now when I press the power button on my case, not even fans starting or anything. Has my PSU failed on me?

I have let it rest for about 30 minutes before trying to turn it on, but nothing is turning on.

EDIT: It is a Coolmax 750W power supply. I bought it used a couple months ago from OCN

 

[RavenSEAL]

Yep, I am 99% sure it's the PSU. Never trust CoolMax.

I don't know if you have another PSU to test it out with to see if it might be the motherboard, but either way, get it out of the way now and grab yourself a Corsair, Antec or SeaSonic PSU and enjoy your rig worries-free for years.

 

[Faideelah]

If it was the motherboard, would the fans spin if I pressed the power button? I have some fans plugged into the 4 pin things(molex?).

So basically any PSU from those three brands are good? Should I wait until black Friday before buying?

 

[Exeodus]

The blinking power LED is an indicator that the power supply died. If it was the board, the LED wouldnt blink at all. I had the exact same thing happen to me this weekend on rig that I keep at a friends house. It was a crappy BFG 550, so I knew it was only a matter of time.

 

[BoomerD]

From Corsair:

In many cases, users doing troubleshooting have a situation where there is no apparent power to any portion of the system. They often wonder how they can test the PSU to see if it is working. Short of having a proper PSU tester, you can use this method to do a "quick n dirty" test to see if the PSU will spin up and power the 12v rails.

1. Disconnect the PSU from ALL components in the system.
2. Hook 1 or more cooling fans to the PSU to give it a load. (You can use other items such as HDs but, I recommend using something cheaper and less fragile like a fan)
3. Get a small piece of wire, paper clip, or suitable object and short the 2 pins illustrated below. The voltage present is a very low signaling voltage so no worries of being shocked.

The fans should spin right up. This is not a bullet proof test but, it will let you know if your PSU is powering up properly.

 

[Faideelah]

Thanks for the input guys. I'll test out the PSU when I get home. I just ordered a Corsair V2 CX500 from Amazon just in case. Any opinions on that line of PSU?

It'll power a Phenom II X2 unlocked to 4 cores, 1 TB HDD, and an HD6850

EDIT: I forgot to mention that right after my computer shut off, I tried to turn it back on and I heard a tiny pop. I smelled the inside of my computer and it had a weird smell to it, not a burnt smell but not normal either.

 

[Bruizer]

Ah yes, the old "pop and smell." Definitely your power supply.

 

[Avalon]

Yep, that's a Coolmax for you. Would definitely check out a Corsair or Seasonic PSU. I have to pretty soon as well, as I'm in a bit of a situation as well. Just upgraded from a Radeon 4850 to an MSI GTX 460 HAWX card, and my PC will shut off 30-60 mins into games.

Looks like my 520W Enhance 80+ can't handle it anymore...

 

[RavenSEAL]

If it was the motherboard, would the fans spin if I pressed the power button? I have some fans plugged into the 4 pin things(molex?).

So basically any PSU from those three brands are good? Should I wait until black Friday before buying?

I would wait until Blackfriday just to get a good deal. If you don't care for $20~, then I would say just grab one now.

Here are my personal suggestions :

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371031

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

 

[Faideelah]

$100 is a bit much for me at the moment. Are there any decent ones around $60? Is the CX500 enough for my system? My 6850 and Avalons GTX 460 is pretty similar in power consumption.

 

[RavenSEAL]

$100 is a bit much for me at the moment. Are there any decent ones around $60? Is the CX500 enough for my system? My 6850 and Avalons GTX 460 is pretty similar in power consumption.

You should be good with a CX500, but I always suggest leaving a decent amount of headroom for future upgrades, that way you don't have to dish out more money and have a giant paperweight.

 

[Faideelah]

You should be good with a CX500, but I always suggest leaving a decent amount of headroom for future upgrades, that way you don't have to dish out more money and have a giant paperweight.

That's a good idea. I don't see myself upgrading much in the future though. I might return the CX500 and get a CX600 or something similar if a good deal comes up during Black Friday.

 

[Rifter]

CoolMax LMAO, why do people keep buying this crap.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Ah yes, the old "pop and smell." Definitely your power supply.

i love the smell of burnt electronics in the morning

 

[Faideelah]

So I swapped out the power supply today with a Corsair CX500 and everything is fine now.