Please help: PSU fried, seems x1900 xt is the reason. It won't turn on now

[Roy2001]

9/24 Update: I almost went ahead to fry's yesterday which is 30 miles away from my house. I decided to give a last try, guess what? It beeped! Although I have no idea why...

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Sorry for repost. I have posted this at video card forum.

I was buidling a new system, DS3 + E6400 + 1900xt. PSU is an old Antec TP 430W. All run at stock speed.

It works fine until this morning, it won't post. CPU fan and video card fan will spin (at max speed), no beep. So tonight I reconnected 6pin connector for video card. Then I press the power button and I heard the beep, video card fan spin at max and slow down. That sounds normal. Then a few seconds later I suddenly heard noise and saw lightning from PSU. I turned of power immediately and smoke came from PSU.

The TP430W is the 1st generation, rated 20A@12V, and I bought it at least 3 years ago. So I cannot blame it.

Then I install a new Ultra X-Finity 500W power supply, 18A+16A@12V. Now it is just like this morning, no beep, video card fan spins at max speed, CPU fan spins, it won't post (on screen). I wonder if this PSU is enough.

BTW, I took everything off except CPU and it would beep. CMOS cleared and it won't help.

Please help!

 

[imported_greentea]

Maybe it has to do with your motherboard

 

[cmdrdredd]

reset your cmos and try it...if that doesn't work start by removing devices that aren't necessary for post and try that.

 

[Roy2001]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
reset your cmos and try it...if that doesn't work start by removing devices that aren't necessary for post and try that.

I removed everything except CPU, CPU fan spins, but still no beep. I will try to reset CMOS. Thx.

I tryied to reset CMOS, it still won't been with ONLY CPU installed....

 

[myocardia]

About 50% of the time when a psu goes, it takes something else with it. That's why using cheap/underpowered psu's is never a good idea. Your Antec has taken either your motherboard or your video card with it, on it's trip to the dump.

 

[Ulfhednar]

Originally posted by: myocardia
About 50% of the time when a psu goes, it takes something else with it. That's why using cheap/underpowered psu's is never a good idea. Your Antec has taken either your motherboard or your video card with it, on it's trip to the dump.

As I mentioned in the first thread over in video, 20A @ 12V is woefully inadequate for the system he was trying to run. This should really have been very much expensive.

Being three years old and with that kind of juice, I also suspect it had zero overvoltage/undercurrent protection on it to speak of. It sounds like it's definitely taken the CPU with it from what someone else said in the aforementioned thread.

 

[myocardia]

If his psu has ruined his cpu, it will be the first time I've heard of that, in my 26 years of owning a computer. Here are the things that I've heard of psu's taking with them: 1)motherboard (most often) 2)videocard (less often than motherboard, more often than hard drive) 3)hard drive.

Of course, with him continuing to turn on the system, until the Antec caught fire, it actually could have taken anything inside his box with it, including the cpu. I'd still start by replacing the motherboard, though. And to the OP, don't try sending these parts back to the manufacturer for an RMA. The fact that they are now ruined is nobody's fault but your own.

 

[akshayt]

It is mostly his PSU. Just 16A, on the 12va line which has to feed both the GPU and all other components can't take a 1900XT. Which brand PSU do you have anyway?

18A is only for CPU+mobo, the rest 16A is for all other components and the 1900XT alone takes as much.
Also, your psu may be only giving around 25-30A combined like antec sp500 which only gives 25A though it has 19A + 17A.

 

[Ulfhednar]

Originally posted by: akshayt
It is mostly his PSU.

Mostly? The entire reason anything went wrong is because his PSU is incredibly underpowered.

 

[Roy2001]

Originally posted by: akshayt
It is mostly his PSU. Just 16A, on the 12va line which has to feed both the GPU and all other components can't take a 1900XT. Which brand PSU do you have anyway?

18A is only for CPU+mobo, the rest 16A is for all other components and the 1900XT alone takes as much.
Also, your psu may be only giving around 25-30A combined like antec sp500 which only gives 25A though it has 19A + 17A.

New PSU is X-finity 500W, 16A+18A@12V, is that enough? I wonder if this PSU is enough: 20A+20A@12V.

CMOS cleared and it won't help. MB+CPPU only won't beep.

 

[Ulfhednar]

Originally posted by: Roy2001
New PSU is X-finity 500W, 16A+18A@12V, is that enough?

CMOS cleared and it won't help. MB+CPPU only won't beep.

Please don't ask akshayt anything, ever. He's made that much clear in the video forum many, many times.

As for that PSU, it's easily enough to handle your system assuming that the rest of the stuff is in working order, but your Antec probably fried something.

 

[Madellga]

Originally posted by: Roy2001
Sorry for repost. I have posted this at video card forum.

I was buidling a new system, DS3 + E6400 + 1900xt. PSU is an old Antec TP 430W. All run at stock speed.

It works fine until this morning, it won't post. CPU fan and video card fan will spin (at max speed), no beep. So tonight I reconnected 6pin connector for video card. Then I press the power button and I heard the beep, video card fan spin at max and slow down. That sounds normal. Then a few seconds later I suddenly heard noise and saw lightning from PSU. I turned of power immediately and smoke came from PSU.

The TP430W is the 1st generation, rated 20A@12V, and I bought it at least 3 years ago. So I cannot blame it.

Then I install a new Ultra X-Finity 500W power supply, 18A+16A@12V. Now it is just like this morning, no beep, video card fan spins at max speed, CPU fan spins, it won't post (on screen). I wonder if this PSU is enough.

BTW, I took everything off except CPU and it would beep. CMOS cleared and it won't help.

Please help!

Being old does not mean anything. I have an Enermax 465W 4 years old and still serves me well on my 3rd rig.

It can handle all modern stuff, including a X1900XT. True it does not have PCI-E or SATA plugs, but I can use an adapter.

The only thing is the lack of 8pin aux, which should prevent this PSU being installed on newer dual core systems.

The difference is that this PSU was damm expensive at the time I bought it, but I knew Enermax and quality costs money....

Well, for your problem (as other people already posted), something else went down. You need to troubleshot, either buy new components or take to a store that can diagnostic it for you.

Sorry, no magic answers for your prayers....

 

[Roy2001]

Update: I almost went ahead to fry's yesterday which is 30 miles away from my house. I decided to give a last try, guess what? It beeped! Although I have no idea why...

 

[buzzsaw13]

Originally posted by: akshayt
It is mostly his PSU. Just 16A, on the 12va line which has to feed both the GPU and all other components can't take a 1900XT. Which brand PSU do you have anyway?

18A is only for CPU+mobo, the rest 16A is for all other components and the 1900XT alone takes as much.
Also, your psu may be only giving around 25-30A combined like antec sp500 which only gives 25A though it has 19A + 17A.

You're an idiot, my Seasonic S12 only has 17A and 16A on two 12V rails and it ran an overclocked CPU and an overclocked X1900XT.

 

[NoStateofMind]

Quoting myself from your other thread in VF:

Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
This is not directed at not only the OP but others who have high powered systems with underpowered PSU's:


When will you learn? How much money do you have to lose? Why torture your system in such a way?

Many, like myself formerly, chose them because of money. It's just simply cheaper to buy. But in the long run, it costs more in the end. I speak from experience, with buying a cheap PSU (and underpowered) and having a system bite the dust. I hope no one ever has this problem, but it will happen and theres no better lesson than figuring it out on your own. First hand I heard/watched my system fry. Believe me, if you experience something like this (and have half a brain), you will do whatever it takes to avoid such a catastrophe happening again.

Sure his system ran fine, but I'm also sure there were no warning signs to the impending doom of it. For your sake and peace of mind, invest more heavily in your PSU's, it's the backbone of computing happiness.

In the end it is still up to the user. Proceed at your own risk! Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[nyker96]

I don't think his choosing Antec TP 430 is bad. It's a solid PS, but maybe not enough for the power hungry x1900xt that's all. Since I have a TP430 myself I know it has some limitations powering newer cards and CPUs and I'd feel safer with a NeoHE 500+ or one of the newer TP ATX2.0 500+ ones. The ATX2.0 versions of TP has more safe guard regarding powering modern cards/boards which the older TP430 lacks.

 

[Conky]

My old TP430 is still chugging along fine with my my overclocked E6400, X850XT, 4 7200rpm HD's, 2 DVD-burners, 7 or 8 fans of various speeds/sizes, PCI soundcard, PCI raid card, etc.

I'm looking at upgrading the power supply at some point mostly because this one is getting old and I'm hoping for CF/SLI at some point but will probably wait until I get a new motherboard.

Is the X1900XT really that much of a power drain that it would fry a power supply?

 

[darom]

I have an Antec TP430W PS in my system as well: o/ced 6300, Gigabyte DS3, 2GB memory, MSI X1900XT video, SB Live PCI + front bay, 4 fans, PCI firewire card. I've had it for at least 2-3 years now. No problems. A power supply from CompUSA, aka 'p.o.s. special', got burnt in my previous AMD system. It died quietly without fireworks. It didn't take anything with it - I guess I was lucky.

Forgot to suggest to the OP: check and double check the grounds (motherboard and the case). Make sure nothing touches metal. If you have a short, you won't boot anything.

 

[Rommel44]

Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
Quoting myself from your other thread in VF:

Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
This is not directed at not only the OP but others who have high powered systems with underpowered PSU's:


When will you learn? How much money do you have to lose? Why torture your system in such a way?

Many, like myself formerly, chose them because of money. It's just simply cheaper to buy. But in the long run, it costs more in the end. I speak from experience, with buying a cheap PSU (and underpowered) and having a system bite the dust. I hope no one ever has this problem, but it will happen and theres no better lesson than figuring it out on your own. First hand I heard/watched my system fry. Believe me, if you experience something like this (and have half a brain), you will do whatever it takes to avoid such a catastrophe happening again.

Sure his system ran fine, but I'm also sure there were no warning signs to the impending doom of it. For your sake and peace of mind, invest more heavily in your PSU's, it's the backbone of computing happiness.

In the end it is still up to the user. Proceed at your own risk! Good luck with whatever you choose.

I agree with you - but there is a lot of people who will stay blind untill something happens to their rigs

 

[Sonikku]

I got lucky. I tried pairing an X800XT video card with a Q Pack PSU which sucked to high heaven. It worked, barely. But whenever the video card went under full load the whole machine went belly up. After the third time it happened I got this. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104953 and counted my blessing that nothing ever fried. Long story short, don't skimp on the PSU.