Power Supply Going Bad

[lupi]

Started having trouble Saturday night on one of my comps. System is stable when not in use or when only doing light net browsing, but once you start gaming or other more demanding task it starts showing problems. At first the monitor would go to some odd solid color (different one each time) and the computer would hang. Last couple of shutdowns the monitor would go near instantly blank just as if you were hard cycling via the power button.

It passed a memtest fine. Assuming no real way of testing the psu other than swapping it out?

I have been slowly buying components to do the upgrade shuffle, and did pick up a corsair 650 on the cheap over christmas, so planning on swapping out the antec 500 that's in there now. I've only got a 280gtx and single optical driver so don't think lack of power should be a problem as it's been going strong for years and for 6 months or thereabouts with the 280 in place.

 

[Vette73]

You test the video card as well? Never had a PS cause video issues but never had that many bad ones either.

 

[lupi]

Other than letting it run overnight on some low intensity stuff, nothing particular just for video. Although my keyboard also went unresponsive when the computer hung and I haven't had that kind of problem on one of the few times when I did have video card problems before.

 

[muskie32]

Maybe try the video card in another system just to make sure

 

[lupi]

Last night swapped in the corsair and took out the antec 550. Have not run into any problems since. I did add a second HD about a month ago, but otherwise the only thing drawing power inside is the 280gtx so don't believe the 550 would be a problem unless it's going bad somehow. Did check the cables that power the case fans to make sure none of the old molex 4 pins are contacting the case somehow (a problem I encountered once years ago) but didn't notice anything.

 

[lupi]

Last night swapped in the corsair and took out the antec 550. Have not run into any problems since. I did add a second HD about a month ago, but otherwise the only thing drawing power inside is the 280gtx so don't believe the 550 would be a problem unless it's going bad somehow. Did check the cables that power the case fans to make sure none of the old molex 4 pins are contacting the case somehow (a problem I encountered once years ago) but didn't notice anything.