WTF?? My power supply almost caught fire??

[bolido2000]

I just finished putting together a new computer. Plug the computer, switch to "1" and the heatsink fan spins for half a second and then nothing (can hear a "faint hummm" sound coming from the PS). The computer simply won't boot up. After 5 min I see sparks coming from the PS and then a burning smell. WTF happened?? I checked all the connectors and they are ok. The PS was also plugged to a CD rom and HD. Is my MB and cpu toast as well??

 

[godfire]

Just so I understand what's happening here - you turned on your newly assembled computer, and the fan for your PS didn't work, so you left the computer on for another 5 minutes?

 

[bolido2000]

Originally posted by: godfire
Just so I understand what's happening here - you turned on your newly assembled computer, and the fan for your PS didn't work, so you left the computer on for another 5 minutes?

Yeah . The fan of the PS wasn't spinning. I guess leaving it on without any fan spinning was reallty stupid.
I guess I should have guessed the PS fan not spinning wasn't good. So would you say the problem was on the PS side and not the MB?

 

[simms]

Hmm... power supply fan not working... explosion in the power supply... no power to the MB...

I've got it!
It MUST be the MB's fault! :|

 

[bolido2000]

Sh!t...my other components are not damaged are they? This sucks....gotta call Newegg tomorrow (this is a refurb). Could this be caused because I didn't use stand offs for the MB?

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: bolido2000
Sh!t...my other components are not damaged are they? This sucks....gotta call Newegg tomorrow (this is a refurb). Could this be caused because I didn't use stand offs for the MB?

No, this is because your power supply probably hit 100C within a few minutes of running current with ZERO air flow.

Moral of the story: When power supply > surface of sun, run away.

 

[bolido2000]

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: bolido2000
Sh!t...my other components are not damaged are they? This sucks....gotta call Newegg tomorrow (this is a refurb). Could this be caused because I didn't use stand offs for the MB?

No, this is because your power supply probably hit 100C within a few minutes of running current with ZERO air flow.

Moral of the story: When power supply > surface of sun, run away.

I guess I will buy a new PS from Frys and test it without MB. If the same thing happens with the new PS the MB is likely to be the bad one.

 

[Black88GTA]

Originally posted by: bolido2000
Sh!t...my other components are not damaged are they? This sucks....gotta call Newegg tomorrow (this is a refurb). Could this be caused because I didn't use stand offs for the MB?

You didn't use the stand offs? Ummm, please tell me you didn't just screw the motherboard down on the bottom of the case with all the solder points and everything shorted on the mobo tray.....

If that's what you did, I think we've found your problem.

 

[moonshinemadness]

Maybe you should have chucked some de-ionized water on it.......

 

[cavemanmoron]

Originally posted by: Black88GTA

Originally posted by: bolido2000
Sh!t...my other components are not damaged are they? This sucks....gotta call Newegg tomorrow (this is a refurb). Could this be caused because I didn't use stand offs for the MB?

You didn't use the stand offs? Ummm, please tell me you didn't just screw the motherboard down on the bottom of the case with all the solder points and everything shorted on the mobo tray.....

If that's what you did, I think we've found your problem.

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: Black88GTA

Originally posted by: bolido2000
Sh!t...my other components are not damaged are they? This sucks....gotta call Newegg tomorrow (this is a refurb). Could this be caused because I didn't use stand offs for the MB?

You didn't use the stand offs? Ummm, please tell me you didn't just screw the motherboard down on the bottom of the case with all the solder points and everything shorted on the mobo tray.....

If that's what you did, I think we've found your problem.

If he did that, I propose a ban - the collective IQ drain is far too great. Using a refurb PSU is worse.

Oh, and there's a fair chance that EVERYTHING is totalled. PSU explosions = teh bad.

 

Ok, i just read through and dont understand:
1.Why you posted in this forum
2. Why you think its the motherboard
3. Why the hell you didnt turn it off sooner

 

[TheKub]

A power supply can operate considerably longer than a CPU without a fan. Ive seen them operate for months without a working fan, not that I condone such action. If what you say about the standoffs is true then you most likely caused a huge short and killed the PS and there is a chance that the MB is now dead too.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I had a system once almost catch on fire like that. The power supply fan froze up and stopped working, thus it overheated and melted.