Power supply bluw up

HMS-Dreadnought

Okay,.. so I just took my new HDD drive out to see if my brothers computer might make a difference to the GB reading. and when he conected it up his PC would not even turn on.

the power light flashed once but nothing else. So he put his own HDD back in and his PC came on as normal.


He says he's had problems b4 with it not turning on,.... could this be because of a lack of power from the power suply?


His PSU is 300Watts. He has an ATi 800 something video, needing it's own power conector.

He has a P.4 3.0GHZ

And he has a PCI Creative Sound Blaster audigi sound card, and a PCI network card, and a PCI modem. and a PCI tv capture card. and a DvD writer and a 60GB Maxtor HDD.


We came to the conclusion that his PC would not turn on when I put my 250GB Maxtor HDD in his PC because it uses more power and his power suply is too stretched as it is.


Could this be the reasion?


Anyway,... back to the real reasion for this Post.

when I went to put my HDD back in my own PC,
it would not start either, even tho it worked b4 (scratches head).

So i checked the PC's plug, and turns out the fuse had broken. So I replaced the fuse,..
I pluged it in,... And with out even trying to turn the PC on, suddenly the Power suply went [color=red]'BOOMMM!!!!!!!' [/color][color=black]and a huge flash out the back of the Supply, and now something rattles around inside the PSU. [/color]



Why did this happen?

any nummber of things I'm sure, but could this have something to do with there not being enough watts in the PSU? my PSU only has 300WATTS as well.

My sisters PSU bluw up a year ago as well. but I don't think there was any major strane on it. but it was over about 4 years old.

And the PSU that just went bang in my PC was also about 4 or 5 years old too. (And full of dust)


Anybody here had a power supply blow up as well?
anybody know why this has happened?


I hope the rest of my PC is okay,.. But I won't know untill I get a new power supply.

Yousaif

Modern PC's require much more power than they did 3-4 years ago. Dell still insists on putting 250W PSU's in their machines to this day. Its one of the ways they keep costs down. That's why the words quality and Dell rarely go into the same sentence- unless you are speaking of their branded monitors, in which case they didn't produce it in the first place.

I won't build a box these days with anything less than a 400W PSU- more often than not its a higher rated PSU.

The components in a PSU get stressed like any other piece of electronics by the heat cycle of them being on and off. Over time the compnents lose their durability and wear out.

HMS-Dreadnought

do you think the rest of my PC will be okay?


What PSU power should I buy? ( i hope it won't happen again)

quakerjtf

You'll have to by a new psu and find out. They can take out an entire computer sometimes. What price range can you handle?

With the other computer, was it the same computer? I don't think the non-responsiveness was a power problem.

HMS-Dreadnought

The other computer that 'didn't turn on with my HDD in it, was my Brothers PC.


If you don't think it wa a 'power' problem,...
then what do you think it was?

Necrosis

Hmm well it could of been putting too much of a load on the PSU thus not allowing it to start up. I've seen this before especially if you have the loading unbalanced on the PSU. I've had a PSU blow up on me before, and we're talking about smoke, sparks, the works. Luckily I was there to shut it down in time. I didn't have any damaged components but I think it was more of how the PSU blew. I believe one of the diodes in the bridged rectification section went short thus over heating the front of the AC side of my supply.

HMS-Dreadnought

Is there any way I can prevent or minamise the risk of it happening again?



More worryingly,
is it merly coinsidence that it bluw after I put my new HDD back in the PC?

You don't think my new HDD, after having been in my Bro's PC , could have had anything to do with it?

The timing of the blowen PSU, sretanly seems a little disturbing.

Necrosis

There is really no way of preventing it other than being sure you're not exposing any wires. Hmm...yes I can see why you're worried. I would leave the HD unplugged when you get the new supply to see how the system does. You also might want to look the controller board over on the HD to ensure you don't so any physical damage.

mike2h

necrosis has given you good advice.
while i understand that not everbody can afford to upgrade, power supply should ALWAYS figure into upgrade plans.
most mainstream comps come with a psu that just fits the bill, adding on to them is asking for trouble. a 300 - 350 psu is good for an older cpu/gpu, a optical drive, 2 hd, & 2-3 fans. this is a generalisation, but basically true.
if you can afford it get a mainstream manafacturer like enermax(have 3, 2(430 +350) in my comp, 1(460) in my wifes), ocz, antec, etc. just do not buy a genric/uncommon brand. go for something in the 460 + range, that way you will have future protection for upgrades.

The_Neon_Cowboy

450W of better is what I'd look at

I think he mean untill you put a new power supply in you not going to know if anything else was fried.

Necrosis

I hate to say this but almost every system I've built with a no name PSU eventually has had problems because of it.

Necrosis

Hopefully some of the guys from the UK can help you find a good price on one. However, if you look around and find the some thing in your budget post it so we can check it out.

mike2h

same here, that is why i stopped buying them many years ago. psu problems can be a pain in the ass because they can look like other hardware problems. that & they can ruin hardware.

HMS-Dreadnought

Funny thing is,....

The reasion I bought a new HDD in the first place was bacause my old 30GB maxtor was failing to start up at POST. it was kind of temprimentle.

And when it did start it would offen make a long. loud beep (more of a SCREEECH!!!!!) noise. But once it 'Was' running, it would be fine. (untill the net day)

Could that have been a power supply problem? Anybody ever heard of simptomes I mentioned? , Anyone here ever had it happen to themselfs?



So many questions,.. sry guys. I must be sending you all to sleep.

Necrosis

Yes it's possible. I've also seen motherboards "eat" HD's too. Not that I'm saying your's is doing that.

HMS-Dreadnought

eat!?

uh oh


What do you mean by 'eat' ?

Necrosis

Hard drive would eventually die.