Possible fried PSU. Thoughts, theories?

[Kirano]

I came back home last night and tried to turn my computer... to find that it's now a paperweight! No response to power button press. No lights on the motherboard (there are three buttons on the motherboard itself that usually glow green even when the pc is off) Nothing. All was silent...

So, for a couple of weeks now, possibly a month, I've had this problem but in a less permanent manner. If I had switched the computer off at the wall socket, as I sometimes do if I'm going away for a few days, and then switched it back on again there would be no power to the motherboard. (N.B. obviously, I switch it off at the wall plug *after* it's successfully shutdown!) After some waiting, some switching on and off and the back of the power supply and pulling out and sticking back in the motherboard power cables (it's a modular power supply) eventually the pc would come back to life.

Then, perhaps a week ago, I had the same problem accept I hadn't switched the computer off at the wall - again, no response to power button pressing, no lights on the motherboard.

And now... This!

My questions are then...
1) What is the likely cause of this? I've self-diagnosed PSU as that seems to make sense though it could be something else...
2) How long do you think it will take to get it RMA'd? Bought from scan about 18months ago...

Many kindest regards you lovely Hexians,

Kirano

[chuckskull]

PSU is a good bet, dodgy modular cables possibly. Could feasibly be motherboard from your description. RMA with Scan usually takes about a week. Do you have another rig to swap bits around for testing? Having another mobo or PSU would be very handy for diagnosis.

[Kirano]

I have a second desktop computer which I use in my office at work. I *could* bring that home but then this will start costing me money in the form of taxi fair costs to get it from/back to the office!

If it's just a matter of swapping parts in and out I could take the PSU out of my office computer, cycle back with it and see if it will power up the gaming rig. I won't be able to plug in everything (gaming rig power supply is 750W, office rig is 400W) but I should be able to plug in the bare minimum and see if it powers on which, if it does, will presumably mean PSU...

[chuckskull]

Yes just strip it down to the bare minimum it needs to post. OS drive, CPU, mobo, RAM(use the IGP graphics) and see if it will boot with the spare PSU. That should tell you everything you need to know.

[Kirano]

oky dokey... I won't be able to know if it posts (I have an IGP but no output for it on the motherboard) but I can at least see if it powers the system...

[chuckskull]

Didn't think of that sorry, but tbh all you need to see is if the lights come on. So not a big problem. if it lights up you know it's the PSU that's died.

[Kirano]

no it's okay, it's fairly logical that if your CPU has an IGP there would be some way to use it in the absence of a normal graphics card! Yeah, absolutely, lights on the mobo should be all I need to see. Have no tools at the office so unless I can find someone here with a screw driver I'll have to wait til I go home this evening and bring one back to the office tomorrow morning...

I guess in the meantime I'll just have to... work I guess. And I had so much planned for minecraft the next few evenings... *sigh*

[Kirano]

Right! Connected up motherboard cable from office PSU to home desktop and immediately the motherboard stand-by lights came on! I assume it is then logical to deduce, as we have previously discussed, that is the home desktop power supply which is at fault!

I'll call SCAN first thing tomorrow morning and get the RMA process a rolling!

[chuckskull]

Yeah sounds like it, least it's an easy enough fix and under warranty.

[Kirano]

UPDATE - So SCAN no longer have this item stocked so it would have to go back to the manufacturer to either be fixed or replaced. This process is quicker apparently if you go through the manufacturer directly so I've filled an RMA request with Corsair...

[chuckskull]

Never had to RMA with corsair, but they have a pretty good rep. They also have an official forum here on HEXUS if you have any troubles; http://forums.hexus.net/power-supplies/

[Distincthd]

Corsair always tell you to contact them rather than bringing it back to the merchant so dealing with them should be a breeze

[ekamdeep]

rma it

[Donny John]

I had this very same problem as you and blamed the motherboard. Threw that out and tried to install the new motherboard, same problem... I just had trouble believing the Antec PSU was to blame since it was quit new and the motherboard was very old.

A costly mistake :-(

[TheDutyPaid]

A Power Supply Tester is a must for the tool box.

[OilSheikh]

Out of curiousity, why do you switch off the wall socket ?