Please check your HSF is installed properly :o

[Ravens Nest]

My pc kept crashing and some of the reason was my PSU (q-tec 550W avoid!) but i still had some stability problems but not as severe as before.

Well i checked all my connections, whether everything was plugged in properly and the airflow.

Finally checked my Heatsink and fan, and what i found was where i could not install it properly because the lever it had to clip it down was in the way of the PSU so i turned the lever itself around 180 degrees but left the heatsink the right way.

Realised theres a dip in the center of the HS and turning the lever around meant the lever was not going in the dip so the clamping of the CPU core wasnt happening, realised i cant use the Heatsink with my case so bought a cheap coolermaster XP2200+ cooler and know it is solid as a rock.

My old HSF was the Coolermaster x-dream..

[sparky191]

The devil is in the detail...

[streetster]

The devil is in the detail...

no idea what that means.. but with my friends x-dream heatsink, we had to bend the clip (the one you push down with your finger/screwdriver) with some pliers, and it just fitted with kinda 1mm to spare between the clip and the psu , are you sure you couldnt've bodged something ah well good to know you found the root of the problem, and its all fixed now.

mark

[azrael1]

Is Qtec Really that bad ?

I ru 3 Computers with Qtec 550s and none of them crash and some i leave on long as 2 days in a row.

oh all computers are overclocked and running servers and games etc etc !

I have heard many ppl slag of QTECS but they are cheap and work for me well. If they go Ill just buy a new one !

[sparky191]

Originally posted by streetster
no idea what that means..

I meant that you don't just slap these on you have know exactly what you are doing and what to check and what not to do. Have you never heard the phrase? I must be older than I thought.

Theres lots of rubbish about bad PSU's, most PSU's even cheaper ones are fine, its rare to have a dodgy one. If it works then what more do you need. I'd say the domestic power supply has more variance in it than the PSU's being used.

[Trickle]

Originally posted by azrael1
Is Qtec Really that bad ?

No. Last year the general word was imho that the 550's were quite good although probably not a good idea to genuinely throw a 24/7 550W load at them. The lower wattage specs were supposed to be a bit dubious. No idea how they fair currently.

The flavour of the month recently on Hexus seems to be to blame all problems on PSU's... though, as can be seen above, a complete rebuild of the system was not even attemted, yet Ravens is still blaming part of the problem on the PSU.

[sparky191]

Also lots of Dells and OEM inlcuding all those shuttles have 150-200w PSUs and are running fie with 3ghz CPUs in them. So a 550w PSU can't be need unless you're running a lot of drives etc.

[Enverex]

I also had to bend the lever with a pair of plyers with I installed it in my mini-atx system. Quite annoying that they are made like that. Worrying too.

NS

[azrael1]

I suppose but they arer cheap for a reason ! I mean they can be had for 20 - 25 pounds 550 Watt PFC version now which is nothing basically hehe.

[dgr]

little ignorance in this thread?

the qtecs can't be expected to provide 550w sustained. i've heard on good authority that the psus in shuttles are pretty good and could be expected to provide a better sustained proprtion of their "quoted" wattage than a qtec.

azrael1@ girl upstairs (uni halls) has a dell. the psu went and took quite a few components with it. not including the fact that you will have to replace them, what about your hard discs?

always worth spending more money on the bits that will last. INVESTMENT people!

[CrapshoT]

Originally posted by streetster
no idea what that means.. but with my friends x-dream heatsink, we had to bend the clip (the one you push down with your finger/screwdriver) mark

thats a bit dangerous m8 a slip of the screwdriver will leave your mobo dead cos you can break the traces so easy as i found out
best to use a screw driver with a hollow end that you can change all the different types of screw drever in this will slip easily over the clip end preventing it from slipping off and you damaging your mobo traces

[azrael1]

Ignornance or not
If my pc went and took the components out I would just claim of insurance im sure an accident can be arranged !

I work in IT MCSA, Computer Degree etc etc remember backups are crucial ! All my essential important stuff is kept on DVD RW !

Plus I format each computer an average of Once every 2 months anyway and reinstall fresh stuff from the broadband connection.

Ive only had 1 PC PSU short one me and it left the rest of the components intact ! Yeah Ive worked in a computer shop when I was younger and things like that do happen.

Then ppl also say monitors and Comouters can be fire hazard when left oevrnight which is kinda true but how many of you have left your PC and Monitor switched on overnight ?

Im just saying that sometimes ppl look to blame the cheapest component. Ive had a Qtec in one of my rigs since Feb of this year and theres been no problems so far !

[streetster]

Originally posted by CrapshoT
thats a bit dangerous m8 a slip of the screwdriver will leave your mobo dead cos you can break the traces so easy as i found out
best to use a screw driver with a hollow end that you can change all the different types of screw drever in this will slip easily over the clip end preventing it from slipping off and you damaging your mobo traces

havent killed a mobo yet , my rig is now watercooled, so no clips to worry about, just how much i've tightened the waterblock, and my brothers computer has my old coolermaster copper heatpipe jobby, and you can put that one using your finger, which is good... my old £6 heatsink was a dodgy affair tho, but if you get the right angle there is not much chance of the screwdriver slipping (some heatsinks have the kinda slot where you have to use a screwdriver, i'm talking about these ones - not ones where you can use your hand )

mark

edit : *touch wood*

[sparky191]

Originally posted by dgr
little ignorance in this thread?

the qtecs can't be expected to provide 550w sustained. i've heard on good authority that the psus in shuttles are pretty good and could be expected to provide a better sustained proprtion of their "quoted" wattage than a qtec.

azrael1@ girl upstairs (uni halls) has a dell. the psu went and took quite a few components with it. not including the fact that you will have to replace them, what about your hard discs?

always worth spending more money on the bits that will last. INVESTMENT people!

We had about 600 Dells in my last job, and in 5 years we only had about 4 PSU failures. How many Dells are their in your Uni and how many PSU failures have you heard about? A bad spike/surge through the mains can easily kill a PSU or indeed any thing in your PC. Thats more likely to happen. When a PSU fails it more likely just not to work. Whereas a lot of stuff going is generally a mains problem. In my experience.

[Ravens Nest]

Originally posted by streetster
no idea what that means.. but with my friends x-dream heatsink, we had to bend the clip (the one you push down with your finger/screwdriver) with some pliers, and it just fitted with kinda 1mm to spare between the clip and the psu , are you sure you couldnt've bodged something ah well good to know you found the root of the problem, and its all fixed now.

mark

Yeah tried that, did a quick bodge job on the lever but the PSU is stiil too near it didnt even have 1mm to work with so the clip was not held in place properly and sprung out, so i thought not worth the risk i'll just buy a standard HSF as im not overclocking anymore not worth it with the problems i've had

[Ravens Nest]

With the Q-tec i suppose i just got unlucky and got a faulty one (perhaps i could send it back.)