Help! You Won't Believe this...Is The Power Supply Burned?

Computer Hardware
#1

Hi everyone, I’m a new member here and please let me explain my problems:

I spent over $3000 to build a PC at 16 month ago, it worked great untill yestoday…yestoday when I was back from work and trying to turn on the PC as usual, but it won’t start, I checked that all the connections are correctly pluged…So what should be the problem? Is the power supply burned (I do smell something from it)? The PC case I’m using is Antec Sonata w/ 380W SmartPower. I still can not believe my $3000 PC just dead without a noise…the night before it was working…

Any suggestions? How can a PC be burned when it’s powered off??

Thanks for all helps!

#2

Does your MB have any led’s that indicate power on?

Sometimes the power button itself can fail. Jumpering the 2 leads to the button would rule that in or out.

#3

I’d guess it’s the mainboard that the culprint.
//Danne

#4

Atx power buttons are not physical power switches that actually turn the power on and off like old at ones were. Rather, the motherboard has power all the time (even when the computer is off), and the switch just tells the motherboard when to turn the computer on. If the power supply came with the case then I would suspect that it is not the power supply. Antec power supplies are pretty good (it could have failed but the risk is pretty low). Even if you overload them they usally shut down rather than fail. You can look here on how to power up your power supply without it conected to the motherboard to see if it has failed.
http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=111640
Check the switch too and beyond that I would also suspect that the motherboard has died.

#5

Hello, if the MB has problems, the Cooling Fan in the case will at least run, right? My pc just looks like un-pluged…the little light on MB is not lighting…so I guess it’s the power supply’s problem…Ya it is possible that the power button itself failed, If so how do I fix it? ***I still cannot believe a PC can be dead by itself…none touched it at all since the last time I used it >_<and I hate to be a girl…having too much troubles on computer

Again, thanks for all your helps ^_<

#6

wow…it sounds really scared to me now if the MB is really dead. I just did a total clearning for my PC before the warranty expired in the store. The inside of my PC was as clean as NEW, what will possible be the reason for MB’s failure? (I have a cat, it some times walk around at my PC…) Is there any way to exam the MB by myself? Thanks a lot!

#7

did you use a vacuum cleaner by any chance? if you did then you probably zapped it with a major ESD (electrostatic-discharge), you could have taken out more than just the mb suggest you take it to a professional if you havent got spares lying around.

#8

Hi the cleaning was done professionally a month ago, during the month it worked just fine as usual…I think I should take my PC to the store again if I can’t fix it by myself…but this time I need to pay $50/h labour >_<…

#9

Hi the cleaning was done professionally a month ago, during the month it worked just fine as usual…I think I should take my PC to the store again if I can’t fix it by myself…but this time I need to pay $50/h labour >_<…

#10

…$50/h labour…

Ouch! :eek:

Just to let you know, I doubt your cat being near will harm your PC, if the PC has it’s case on - I have a cat myself, and he rubs up against my PC all the time!

But don’t let your cat in the room if you have the PC’s case open…I always put my cat outside when I open the PC, just in case (cats = walking static deathbombs to an open PC!).

:bigsmile:

#11

Yo-

Suggest opening the case and then turning on the computer-

If the fan on the cpu - or - powersupply - or the cooling fan are on - then it is not your powersupply - and you should immediately turn off the computer and take it in to be looked at-

If in fact those fans (all of them) are not working - then it is the powersupply - buy a new one - install it and fire the computer up - if it still does not work - then turn the power off and take it in to be diagnosed-

Mike

#12

The motherboard has to tell the power supply to turn on. It is possible that if the motherboard is dead, nothing will turn on, because the motherboard cannot tell the power supply to turn on. Testing the power supply is as simple as unplugging the 20 pin cable from the motherboard, and shorting two wires (you could just use a bent paper clip). That will make the power supply turn on and fans ans such will power up (if the power supply is working). It might be a good idea to disconect power to your hard drive before you do this though. follow the above link I gave to find out which two pins to short.