So I was trying to post a thread here about why my pc rebooted after playing a game, but my pc suddenly froze. I smelled something strange and immedeatly shut down my pc as it could be that something was burning.
I smelled and found out the smell came from my psu. I took it out and opened it and tried to find out what was creating the smell. There are two metal things in the psu and 2 things which look like a battery. The smell was the strongest near those 2 battery thingies. There is a black thing which looks like it was once liquid but dried up. It could be some kind of glue, but I've never seen black glue, and it would be useless. And it looks like it leaked out of the battery, but I don't think there's black liquid in those batteries.
I also noted that just before it froze, the fan of the GPU was rotating slower than usual.
So yeah, I'm not sure what to do now.
Oh and the topic I was typing was about my gpu probably overheating and rebooting my pc. Perhaps it has to do something with that? The fans of both the psu and gpu are clean. And before you say the overheating has to do with slowly rotating fan: it probably isn't. When I do regular stuff on the pc, the fans rotate alright.
Holy SHIT! Never, ever open a PSU up, there is enough electricity stored in its capacitors to severely shock you even if its been off for days. Seriously, even the most seasoned IT's won't do that, its so dangerous. Their are much safer ways to diagnose a bad PSU.
But since you've already done it, the goo indicates some capacitors blew.
Capacitors and batteries use a liquid to conduct electricity and store it, its called "electrolyte".
Basically, yes your PSU is dead. There is no hope of fixing it without risking your life and wasting money and time. Buy a new one.
Holy crap, my pc doesn't start anymore jesus christ.
Anyway, I once read it's safe to open it as long as you don't touch anything inside, which is what I did.
Also, that goo looks really old, as it had dried for a long time ago.
So ehh, basically I'm screwed now, right?
Oh, and this won't affect any other hardware, right?
[QUOTE=GetOutOfBox;19897113]Capacitors and batteries use a liquid to conduct electricity and store it, its called "electrolyte".[/QUOTE]
Go back to Higher / A level physics. Capacitors are two metal plates, not some "goo" which conducts electricity.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0O7_3o3BrI[/media]
It's got electrolytes.
[QUOTE=BrQ;19897329]Holy crap, my pc doesn't start anymore jesus christ.
Anyway, I once read it's safe to open it as long as you don't touch anything inside, which is what I did.
Also, that goo looks really old, as it had dried for a long time ago.
So ehh, basically I'm screwed now, right?
Oh, and this won't affect any other hardware, right?[/QUOTE]
Your screwed, if your PSU was any good, it probably won't have damaged your other components.
And like I said, no matter what anyone say's, never open a PSU, there's no way you can guarentee you won't touch anything, and once you make contact with a electrically charged object, you will find it extremely difficult to pull away from it until the transfer stops. In which case you'll either be dead, or near it.
PSU's can contain hundreds of watts of electricity, and capacitors retain electricity for quite a while, so even if you left it off for a few days, there is still a huge risk of fatal electricution.
There's nothing you can achieve be opening a PSU up (especially since you weren't planning to touch the inside, so its not as if you could fix it), a simpler way to troubleshoot it is to test it in another computer. If it doesn't turn on, its dead.
[editline]12:20PM[/editline]
[QUOTE=|FlapJack|;19897482]Go back to Higher / A level physics. Capacitors are two metal plates, not some "goo" which conducts electricity.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0O7_3o3BrI[/media]
It's got electrolytes.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague[/url]
Read the introduction. You will find that capacitors can and do experience leakage. And by the way, just because a substance is originally dry matter, doesn't mean that a chemical reaction couldn't change it to a liquid. Go back to Lower Chemistry.
Well, the purpose of opening the psu was so I could see whether something had burned inside, but I won't open it ever again then.
Thanks, I think I'll have to buy a new psu then, although I'm not sure how many watts it needs. I have an intel core 2 duo 2.4ghz, 2 gigs of ram, a hd4650 and a 1tb hdd.
[QUOTE=GetOutOfBox;19897113]Holy SHIT! Never, ever open a PSU up, there is enough electricity stored in its capacitors to severely shock you even if its been off for days. Seriously, even the most seasoned IT's won't do that, its so dangerous. Their are much safer ways to diagnose a bad PSU.
But since you've already done it, the goo indicates some capacitors blew.
Capacitors and batteries use a liquid to conduct electricity and store it, its called "electrolyte".
Basically, yes your PSU is dead. There is no hope of fixing it without risking your life and wasting money and time. Buy a new one.[/QUOTE]
hey
hey
i touched all the capacitors in a 600w when it was on
don't tell me that bullshit
[editline]05:40PM[/editline]
[QUOTE=BrQ;19897822]Well, the purpose of opening the psu was so I could see whether something had burned inside, but I won't open it ever again then.
Thanks, I think I'll have to buy a new psu then, although I'm not sure how many watts it needs. I have an intel core 2 duo 2.4ghz, 2 gigs of ram, a hd4650 and a 1tb hdd.[/QUOTE]
550 would work fine. Or get something higher if you want
[QUOTE=Armotekma;19897840]hey
hey
i touched all the capacitors in a 600w when it was on
don't tell me that bullshit[/QUOTE]
Thats great! You didn't get shocked, but just because you did that, doesn't mean that you've proved there is no way of getting shocked by touching high watt devices. FYI There is a RISK of getting shocked, and the point is, that the fact that such a shock could kill you and the high likelyhood that a shock could occur and that the only thing you can achieve can be discovered through a much much safer way sort of makes trying it idiotic (no offence op, you weren't aware, I'm talking about someone who knowingly puts their life on the line for virtually no reason). Not to mention that in half of PSU failures, there will be no visual evidence that such a failure occurred.
[QUOTE=GetOutOfBox;19897931]Thats great! You didn't get shocked, but just because you did that, doesn't mean that you've proved there is no way of getting shocked by touching high watt devices. FYI There is a RISK of getting shocked, and the point is, that the fact that such a shock could kill you and the high likelyhood that a shock could occur and that the only thing you can achieve can be discovered through a much much safer way sort of makes trying it idiotic (no offence op, you weren't aware, I'm talking about someone who knowingly puts their life on the line for virtually no reason). Not to mention that in half of PSU failures, there will be no visual evidence that such a failure occurred.[/QUOTE]
i can also shoot lightning from my hands
[QUOTE=Armotekma;19897840]hey
hey
i touched all the capacitors in a 600w when it was on
don't tell me that bullshit
[editline]05:40PM[/editline]
550 would work fine. Or get something higher if you want[/QUOTE]
I don't think it's really important what happened to you, but more like what could've happened. I'm quite sure that if you touched another metal object or something, you could've been seriously injured.
But how about the gpu fan, could it be that it rotated sloqly brcauae of the psu?
[QUOTE=BrQ;19897822]Well, the purpose of opening the psu was so I could see whether something had burned inside, but I won't open it ever again then.
Thanks, I think I'll have to buy a new psu then, although I'm not sure how many watts it needs. I have an intel core 2 duo 2.4ghz, 2 gigs of ram, a hd4650 and a 1tb hdd.[/QUOTE]
I would get 600-700, if you have the extra dollars, as its nice to be future proof.
Some things to know when purchasing a PSU:
1. Never skimp on the price tag, a low-quality PSU can put the whole computer at risk.
2. Buy from brands knowm to be good quality, and know to provide quality technical support. i.e Corsair, Fortron, Antec, Enermax, OCZ, are all good names.
3. Check that it can provide the proper amperage that your components require. Newegg often prints this in the technical specs tab, you can google your GPU/CPU amperage requirements.
4. Aim to get two 12 V lines. This reduces resistance, which in turn reduces heat production. This isn't really important, its a nice extra, but it won't really make much of a difference, so don't buy a PSU solely because it has dual 12 Volt Rails.
5. Of course, make sure it has the connectors you need, nothing is more annoying than waiting for a PSU only to find that you need to order an adapter to hook it up to your GPU.
6. Make sure it has the following features: Over Voltage Protection (will protect your components from surges), and aim for a >80% (> means a number larger than 80%) efficiency rating, as the higher the efficiency, the less heat is produced and the less power wasted
7. Make sure it has two fans, ideally one on the side of the PSU facing the inside of the computer and one on the side facing outwards from the computer. This fan setup will allow for heat to be distributed away from the PSU very efficiently, which will usually increase the PSU's lifetime, due to lower heat levels. It will also add the bonus of helping to circulate the PC's air.
[QUOTE=BrQ;19897822]Well, the purpose of opening the psu was so I could see whether something had burned inside, but I won't open it ever again then.
Thanks, I think I'll have to buy a new psu then, although I'm not sure how many watts it needs. I have an intel core 2 duo 2.4ghz, 2 gigs of ram, a hd4650 and a 1tb hdd.[/QUOTE]
[URL]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171031[/URL]
This is fine for you. It also leaves a lot of room for upgrading.
[QUOTE=GetOutOfBox;19897113]Holy SHIT! Never, ever open a PSU up, there is enough electricity stored in its capacitors to severely shock you even if its been off for days. Seriously, even the most seasoned IT's won't do that, its so dangerous. Their are much safer ways to diagnose a bad PSU.
But since you've already done it, the goo indicates some capacitors blew.
Capacitors and batteries use a liquid to conduct electricity and store it, its called "electrolyte".
Basically, yes your PSU is dead. There is no hope of fixing it without risking your life and wasting money and time. Buy a new one.[/QUOTE]
I had to open my PSU up to clean the dust out of it, it was so clogged.
I might have to de-dust it again soon.
[QUOTE=Madman_Andre;19898463]I had to open my PSU up to clean the dust out of it, it was so clogged.
I might have to de-dust it again soon.[/QUOTE]
Its ok to open it, to spray compressed air, but honestly there is a risk of being shocked if you put your hands in or stick things in there, and if you are, you could die. And your green mushrooms will be forfeit, so you won't respawn!
Heh, thanks for the comments.
Unfortunatley, I cannot buy from newegg since they don't ship to europe, so I'll have to buy from expensive stores :(
You also say at 5 something like it would be very annoying if you can't hook the psu up with your gpu, but what does your gpu has to do with it? I mean, I put it in something called a PCIe slot orsomething, and cables from the psu, only go to places like motherboard, hdd and I also think my dvddrive.
Oh, about those Connectors, how do I know which ones I need? And how can I know what 'amperage' I need?
[QUOTE=BrQ;19899092]Heh, thanks for the comments.
Unfortunatley, I cannot buy from newegg since they don't ship to europe, so I'll have to buy from expensive stores :(
You also say at 5 something like it would be very annoying if you can't hook the psu up with your gpu
Oh, about those Connectors, how do I know which ones I need? And how can I know what 'amperage' I need?[/QUOTE]
Generally, a PSU manufacturer assumes that since your buying a, say, 600W PSU, that you'll want enough amps (amperes, the current passing through a circuit, represented as I in formulae, and nicknamed, guitar "amps" get their name through their ability to amplify the electrical current sound output of a guitar to produce loud sound. Just a little Science lesson.") to power higher-end devices. It doesn't hurt to check though.
Here's a good guide to help you out with purchasing the right PSU:
[url]http://www.pcguide.com/ref/power/sup/index.htm[/url]
It's structure is a little confusing, but it covers just about everything about PSU's. It explains the whole ampere thing.
I had another topic here about my psu, they said 400w is enough, and I don't have much money atm, so would something between 400 and 500w also do?
Oh yeah, it was this:
[QUOTE=1337asian;19453727]Whoever voted your comment dumb...
Anyways to re assure OP, 400 watts is enough because the 4650 draws power from the motherboard.
Make sure you buy one that is at least 80% efficient so you don't get ripped off by buying a garbage psu.
It'll say it on the box somewhere.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=BrQ;19900316]I had another topic here about my psu, they said 400w is enough, and I don't have much money atm, so would something between 400 and 500w also do?
Oh yeah, it was this:[/QUOTE]
I would say you would need at the least a 500 W PSU.
[QUOTE=GetOutOfBox;19901051]I would say you would need at the least a 500 W PSU.[/QUOTE]
He could probably get away with using a 350 watt power supply, if it was a good brand.
How about this one: [url]http://www.computerland.nl/ProductDetails.aspx?en=NS00682391[/url]
It's not that expensive, 400watt and a nice brand. Although I'm still not sure which cables I need exactly.
[QUOTE=BrQ;19902791]How about this one: [url]http://www.computerland.nl/ProductDetails.aspx?en=NS00682391[/url]
It's not that expensive, 400watt and a nice brand. Although I'm still not sure which cables I need exactly.[/QUOTE]
It'll probably do, I thought you said you had a quad core and a radeon 4850, then I saw you had a dual and a 4650. So yeah, a 400 W should be fine.
Alright, so this is my motherboard: [img]http://www.pcmercato.it/articoli/MB-AR-4CORE_big.jpg[/img]
There are 2socket thingies near the cpu which need a cable,
I need a cable which has 4 holes to connect to the dvd drive
and the hddpart is weird, there's a cable with 4 holes, It's connected to another cabl, which had 4 pins so it can connect with eachother, the end of that cable has 4 holes, and is again connected to a new cable with 4 pins, and that cable goes into the (sata)hdd, the end where it connects with the hdd, looks like the end of a sata cable, but then quite a bit bigger.
Well, did that make any sense? I wish I could take pictures but an ipod touch hasn't got any camera :(
-snip-
[QUOTE=BrQ;19912381]Alright, so this is my motherboard: [img]http://www.pcmercato.it/articoli/MB-AR-4CORE_big.jpg[/img]
There are 2socket thingies near the cpu which need a cable,
I need a cable which has 4 holes to connect to the dvd drive
and the hddpart is weird, there's a cable with 4 holes, It's connected to another cabl, which had 4 pins so it can connect with eachother, the end of that cable has 4 holes, and is again connected to a new cable with 4 pins, and that cable goes into the (sata)hdd, the end where it connects with the hdd, looks like the end of a sata cable, but then quite a bit bigger.
Well, did that make any sense? I wish I could take pictures but an ipod touch hasn't got any camera :([/QUOTE]
I had a hard time following that, but I'll just post some pictures of the proper cables for each device.
Most DVD Drives today still use a 4-pin cable, though some really high end models that use SATA as an interface with a motherboard will use the same cable that a SATA drive would, which I'll post a picture of as well, so anyways, pic of the DVD cable:
[img_thumb]http://i46.tinypic.com/6td8k7.jpg[/img_thumb]
The connector circled is the proper power cable for most DVD drives, ignore the cable crossed out.
This is what a SATA Drive power cable looks like:
[img_thumb]http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u73/Matthew_Morrison/sata15pin.jpg[/img_thumb]
This is what a motherboard power cable looks like (typical 20-pin cable, though newer models sometimes have an extra 4-pin cable attached to it):
[img_thumb]http://www.techfuels.com/attachments/motherboards-memory/7059d1224763782-motherboards-power-connector-motherboards-power-connector.jpg[/img_thumb]
PCIe Power cable (2x4 pin, 6-pin total, though some only have 4-pins):
[img_thumb]http://www.techaddicts.net/reviews/trio650w/trio659.jpg[/img_thumb]
Some newer and higher-end video cards require the cable pictured above, 6-pins, though mid-end to low-end cards usually only use a 4-pin cable (2x2 shape), like my Radeon 4850.
Also, some cards require you to not only plug a 4-pin (or 6-pin) cable into the motherboard, but also into the card itself, so some need two PCIe power cables.
I'm not sure if I totally understood your question, but my understanding is that you're trying to figure out the power cable set up.
Thanks,
In my case, there are 2 cables coming from the psu, going in the motherboard. The first one, is that 20 cable, and the second one goes on that top right part in the picture, is that the PCIe cable then?
The sata drive power cable, what I meant was that there was that 4 pin connector (like the one in the dvd drive), connected to a new cable which has that satadrive power cable.
Anyway, so I need a 20 pin powercable, a 4pin pci e powercable, a sata drive power cable and a 4 pin cable for the dvd drive, right? I don't think I need a cable for the 4650.
Also, if it is a 24 pin powercable, is possible to remove 4 pins? I once saw something like removing or adding pins, but I'm not sure.
[editline]04:04PM[/editline]
damnit, I can't use [url]http://www.computerland.nl/ProductDetails.aspx?en=NS00682391[/url] because it has a 6pin cable for that pci thing :(
[QUOTE=BrQ;19914580]Thanks,
In my case, there are 2 cables coming from the psu, going in the motherboard. The first one, is that 20 cable, and the second one goes on that top right part in the picture, is that the PCIe cable then?
The sata drive power cable, what I meant was that there was that 4 pin connector (like the one in the dvd drive), connected to a new cable which has that satadrive power cable.
Anyway, so I need a 20 pin powercable, a 4pin pci e powercable, a sata drive power cable and a 4 pin cable for the dvd drive, right? I don't think I need a cable for the 4650.
Also, if it is a 24 pin powercable, is possible to remove 4 pins? I once saw something like removing or adding pins, but I'm not sure.
[editline]04:04PM[/editline]
damnit, I can't use [url]http://www.computerland.nl/ProductDetails.aspx?en=NS00682391[/url] because it has a 6pin cable for that pci thing :([/QUOTE]
With motherboard and PCIe power cables, having additional pins that are unused will not hurt anything.
For example, if your vid card only needs a 4-pin cable, just plug the 6-pin in, the other 2-pins will just slide over the outside of the connector. What I'm saying is, 6-pin and 8-pin cables are backwards compatible, i.e 8-pin can be a 6-pin and a 4-pin, a 6-pin can be a 4-pin.
The same goes for the mobo cables, having extra unused pins won;t hurt a thing, and they won't need to be cut off or anything, because they will just stick out. Its hard to explain, but they should all be backwards compatible.
Oh, that's great then. I'll buy it today or tomorrow then, thanks alot!
[QUOTE=BrQ;19914797]Oh, that's great then. I'll buy it today or tomorrow then, thanks alot![/QUOTE]
No problem, and if you encounter any difficulty with the setup or anything, feel free to PM me if you wish for help. :smile:
[QUOTE=GetOutOfBox;19897527]And like I said, no matter what anyone say's, never open a PSU, there's no way you can guarentee you won't touch anything, and once you make contact with a electrically charged object, you will [b]find it extremely difficult to pull away from it until the transfer stops.[/b] In which case you'll either be dead, or near it.[/QUOTE]
This is caused by the electric current causing all of the muscles in your hand to contract. The muscles that cause the hand to clench are stronger than the ones that cause it to unclench, so they overpower the unclenching muscles. This is also the cause of people being "thrown" after touching something live. Their strong leg muscles contract harder than they normally would do (the body has safeguards that stop muscles from contracting with too much force because it causes damage to surrounding tissue as well as the muscle itself.) and cause the person to jump huge distances away from the object.
This is why you should touch something that might be live with the back of your hand - this stops you from locking on to it and being unable to let go.
[QUOTE=DainBramageStudios;19933911]This is caused by the electric current causing all of the muscles in your hand to contract. The muscles that cause the hand to clench are stronger than the ones that cause it to unclench, so they overpower the unclenching muscles. This is also the cause of people being "thrown" after touching something live. Their strong leg muscles contract harder than they normally would do (the body has safeguards that stop muscles from contracting with too much force because it causes damage to surrounding tissue as well as the muscle itself.) and cause the person to jump huge distances away from the object.
This is why you should touch something that might be live with the back of your hand - this stops you from locking on to it and being unable to let go.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, agree, it's the weirdest sensation, being unable to pull away from a shock for a few seconds, happened sometimes with my old tv, when you went to turn it on, it'd give you a small shock, but large enough to sort of freeze you up for a second.
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