[RESOLVED] Apparent PSU problem?

Hello…again. You’d think my computer woes would have been put on hold for a while, but it appears unlikely to happen anytime soon. Thank you for you patience and help yet again as I begin to start this one.

First thoughts, PSU problems. Now the details.

I came in this morning and my computer was off, odd I left it on last night. I boot it up, everything works fine. I leave for a couple hours and come back. Odd, the computer is off yet again. I hit the power switch, nothing. I check cables, all good. LED on mobo, lit up. I flip the PSU switch to off then on, hit the power switch and on goes the computer… yah! Until error message pops up:

Windows did not start because the file windows\system32\config\system is missing or is damaged (that is the translation from Spanish to English, I’m not positive on the exact words). Please boot from install disk and repair the file by pressing ‘R’ on the first screen.

As I’m reading through, off goes the computer. I pull off the side panel and LED is still on. Hit the power switch the computer starts to boot up and then cuts, again, same thing. I flip the PSU switch off then back on, hit the power switch and on goes the computer. Same error again but this time I hit a key and the comp begins to reboot then I get it saying there is a hardware problem and tells me to check the hardware monitor in the BIOS. I go for it and the +5V reading is in the red and fluctuating around 4.43V the +12V is in the read as well and is fluctuating around 10.43V. As I’m looking at it, off goes the computer. *sigh* I go through the same thing again all the way into the hardware monitor again and this time as I’m read it the computer makes 1 click sound and it sounds like a fan speeds up and the voltage jumps to 5V and 12V for the respective readings. Then it clicks and the fan sound slows down, the voltage readings go back into the red, it jumps up again with the same click and fan sound, jumps down and computer goes off. I’ve tried booting a few more times to see if it was magically hung up on something and now is cured, but the same symptoms exist.

The only hardware change I have made recently was swapping out the old GeForce MX4000 64MB AGP for a GeForce MX4000 128MB (because of the destroyed VGA port on another computer, I could only find the 128MB and decided I might as well use that in my computer). The computer worked perfectly fine for more than a week since that change.

Specs:
ATX PSU 230W (ViewTech VP-500)
ASUS P4S800 mobo
P4 3.2 CPU
2 DIMMS of 512MB DDR sdram
GeForce MX4000 128MB AGP card
DVD-ROM drive
DVD-R/RW drive
2 hard drives

What do you think, PSU problem? I guess if I had that little tool doohickey I could just check it and that would probably be the best thing to do, no? Well, let me know what you think. Thanks again for all the help.

I would say definately PSU, as a 230W wouldn't be sufficient for anything near what you are running, and those readings are bad, i'm surprised it hasn't blew completely and killed something in the process.:eek:

I would definately start shopping around for a replacement, stick with the big manufacturers so ensure quality and warranty, such as Antec/Akasa/Fortron/Thermaltake/Enermax, and i would go for about a 400W, or 450W for some futureproofing.


Liam

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ATX PSU 230W (ViewTech VP-500)

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Not nearly enough.

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I would definately start shopping around for a replacement, stick with the big manufacturers so ensure quality and warranty, such as Antec/Akasa/Fortron/Thermaltake/Enermax, and i would go for about a 400W, or 450W for some futureproofing.

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I second that recomendation.

Did I hear a dead PSU? Use this; add 20% or so for good measure.

From the way you describe it you could well have an intermittent short somewhere. Very carefully inspect all the cables. If they're OK, unplug everything except the CPU, RAM and graphics card (with the power disconnected of course). Then reconnect each disconnected item until you find which one is causing the shutdown. If none do then it's the PSU.

Maybe I'm reading the label wrong for the PSU and it has more wattage than 230W, but that's what it says under maximum. The computer has been running with all of that stuff for months and months. I'll try what you said supersparks. I also have a voltemeter that I borrowed so I'm gonna use that tutorial you pointed out the other day. Thanks. Cya.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! So this morning I went to try what you suggested super, and well I didn't get far at all... the PSU just started smoking, lol. Well it isn't terribly funny because I have a feeling some things got fried before all this started. My onboard network adapter wasn't receiving anything, then I was getting those window boot up errors, I hope the hard disk isn't fried... does this mean I've begun to join the official 'crap my computer blew up on me' club? Hoorah! *Sigh* Thanks for the suggestions, off to buy a real PSU so this doesn't happen ever again. I'll let yah know once things are back to normal.

Sorry to hear that :( I know the feeling well, my PSU blew up just before Christmas (though I used it as an excuse to build my new rig :D ).

You should still check for any shorts when you install the new PSU, because something like that can cause the PSU to blow.

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Use this; add 20% or so for good measure.

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That's a pretty conservative website. I would only calculate a margin of error if you expect to be using the device under extreme conditions like high heat and humidity. A wattage on the side of a PSU isn't absolute, anyway. Nice brands will exceed spec at 100F and crappy ones will drop to 11.5 volts well before they reach full load at any temp.
I find that the quality of power coming in is as important as the amount of power going out. I'm not sure about the quality or voltage of power in your country. Also be sure that the power supply is set to the right input voltage (110/220 for example). I've smelled some really gross burning smells when that was set incorrectly.

Well south america is enthralled in the annual 'Holy Week' festivities so EVERYTHING is closed. Wasn't able to hunt down a PSU, so I just pulled one out of the other machines and just hooked up the basics, so I don't blow another. Nothing got fried and after messing with the windows install cd the error message got fixed...except now I think I created a 2nd boot.ini so it askes me what I want to boot from every time I start the pc up, hehe...oops. The network adapter didn't get fried nor did any of the hard drives, phew! I quickly did that run through Super (your real name is Nick?) and there don't seem to be any hardware shorts.

ProfessorU, paraguay is 220 and the PSU was set right, but thanks for the reminder.

Quick question and then this one is resolved. Would the switching from the 64MB video card to the 128MB cause the machine to use more power and probably force the PSU to finally give out seeing as how it was rather overloaded in the first place? Is a 64MB jump that big in power consumption terms? I remember seeing a list of what components typically use and thought I saw memory and video cards up a decent ways. Anywho thanks for the quick responses and filling my head with knowledge on this topic. Until the next problem...heh. Cya!