PSU Overheating

[neuty]

I have noticed over the past month the top of my pc has been quite warm but figured it was because i am in the under the stairs cupboard.
Woke up monday morning and pc dead .I could only assume it had over heated. When i got back from work i looked at my pc again and after trying different things (tried old psu , checked fans etc).
I put my original psu back in and all fired up ok , but the top of my pc above my psu was very hot , so i took off the top and sides and my psu was as hot as an iron and the fan inside was not spinning. I'm currently running a large stand fan against the side of my pc for cooling.

My dilema is this , What could have caused my pc to fail ? and if it is the psu what psu's are there that run very cool and would be suitable for me?

My pc spec is:Asrock k7nf2 raid.
AMD athlon xp+ 3000+ Barton core processer
1 gb ram
1 x 80 gb sata hd
1 x 80 gb ide hd
1 x 250 gb seagate ide hd
Coolermaster Centurion case
600 watt psu
2 x pioneer dvdr

Any help is always appreciated

thank you
neuty

 

[Badger0-0]

my psu was as hot as an iron and the fan inside was not spinning

I suspect this might have something to do with it

Either the fan is duff or it's a motherboard/bios problem.

I'd start by whipping the fan out and connecting it to a car battery, if it's 12 volt.

 

[Mac Sami]

From what you've said, I think you've diagnosed the fault - or certainly one of the faults!

A PSU that isn't running a fan will get very hot (unless it's specifically designed to be passively cooled). I would suggest getting a replacement fan or PSU immediately. I am not sure it is wise running it without a working fan.

Most PSU's will make the top of the case quite warm - the case will conduct some of the heat anyway.

 

[Razor]

I would suggest getting a replacement fan or PSU immediately. I am not sure it is wise running it without a working fan.

I agree. I wouldn't risk it.

 

[neuty]

Thanks for all the advice.

Any psu's that might be suitable for my pc.

I'm only running my pc for a very short time to sort this problem out , it's now off most the time.

neuty

 

[Razor]

I always recomend the corsair psu's. They are based on the seasonic psu's which are regqarded as one of the best. Corsair have improved on the design and made the unit totally silent.

You can get a 520 watt and a 620 watt. Google about of the cheapest price.

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=446788

The 520watt should last a few upgrades.

Word of warning spend a bit of cash on a psu as cheap ones are never worth it and can fail easily and damage your hardware.

 

[james.miller]

the corsair vx450w is £44 from ebuyer. probably more suitable

 

[Razor]

the corsair vx450w is £44 from ebuyer. probably more suitable

I didnt know they did a 450w version. I take it is it new?

 

[james.miller]

sure is it's exactly what corsair needed to release to grab a share in the budget market. not everybody needs sli-powering monster psu's lol (regardless of how good they are hehe). they still use industry grade components (caps rate at 105c instead of 85c in most psu's for instance) and they still have the 5 year warranty.


this is what jonnhyguru had to say about the 450w:

Judging is done in four categories: Performance, Functionality, Value and Aesthetics. Each category has a different weight that accounts for a different percentage of the total score. At the end, they are all added up to make the final score. If the final score is 9 or higher, the power supply earns the jonnyGURU Recommended award.

The Performance score is 40% of the total score...

Keeping in mind that this power supply is only a 450W and only has one PCI-e connector, I will say that this unit, rated at continuous, can certainly power any single GPU rig. The efficiency is good, the regulation good, the noise non-existent.

Only the fact that the PSU wasn't at least 80% efficient during test 1 and the 3% regulation I experienced on the +5V rail kept this unit from getting a perfect performance score. Today, Corsair gets a 9.5.

The Functionality score is 20% of the total score...

First, we have to admire Corsair's willingness to put really long cables on this unit. Although this might not work well for those with SFF boxes or micro ATX towers, it's great for those of us with taller towers or the infamous "upside-down case." There are also plenty of connectors. With six SATA and six peripheral connectors, there's not a good chance you're going to end up needing a power connector splitter in your build.

It is too bad that the unit only has one PCI-e connector. Although most people don't have SLI or Crossfire, some times people use SLI or Crossfire certification as a mark of superiority. The VX450W has more power on the +12V than most 500W units and some 600W units and the build quality is probably better than half of the units on the SLI Certified list of power supplies.

Finally, we give props to the VX450W being in such a small package. The 5.5" depth is the perfect size for a power supply.

So for having a small housing, long cables, and plenty of connectors we give the VX450 props. But because of the lack of SLI or Crossfire capability, we can only give the VX450W a 9.5 for functionality.

The Value score is 30% of the total score...

When this review went live, this unit was not yet available retail, but when I asked Corsair what the sell price on this unit would be, I was pleased to hear that it should street for between $79 and $85. That's good because what we normally get when we're only willing to spend $85, if we even get a 450W power supply, is a power supply that's not 80% and up efficient, that's not quiet, that doesn't have sleeved cables and certainly doesn't use all Japanese capacitors. And typically, we don't get a 5 year warranty at this price point either.

There's a few other gems in this price range: The SilverStone Strider ST40EF, the Enhance ENP-5150GH, the Antec NeoHE 500W... but even in an across the board comparison the Corsair is still feature rich enough to stand out in the crowd. For value, I score the Corsair VX450W a 10.

The Aesthetics score is 10% of the total score...

The aesthetics score is up for having the cables sleeved to the last connector, but the flat black paint and neon green stickers aren't necessarily everyone's cup of tea. Then again, it might be. That's why aesthetics only makes up 10% of the total score. I'm giving the VX450W an 8.5 here.

If we add up our numbers, we end up with a score of 9.5.

Performance

9.5
Functionality

9.5
Value

10
Aesthetics

8.5
Total Score

9.5

Summary:

Corsair hit the ground running last year with the release of two top notch modular power supplies. This year, they took a chance and instead of going with a mega-high power unit like everyone else has and so many enthusiasts think they want, Corsair has taken the route of providing the DIY community with what they need: A top notch quality, feature rich power supply capable of putting out enough power for 90% of the users out there.

Let's face it. Most people don't have SLI. Most people don't even have video cards that require auxiliary power. The VX450W provides solid power, is efficient, is quiet and has nicely, fully-sleeved cables. All in a package that should retail for $85 or under. A price point where people typically neglect to make good decisions on their power supply. Now, when people in the forums ask for a good power supply that doesn't have to be modular and they have a sub-$100 budget, I know I can steer them towards the Corsair VX450W.

yep. if modular cabling isnt a concern (it shouldnt be really, not at this price point) it doesnt get any better than the corsair vx's

 

[Razor]

Nice one. Corsair seem to be doing very well in the psu sector. I am very pleased with mine.


Nice find there James. Cheers for the info.

 

[Synchro]

Don't be surprised if your goosed PSU has not fried some of your other componets when it dies. MOBO, HDD might also be goosed now.

 

[neuty]

thanks for the great response's.

I'm looking into the corsair vx450w that james suggested.It look's good on spec and price from Ebuyer. Will it be suitable for my pc spec or should i consider a bigger one.

Synchrouk : All seems ok with everything else at the moment , so fingers crossed nowt else goes wrong.

thanks again

neuty

 

[Razor]

thanks for the great response's.

I'm looking into the corsair vx450w that james suggested.It look's good on spec and price from Ebuyer. Will it be suitable for my pc spec or should i consider a bigger one.

Synchrouk : All seems ok with everything else at the moment , so fingers crossed nowt else goes wrong.

thanks again

neuty

The psu is fine for your spec of pc. If your thinking about upgrading in 6 months time then go for a bigger psu like the 520 or 620 watt corsair.

 

[pjclark1]

12v fans are less than £1 at ebuyer, and it's dead easy to replace.

 

[SeanT]

Leave the PSU unplugged from the mains for a couple of hours first though, they bite!

 

[Razor]

Leave the PSU unplugged from the mains for a couple of hours first though, they bite!

I switch the power off from the mains then push the power button on the pc. Normally a light on your pc will flash on for a few seconds and then fade away. This discharges the psu and the rest of the pc.