My power supply went pop!

Raccoon1400 · 2008-08-28 01:31:07

I plugged in the power bar my desktop is on and a pop and flash of light came from the power supply. I opened it and there was this component near the plug with rubber coating peeled back like a banana, and the bits of coating fell off when I touched them. The fuse was blown, which probably saved the motherboard. I managed to boot it up with another power supply. The old power supply had an extra plug, 4 pins, 2 rows, that plugged in next to the usb ports, and the new one doesn't have that. What is the significance of that? What could have caused this? Can I prevent it from happening again?

EDIT: We figured out the connector with 4 pins in 2 rows, totating 4 pins is a p4 connector.

Last edited by Raccoon1400 (2008-08-31 16:35:29)

rooloo · 2008-08-28 02:30:36

I have no idea about the extra plug without seeing a picture of it.

As far as PSU go though, I always tell people to shop for one thing. Buy a power supply that has 'active power factor correction'. This is a sign of quality and it's quality that will last forever when it comes to electronics.

Don't buy into the advertising BS, check the specs and make sure you know what your buying.

Misfit138 · 2008-08-28 02:32:03

Raccoon1400 wrote:

I plugged in the power bar my desktop is on and a pop and flash of light came from the power supply. I opened it and there was this component near the plug with rubber coating peeled back like a banana, and the bits of coating fell off when I touched them. The fuse was blown, which probably saved the motherboard. I managed to boot it up with another power supply. The old power supply had an extra plug, 4 pins, 2 rows, that plugged in next to the usb ports, and the new one doesn't have that. What is the significance of that? What could have caused this? Can I prevent it from happening again?

Sounds like you had a leaky capacitor that finally gave out with a boom. Next time, look for a high quality PSU that boasts good Japanese capacitors.
The connector is probably a p4 connector, which supplies extra power to the mobo, and I wouldn't recommend running it without; The mobo has to get the extra wattage from somewhere else now, potentially causing mayhem.

Misfit138 · 2008-08-28 02:38:01

rooloo wrote:

I have no idea about the extra plug without seeing a picture of it.
As far as PSU go though, I always tell people to shop for one thing. Buy a power supply that has 'active power factor correction'. This is a sign of quality and it's quality that will last forever when it comes to electronics.

I'm gonna go ahead and disagree here, strongly.
Active PFC is a sales pitch, and offers absolutely NO benefit to the end user whatsoever. It does, however, benefit the power grid, if you care about such things.
One by-product of purchasing a PSU that provides active PFC is that you may have a better chance of getting a quality PSU along with it, (though the active PFC itself offers no benefit) because manufacturers have been pressured to provide it on their premier lines, to compete with everyone else.
A few brands you may want to check out: PCP&C, Seasonic, FSP (Sparkle).

amokkk · 2008-08-28 02:57:24

APFC or PPFC doesn't matter that much as energy efficiency. look here for good PSU - http://www.80plus.org/manu/psu/psu_join.aspx
the 8 pin connector is just expanded 4 pin EPS12V (called p4 connector), your psu should have the one with 4 pins, you can safely connect it to 8 pin socket on your mobo.

Raccoon1400 · 2008-08-28 03:20:41

Misfit138 wrote:

Raccoon1400 wrote:
I plugged in the power bar my desktop is on and a pop and flash of light came from the power supply. I opened it and there was this component near the plug with rubber coating peeled back like a banana, and the bits of coating fell off when I touched them. The fuse was blown, which probably saved the motherboard. I managed to boot it up with another power supply. The old power supply had an extra plug, 4 pins, 2 rows, that plugged in next to the usb ports, and the new one doesn't have that. What is the significance of that? What could have caused this? Can I prevent it from happening again?
Sounds like you had a leaky capacitor that finally gave out with a boom. Next time, look for a high quality PSU that boasts good Japanese capacitors.
The connector is probably a p4 connector, which supplies extra power to the mobo, and I wouldn't recommend running it without; The mobo has to get the extra wattage from somewhere else now, potentially causing mayhem.

What sort of mayhem? Instability or permanent hardware damage?

The thing that fried didn't look like a capacitor.

I will provide pictures when I have the camera.

Last edited by Raccoon1400 (2008-08-28 03:23:25)

rooloo · 2008-08-28 03:23:38

One by-product of purchasing a PSU that provides active PFC is that you may have a better chance of getting a quality PSU along with it

So exactly what did I say? Because I am sure I said exactly what you repeated. I did not say he would get a benefit from a PFC PSU, I stated PFC is a sign of quality and you agreed.

I don't appreciate people putting words into my mouth.

rooloo · 2008-08-28 03:28:34

The thing that fried didn't look like a capacitor.

probably a thermistor, I have seen such weird things on cheapo PSU's

Raccoon1400 · 2008-08-28 03:41:40

My supply brand is SPARKLE POWER INT'L LTD.
So the brand is sparkle, and that it did.

http://www.overclockers.ru/images/lab/2 … /ps/36.jpg
The part that fried is the component in the top right corner,with the orange cap and black wire comming out of the top.

here too, bottom left corner of the chip on the heat sink.
http://www.overclockers.ru/images/lab/2 … /ps/39.jpg

Last edited by Raccoon1400 (2008-08-28 03:43:11)

rooloo · 2008-08-28 03:51:52

Raccoon1400 wrote:

My supply brand is SPARKLE POWER INT'L LTD.
So the brand is sparkle, and that it did.
http://www.overclockers.ru/images/lab/2 … /ps/36.jpg
The part that fried is the component in the top right corner,with the orange cap and black wire comming out of the top.
here too, bottom left corner of the chip on the heat sink.
http://www.overclockers.ru/images/lab/2 … /ps/39.jpg

Can you get a close up of the component? Are you sure that is the only damage to the PSU? No black spotting on the bottom of the waffer board?

edit: what are the numbers on the board next to the component?

Last edited by rooloo (2008-08-28 03:53:53)

Misfit138 · 2008-08-28 03:56:27

rooloo wrote:

One by-product of purchasing a PSU that provides active PFC is that you may have a better chance of getting a quality PSU along with it
So exactly what did I say? Because I am sure I said exactly what you repeated. I did not say he would get a benefit from a PFC PSU, I stated PFC is a sign of quality and you agreed.
I don't appreciate people putting words into my mouth.

APFC is a sign of quality like anti lock brakes and airbags are signs of good cars. Good PSU manufacturers offer APFC, and so do mediocre ones.
And no need for an attitude; I did not put any words in your mouth. I simply don't agree that looking for APFC is a good way to shop for a PSU.

rooloo · 2008-08-28 04:12:16

Well I disagree, because if you really need a reason to buy a PFC PSU then there is one. Even on mediocre PSU's. That benefit is they operate at lower tempatures.

Since heat is the number one killer of electronics components and energy efficiency then anything that helps reduce the heat and increase stability is well worth the extra cash.

Misfit138 · 2008-08-28 04:33:32

Raccoon1400 wrote:

What sort of mayhem? Instability or permanent hardware damage?

In my experience, instability and unpredictable behavior. I had a DFI board that actually utilized a floppy connector to provide extra power to the mobo, (before p4 connectors became popular). Leaving it off would cause random freezes, no doubt due to the variations in available wattage in the absence of the extra supply.
And I am especially saddened to hear that it was a Sparkle PSU which burned out; though they are usually quite affordable, they generally offer excellent value and quality.

Raccoon1400 · 2008-08-28 11:47:36

rooloo wrote:

edit: what are the numbers on the board next to the component?

R34

I will provide pictures on the weekend, when I have the camera.

Last edited by Raccoon1400 (2008-08-28 11:48:08)

Raccoon1400 · 2008-08-28 16:47:13

I looked at a computer store today. There was a Delta Power one for 40$ and a thermaltake for 70$
this is not a main computer. 1.8 GHz

amokkk · 2008-08-28 18:15:53

Was it Delta made by Delta Electronics? Do you know exactly which model was that?
I'm currently using Delta DPS-350 PB-2 in my seedbox. It's pretty much the same quality compared to Fortron from my sig.

Execute_Method · 2008-08-28 21:40:29

Raccoon1400 wrote:

rooloo wrote:
edit: what are the numbers on the board next to the component?
R34
I will provide pictures on the weekend, when I have the camera.

"R" designates a resistor, which is what it sort of looks like from the oc.ru pic.

It is probably a "power" resistor (current limiting) used by the PSU to put a limit on the current passed through the circuit.

There was probably a surge when you plugged it in, which supplied too much current through the resistor in turn blowing it to bits.
I'm surprised (but it's not out of the question in my experience) that the spike made it past the fault protection circuitry.

Last edited by Execute_Method (2008-08-28 21:49:09)

Execute_Method · 2008-08-28 21:47:55

Raccoon1400 wrote:

I looked at a computer store today. There was a Delta Power one for 40$ and a thermaltake for 70$
this is not a main computer. 1.8 GHz

I would definitely suggest getting a quality built powersupply with less output than a cheaper on with more wattage.

Was the comp store you went to a local place, cause if it was they are definitely charging too much. May I suggest trying www.newegg.com, they have always treated me very well.

$50-75
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi … 0-%20%2475

Pudge · 2008-08-29 01:39:21

Can I prevent it from happening again?

Was this computer hooked up to a good UPS such as an APC (American Power Conversion, Inc)? I highly recommend hooking any expensive electronic gear up to a UPS. Such as a stereo system, TV, computer, etc. A UPS supplies a constant voltage to the load, so your equipment doesn't experience power surges or brown out problems. It does this by converting the incoming AC voltage to DC Voltage, then converts the DC back to AC. The DC section is hooked up to batteries, which make great voltage regulators and filters. This process isolates the load from the variances of the Commercial AC power giving nice clean power to your equipment. This is also supposed to increase the life span of your equipment.

This model at Sam's Club is similar to the APC units I use, and is a good buy at $140 USD. Also, if you use APC, there is software available for Arch that allows the UPS and the computer to "talk" to each other and you can have the UPS gracefully shut down your computer in case of a power outage.

EDIT: What do they use in Canada? 120 VAC 60 Hz like the US?

Pudge

Last edited by Pudge (2008-08-29 02:00:01)

iphitus · 2008-08-29 03:13:57

Misfit138 wrote:

Raccoon1400 wrote:
What sort of mayhem? Instability or permanent hardware damage?
In my experience, instability and unpredictable behavior. I had a DFI board that actually utilized a floppy connector to provide extra power to the mobo, (before p4 connectors became popular). Leaving it off would cause random freezes, no doubt due to the variations in available wattage in the absence of the extra supply.
And I am especially saddened to hear that it was a Sparkle PSU which burned out; though they are usually quite affordable, they generally offer excellent value and quality.

Alternatively it could be like my motherboard...

After building my computer, I didn't get any accelerated graphics (or it didn't boot at all, I don't remember which) -- I'd forgot to plug an extra power connector to the board of similar description.

If it's worth mentioning, i've got a Seasonic PSU, not cheap, but it's a good brand, and it's almost silent.

Raccoon1400 · 2008-08-30 01:11:46

Execute_Method wrote:

Raccoon1400 wrote:
rooloo wrote:
edit: what are the numbers on the board next to the component?
R34
I will provide pictures on the weekend, when I have the camera.
"R" designates a resistor, which is what it sort of looks like from the oc.ru pic.
It is probably a "power" resistor (current limiting) used by the PSU to put a limit on the current passed through the circuit.
There was probably a surge when you plugged it in, which supplied too much current through the resistor in turn blowing it to bits.
I'm surprised (but it's not out of the question in my experience) that the spike made it past the fault protection circuitry.

Could this indicate something wrong with my power bar? I always unplug it when I will be away for a while to save power.

Execute_Method · 2008-08-30 23:17:37

Raccoon1400 wrote:

Execute_Method wrote:
Raccoon1400 wrote:
R34
I will provide pictures on the weekend, when I have the camera.
"R" designates a resistor, which is what it sort of looks like from the oc.ru pic.
It is probably a "power" resistor (current limiting) used by the PSU to put a limit on the current passed through the circuit.
There was probably a surge when you plugged it in, which supplied too much current through the resistor in turn blowing it to bits.
I'm surprised (but it's not out of the question in my experience) that the spike made it past the fault protection circuitry.
Could this indicate something wrong with my power bar? I always unplug it when I will be away for a while to save power.

Could be, not all surge protectors are created equal, and even still, it is possible for a small spike to leak through at initial power up. It is best that if you are going be completely disconnected from the power source (surge protector from outlet, or **psu power cord from surge protector**. It is best to have all related device switches in the **off** position when reapplying power. This will prevent the most common cause of current spikes, because *if* there is a spike on initial power, it won't enter the circuit, because the circuit will be "OPEN"

BTW, if you just power down your devices and possibly turn off your PSU switch there won't be any/ very little, current draw. Effectively you wouldn't see *any* "use" of power. Keep in mind though some devices (ie. tv, stereo) enter "standby" mode when the power is off, which is essentially a power save mode (so to speak) and will still draw current. However, it will be a lot less than if the device was on.

Last edited by Execute_Method (2008-08-30 23:21:31)

Raccoon1400 · 2008-08-31 01:08:20

I bought a new surge protector. This may or may not have been the issue, but I needed a bigger one anyway. I got an APC SurgeArrest 3400 J Maximum protection with 11 outlets and outlets for ethernet.

Raccoon1400 · 2008-08-31 01:22:01

On newegg.com, is there a specific PSU that anyone would recommend? I have ATX, 2 HDs, 2 CDs, and a fan, and need the P4 connector. The wires need to be long enough to accomodate for a large case. I want an affordable but decent one.

perost · 2008-08-31 10:19:27

Raccoon1400 wrote:

On newegg.com, is there a specific PSU that anyone would recommend? I have ATX, 2 HDs, 2 CDs, and a fan, and need the P4 connector. The wires need to be long enough to accomodate for a large case. I want an affordable but decent one.

Corsairs PSUs are always a safe bet, and I recommend Corsair 450W. It is of very good quality and very silent, and quite cheap for what you are getting. If you want something cheaper I can also recommend FSP 350W. It's not particulary efficient and not very silent either, but it's very cheap and of decent quality unlike most of the PSUs in that pricerange.

Arch Linux

#1 2008-08-28 01:31:07

My power supply went pop!

#2 2008-08-28 02:30:36

Re: My power supply went pop!

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