Failure to Turn on PC

[StaticEel]

Well first off here is my problem. This is the second time this has happened so I will describe the first time which was a few months ago followed by what just recently happend. Basically I had a Antec Neo Power 480watt. My current devices that are using the most power are 4xHDD, 1DVD drive, Floppy drive. 2x6600GT, A8N-SLI Deluxe Mobo, AMD 3800+. I have my PC plugged into an APC Battery Backup along with my LCD and printer.

Well it started when I turned off my PC once. As in I shut it down and it was completely off, not a simple restart. When I pushed the button to turn it on... nothing. Now the PC had JUST been on. I unplugged everything in the back, undid the side panel and looked around but didn't see anything loose. I started plugging things back in and when I put the power cable back in it turned on. It only did this once as the second time, it just wouldn't turn on at all. The weird thing was that the Power LED on the origional motherboard was on saying it was getting power. I also tried a different motherboard (which the Power LED on the new Mobo was on as well) and it would not turn on. I tried a different power cable and it wouldn't turn on. In addition I unplugged everything and replugged them in, and also tried a simple setup of just a video card, ram, and CPU to see if it would turn on and it would not.

I chalked it up the the PS being a dud and went out and got a new Antec 500 watt. I plugged it all in and it worked fine... for awhile. Today it just died. Same symptoms. Two days ago I turned off the PC and then tried to turn it on. It wouldn't start, I unplugged everything, looked inside, plugged everything back in and it booted up. But like I said, I turned off the PC today and it WILL NOT turn on. When I jumper the two pins (forget the numbers offhand) on the Mobo connector cable on the PS it will turn on but it seems VERY weak, as in the Fan on the PS is clicking like it is trying to turn but it can't. This happened to the first PS as well.

Is there perhaps something wrong with the Wall Outlet, Battery Backup, Mobo, to much stuff in my PC so I need MORE power, or is it I just got unlucky with two duds?

Thank you for atleast reading this far hehe.

 

[sctakeshi]

Can you smell anything burning? I just had a similar problem, and it was a fried CPU.

 

[StaticEel]

No nothing is burning that I know of. This is all the same equipment as the first time the powersupply went out. I am just trying to find what is causing my powersupplies to die.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

I'm the local antec psu hater. I think the NeoHEs and Phantoms are built by Seasonic and
those I might consider using if Enhance, Zippy/Emacs, Seasonic, high-end FSP Group or
Enermax were not made.

I take it you have not RMAed the first unit.

Do this to the one that is out of the system. Load the 12V line with several fans, it needs a load. On the 20/24 pin ATX connection, jump the green to black near the center of this
connector as this will enable the PSU to power on. Plug the PSU into the wall socket, then turn on the switch at the rear of the PSU. The fans should spin up if the jumper is in place. Givin this, the PSU *might* be good. Even if it does power up, use a flashlight to look inside best you can. Are there any signs of caps leaking, was there ever the smell of rotten eggs or ammonia while the PSU was in use.? If these odors were present, that would mean bad caps.
Do the same to the PSU that is in the case.

If the first PSU is out of warrenty, open and inspect it. For pics of leaking c(r)aps go to,
http://www.motherboardrepair.com/ antec PSUs are famous for this flaw.

Sorry if I sound irritated but when weak PSUs kill good hardware...That's a bad thing


...Galvanized

 

[StaticEel]

I took your advice and opened up the first PS I had. There were two capacitors that had a whole in the top of them and a little brown junk that had collected on and near the hole. The second one I am not going to open because I am RMA'ing it. I actually remembered to keep the receipt for that one. If that is the problem with the second one that is very bad luck and hope the third one doesn't have the same problem.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

The bad PSU can be recapped if your good with an iron. They are supposed to be alot easyer than a mainboard becase the PSU's pcb in not multi-layered. I have a bad generic here that I will experement on soon. Look for reccomended caps and read the PSU forum at badcaps.net...Plz. They have a super long thread dedicated to antec's caps. They also reccomend decent PSUs that have a long service life.

Just get your money back and buy a $80 Fortron and be done with it. Search the General Hardware Forum for antec PSU problems. When PSUs go bad they can kill HDDs w/voltage spikes on the 5V rail.


...Galvanized

 

[sctakeshi]

I've heard bad things about the Antec Neo supplies (the first one he mentioned) but never anything bad about their TruePower line.