psu???help me please!!!

[nick1985]

i made a computer for a friend. specs, athlon 2100, 512 ram, geforce 4 ti4200(abit OTES), cdrw, 40 gig HD. the case was an antec with an antec 300 watt. every once in a while it restarts for no reason and re-boots. could it be that it just isnt getting enough juice? what are your thought, any suggestions would be great

 

[Paulson]

You wouldn't think that would be a big enough power drain to cause the comp to reboot... I've got way more crap than that in my pc and I've only got a 300 watt PS...

 

[Adul]

that should be plenty. I had more then that on my antex 300 watt power supply., but just in case monitor voltages

 

[whitelight]

if the computer is not overclocked, then that is definitely a possibility... although i think 300w is enough for that system.

 

[nick1985]

the computer is not overclocked

 

[chizow]

That should be enough. What kind of temps is he getting? What are the voltage readings, particularly the 3.3V and 5V rails? Also what OS is he running? Change the settings in Win2k or WinXP through the control panel/advanced settings so that Windows DOES NOT automatically reboot on error. This way you can see the BSOD message and refine your troubleshooting.

Also, he might not have clean power coming from his power outlet. The breaker may be stressed or fluctuating, which can cause reboots as well. If thats the case he may have to move some devices off that outlet or get a UPS which will give cleaner power output.

Chiz

 

[navylinux]

I would look at the temps in the case and on the CPU. Look at how cables are routed in the case, and are the blocking airflow in the case. Try taking everything out of the case and breadboarding the system on a table. Put the standoffs on the motherboard to keep it off the surface of the table. That way you do not short out the motherboard. Then if you have access to another PSU, then swap that out to see if that helps if you still have problems. If the problem is still there after that swap, look at swapping the motherboard.

Todd

 

[mitso]

make sure the reset pins on the power supply cable are not loose!
I had that same problem some time ago.