Dead Antec PSU?

[S.Boardman]

Hello . I have a 430W Antec Truepower fitted to a MSI KT3 Ultra, Athlon
XP2500+ Barton, Mirror RAID 2xWD 80Gb, Pioneer 6x DVD, 2x512Mb Corsair
PC3200 RAM, Radeon 9800Pro

Not having enough room for the two HD next to each other, I ordered a drive
caddy. I put it altogther and switched on. The fans twitched and nothing
happened. This is most I get, often not even that. ATM I have a 300W PSU
connected which is not suitable.

Is the PSU knackered? It is only a year old. Should the place that sold it
to me replace it?

 

[w_tom]

Using the multimeter and following procedures, learn both
the integrity of that power supply and how such power supplies
work: "Computer doesnt start at all" in alt.comp.hardware
on 10 Jan 2004 at
http://tinyurl.com/2t69q or
"I think my power supply is dead" in alt.comp.hardware on 5
Feb 2004 at
http://tinyurl.com/yvbw9

Notice Green wire is how power supply controller orders
power supply to power on. Also put some numbers to how much
power is required. Disk drives typically require 10 watts or
less. Furthermore, some switching power supplies have a
minimum load requirement. Others can work just fine even with
no load. Another reason why each power supply must provide a
long list of numerical specifications.

To answer your question, a 3.5 digit multimeter is necessary
- so that you have the answer or so that you have data so that
others can answer your question.

 

[kony]

Hello . I have a 430W Antec Truepower fitted to a MSI KT3 Ultra, Athlon
XP2500+ Barton, Mirror RAID 2xWD 80Gb, Pioneer 6x DVD, 2x512Mb Corsair
PC3200 RAM, Radeon 9800Pro

Not having enough room for the two HD next to each other, I ordered a drive
caddy. I put it altogther and switched on. The fans twitched and nothing
happened. This is most I get, often not even that. ATM I have a 300W PSU
connected which is not suitable.

Is the PSU knackered? It is only a year old. Should the place that sold it
to me replace it?

As W_Tom suggested, if you have a multimeter you might take
voltage readings.

Otherwise, check that the rear fan is turning, none of the
wires are shorting out.

I don't know if you're entitled to have the seller replace
or not under UK law, otherwise the Antec warranty would take
effect if it's a retail product instead of OEM. If all else
fails you might open it and inspect the interior, though you
shouldn't do that until after other avenues are exhausted,
especially if there's a tamper-resistant sticker on the side
it wouldn't be good to break that, might void warranty.

 

[S.Boardman]

As W_Tom suggested, if you have a multimeter you might take
voltage readings.

Otherwise, check that the rear fan is turning, none of the
wires are shorting out.

ATM I don't have a voltmeter, but I will look into getting one. The PC works
with another PSU (inferior), so it can't be the power switch. Following the
links from w_tom, you posted
//

To verify, you had a load attached? Many power supplies that need an
external load, would do just that, power on only long enough to stir
the fan, then shut off.

Yeah, I had a load attached.

Assuming you did have the optical drive attached, that would indicate
a failure of the power supply.

//
I also had a load attached - everything that is normally connected. Assume
for the moment that the fan of the PSU went round. I'll check it when I turn
off next.

 

[S.Boardman]

Using the multimeter and following procedures, learn both
the integrity of that power supply and how such power supplies
work: "Computer doesnt start at all" in alt.comp.hardware
on 10 Jan 2004 at
http://tinyurl.com/2t69q or
"I think my power supply is dead" in alt.comp.hardware on 5
Feb 2004 at
http://tinyurl.com/yvbw9

Notice Green wire is how power supply controller orders
power supply to power on. Also put some numbers to how much
power is required. Disk drives typically require 10 watts or
less. Furthermore, some switching power supplies have a
minimum load requirement. Others can work just fine even with
no load. Another reason why each power supply must provide a
long list of numerical specifications.

To answer your question, a 3.5 digit multimeter is necessary
- so that you have the answer or so that you have data so that
others can answer your question.

I will try and get a multimeter like you suggest. I did read through those
links. The PC works with another power supply, so it can't be the power on
button or the motherboard.

 

[w_tom]

It still could be any of those other items causing
problems. Less likely since another power supply worked
fine. For example, if the motherboard did not get voltage
down below the limit, then some power supplies would work fine
and others would not. It would look like a power supply
problem even though problem was really the motherboard
controller.

Notice how observation lead to one conclusion. Then the
numbers resulted in a completely different conclusion.
Demonstrates why we always need the numbers - and therefore
why the multimeter is so powerful tool.

A first meter - to learn and appreciate what meters can do -
should be available for about £10.

 

[kony]

//

Yeah, I had a load attached.

//
I also had a load attached - everything that is normally connected. Assume
for the moment that the fan of the PSU went round. I'll check it when I turn
off next.

Along that line of thinking, if you connect the power supply
to a load like an optical drive (two would be better) or
preferribly a _spare_ hard drive (not your most valuable
drive, something you can afford to lose if it failed), then
short the power supply PS_ON pin to ground, the power supply
should keep running. If it does not keep running there's
little point to buying, using a multimeter on it.

 

[S.Boardman]

Along that line of thinking, if you connect the power supply
to a load like an optical drive (two would be better) or
preferribly a _spare_ hard drive (not your most valuable
drive, something you can afford to lose if it failed), then
short the power supply PS_ON pin to ground, the power supply
should keep running. If it does not keep running there's
little point to buying, using a multimeter on it.

OK I tried the PSU on another PC, with PS_ON test. The fan went round OK. I
booted into the BIOS settings, the voltages looked OK, the +12V flicking
between 11.85 and 11.91. This was the setting that was voltage that was
furthest away from its 'label'. Only an optical drive was attached.

I tried the same PS_ON test on the problem PC, just with an optical drive
attached. The PSU fan went round, and also the DVD-ROM powered up. The light
came on, it tried to spin the disk, and I could eject the disk. I don't know
if this was supposed to happen?

I can return the PSU, but I'm not sure now it *is* faulty! I'll try and get
a multimeter this week.