New CPU/MOBO/RAM power cuts out.

[grahowler]

Hi

Yesterday my PC started really playing up, badly, after I was trying to
play some music on it while running numerous other applications. This
was nothing more than I would normally do.

It's been in serious need of some more memory, it just had 256MB, and
it seemed to be RAM related so I went and got a new stick of RAM for it
(512MB), and while I was at it bought a DVD burner.

When I plugged in the new RAM and DVD burner it would boot, it just did
nothing except run the fans. At this point I thought it may have been
either the MOBO or the CPU. So I just thought hang it, I will go and
get a new MOBO (Asus PS800) and CPU (Celeron 3.2GHZ) too, which I did.

I put the new MOBO in and the CPU. Now it just runs for a few seconds,
makes an unusual sound, from the PSU I think, then stops running. I've
read a few postings here and I realised that I should unplug
everything, except the PSU and RAM and see if it will boot, but it
won't.

It makes a strange, very short, sound from the PSU. I think it's coming
from there because the speaker is unplugged and I can't hear it
anywhere else.

If I unplug the RAM the noise will happen numerous times before the
power eventually cuts out.

Is it that the PSU is no good, or something else?

Thanks!

 

[kony]

Hi

Yesterday my PC started really playing up, badly, after I was trying to
play some music on it while running numerous other applications. This
was nothing more than I would normally do.

Playing up?
It's kinda important to know what's wrong, what it's doing,
exactly, (and then telling us, too) if you have any hopes of
troubleshooting.

It's been in serious need of some more memory, it just had 256MB, and
it seemed to be RAM related so I went and got a new stick of RAM for it
(512MB), and while I was at it bought a DVD burner.

So to be clear, the system was doing something wrong so you
added more parts? First, remove those parts, fix the
original problem, THEN readd the parts.

When I plugged in the new RAM and DVD burner it would boot, it just did
nothing except run the fans.

Then it would POST, but not boot. Booting is loading the
OS, too.

At this point I thought it may have been
either the MOBO or the CPU. So I just thought hang it, I will go and
get a new MOBO (Asus PS800) and CPU (Celeron 3.2GHZ) too, which I did.

Unless your fan failed or heatsink fell off, CPU isn't
likely. Mobo or power supply are the most common failings.
What make model wattage and what other parts are in the
system?

I put the new MOBO in and the CPU. Now it just runs for a few seconds,
makes an unusual sound, from the PSU I think, then stops running. I've
read a few postings here and I realised that I should unplug
everything, except the PSU and RAM and see if it will boot, but it
won't.

The odds suggest you have a PSU Problem, OR it could just be
that your PSU is inadequate for the new parts combo, but
would've worked on the old parts except that you had some
other problem with the old parts.

It's good to methodically check each system because it helps
to rule out # of variables... as it is now, nothing has been
ruled out yet and without known good PSU, it's hard to be
sure the new motherboard and CPU even work. They probably
do, being new, but sometimes people just seem jinxed or
something, the one time they get a bad board it was right
after they had another problem (or maybe that prompted the
board purchase), and if a PSU problem, maybe it even damages
the new board so the PSU is replaced but the new board is
now damaged.

it would be good to take voltage readings with a multimeter
and give us full specs on your PSU. It's likely not
adequate, modern systems need a lot more 12V current than
yesteryear's did... that is if the PSU still worked fine per
it's specs, which we can't be sure of either.

It makes a strange, very short, sound from the PSU. I think it's coming
from there because the speaker is unplugged and I can't hear it
anywhere else.

If I unplug the RAM the noise will happen numerous times before the
power eventually cuts out.

Is it that the PSU is no good, or something else?

Thanks!

It is a sound a damaged/dead/dying/etc PSU can make. It is
the most likely problem. It's not impossible for there to
be another problem too, or instead. Decide if you
want/need/etc the new board and CPU, as a new PSU may run
the old ones ok. So, if your current PSU isn't a good brand
with high wattage rating, it probably ought to be replaced
now.... even if it works, since a poor PSU will be trouble
sooner or later when building a new system needing more
current.

 

[grahowler]

Thanks for the reply...

Playing up?

It started squealing through the speakers and locked up (Win XP).
Required a restart, would run fine for 10-15 mins, then lock up again.

So to be clear, the system was doing something wrong so you

added more parts?

Yes & No. I thought it was RAM, so I replaced that. Then, when I went
to start it, it would not POST (sorry I should have been clearer about
that in the first place.

I tried removing the video and sound cards, and nothing. It wouldn't
POST, the HD didn't seem to do anything. Apart from the fans running it
just appeared dead.

Unless your fan failed or heatsink fell off, CPU isn't
likely. Mobo or power supply are the most common failings.

Yes, I thought it may have been the Mobo, therefore I decided to
replace it. As the CPU was slow (1.6GHZ Celeron) I decided to replace
that too.

What make model wattage and what other parts are in the
system?

PSU: Hairong ATX-400W
Mobo: Asus P5S800
CPU: Celeron D, 3.2GHZ, 533MHZ FSB
RAM: TwinMOS 512MB
HD: Seagate 40GB
CD-R: Sony
DVD-R: Sony
FDD: Sony

Don't forget I am trying to start it now with nothing plugged into the
Mobo, just power supply and power switch.

It's good to methodically check each system because it helps
to rule out # of variables

This is what I was trying to do with the new RAM, when that didn't work
I thought (hoped) that it was the Mobo so I'd replace that. (I should
note at this stage that it wouldn't post after I put the new RAM in,
then put the old RAM back in too.)

if a PSU problem, maybe it even damages

the new board so the PSU is replaced but the new board is
now damaged.

I hope not.

Decide if you
want/need/etc the new board and CPU

Decisions already made, I bought em, I'll keep em.

So, if your current PSU isn't a good brand

with high wattage rating, it probably ought to be replaced
now....

I have no idea if the brand is good, bad or indifferent.

Well, thanks for the reply, sorry for my hardware ignorance but I
appreciate the response.

Cheers.

 

[kony]

PSU: Hairong ATX-400W
Mobo: Asus P5S800
CPU: Celeron D, 3.2GHZ, 533MHZ FSB
RAM: TwinMOS 512MB
HD: Seagate 40GB
CD-R: Sony
DVD-R: Sony
FDD: Sony

Don't forget I am trying to start it now with nothing plugged into the
Mobo, just power supply and power switch.

Perhaps someone else is familiar with the Hairong PSU brand
but I am not and would presume it is a generic... that may
not be capable of the current needed or could have failed
already. A multimeter can be used to take voltage readings,
and after AC power has been unplugged from it for several
minutes you might inspect the interior for visual hints of
failings such as vented capacitors. Also note whether the
fan on it spins, if you hadn't checked already.

When you write above "just power supply and power switch", I
presume you mean also the CPU, video, and one memory module
since these are required also for it to at least POST.