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Thread: Dead computer

  1. #1
    Senior Member computer_kid1's Avatar
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    Dead computer

    I have had a bit of trouble with my graphics card getting very hot recently. So much so that it has stopped a couple of times and I have been left with a black screen. After some time to cool it has run fine again.
    I have tried underclocking my graphics card but it hasn't made much difference (just slowed the effects a little).



    Yesterday while playing a game my computer totally died (PSU turned off). I touched the graphics card and it was very hot, so my guess was that it had died. After removing the card, the computer made some beeps (probably saying there is no graphics card present). So I guessed it was just the card that was wrong. (If I tried to boot with the card in (after cooling) the computer would do nothing, no beep)

    I then got hold of a friends graphics card (X700) to see if the computer would work with that. Trying to boot with that did the same thing, no post at all. After then removing the graphics card (X700) and trying to boot again, the same. So now my computer will not do anything (no fans spin up). Also the light on the mobo that is allways on doesn't light at all.

    What do you think has happened here? Has the graphics card died, and then the PSU died straight after for no reason? Has my mobo died?

    I don't have any spare PSU's so can't test that at the moment, but was hoping that you may be able to give me some advice. I should be able to get hold of another PSU to test tomorrow.

    Thanks alot, Dave.


    Spec:
    MSI A8N-SLI
    AMD 64 3500+
    Antec 400W SmartPower PSU
    ATI X800 (sapphire) 256mb

  2. #2
    Mod w/ an attitude Sterling_Aug's Avatar
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    Try your graphics card in a friends PC, I bet it will work fine.

    It sounds like your power supply died. Try cleaning out the dust bunnies inside. If that doesn't work, then get a new PS.

  3. #3
    Senior Member computer_kid1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sterling_Aug
    Try your graphics card in a friends PC, I bet it will work fine.

    It sounds like your power supply died. Try cleaning out the dust bunnies inside. If that doesn't work, then get a new PS.
    Ok, so you think it was just lucky that the computer beeped when it had no graphics card in those couple of times?

    After the computer died, it beeped a couple of times with no graphics card in it. Now it doesn't beep at all.

    There is no dust in it im a bit of a clean freak so there is very little dust in my case.

  4. #4
    Mod w/ an attitude Sterling_Aug's Avatar
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    Not in the case, inside of the power supply itself. The fan pulls dust into it and then sticks to the heat sinks inside. Blow air into the fans and watch the dust fly.

  5. #5
    Ultimate Member Rocketmech's Avatar
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    The cheap way to test your psu is to check the "power good" signal and see if the psu will power on . Then check the power rails with a voltmeter . Usually the fan running or not will give you an immediate indication if the psu is good or not.

    ATX Power Supply Diagrams

    Disconnect all the leads from the psu . Jumper pins 14 and 15 on the main power connector with a paper clip . Then turn the psu on using the toggle switch on the back of the psu if available or just plug it in . If the fan turns on , check the voltages are good , +3.3v, +5v and +12v with a meter . They should be steady since you have no load .

    If it powers on , then something else is bad . Try one thing at a time to find it .
    Last edited by Rocketmech; 02-25-2007 at 12:30 PM.

  6. #6
    Senior Member computer_kid1's Avatar
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    My PSU is:: http://www.antec.com/specs/SP400_spe_eu.html

    Mine is a 24pin not a 20 pin. The diagram on the link you posted Rocketmech is a 20 pin. How do i jumper 14-15 on a 24pin? Is it a different pin layout?


    EDIT::
    OK ive found out which 2 pins it is. I have cleaned out my whole case and have blasted the PSU. I then jumpered what is pins 16+17 on my PSU and switched on...

    nothing happened... so im guessing my PSU is dead. Just hope that ebuyer will take it back. Is it still worth me checking my graphics card on someones computer? or are you fairly sure that it is just the PSU that is bad
    Last edited by computer_kid1; 02-25-2007 at 01:22 PM.

  7. #7
    Mod w/ an attitude Sterling_Aug's Avatar
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    It is always good to test the card before you buy the power supply.

  8. #8
    Senior Member computer_kid1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sterling_Aug
    It is always good to test the card before you buy the power supply.

    ??

    This is a previously working computer. The graphics card and PSU both previously worked. I don't plan on buying a new PSU, im hoping that ebuyer will replace this one.

  9. #9
    Ultimate Member Rocketmech's Avatar
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    It makes sense to check the vga card as Sterling advised , but imo your psu is not working. FWIW , the Antec SP 2.0 psu's have a big history of premature failure . Hopefully nothing else is damaged . And yes , you should pursue a rma with Ebuyer .

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