The Bang

Nicholas

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Hi.

My desktop PC is out of commission, and I am currently borrowing my mother's old laptop for work.

For about 2 hours after the end of load shedding yesterday, the electricity at Beatty House was out. When power was restored and I plugged in and switched on my big white box, something went bang, and then...well no booting screen. I could not smell anything burning.
 

biometrics

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Oct 17, 2019
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20,266
Hi.

My desktop PC is out of commission, and I am currently borrowing my mother's old laptop for work.

For about 2 hours after the end of load shedding yesterday, the electricity at Beatty House was out. When power was restored and I plugged in and switched on my big white box, something went bang, and then...well no booting screen. I could not smell anything burning.
Bang sounds like the power supply. What is it, I might be able to donate you one?
 

Nicholas

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Hello Biometrics. Thanks. Are you asking whether I have taken my PC to a PC shop to establish whether it is the PSU that has blown.
Mine is a SuperFlower 80 Plus Gold 550W. I bought it from Wootware years ago.
 
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Hobbiton, Andromeda
Hi.

My desktop PC is out of commission, and I am currently borrowing my mother's old laptop for work.

For about 2 hours after the end of load shedding yesterday, the electricity at Beatty House was out. When power was restored and I plugged in and switched on my big white box, something went bang, and then...well no booting screen. I could not smell anything burning.
Easy way to test is to smell the fan at the back of the power supply. Burnt electronics have a distinctive smell. If you smell nothing there, just open the PC case and have a look. You'll likely see swollen capacitors on anything that's damaged as well as potential black marks.

This will help diagnose what needs replacing and is free to do :D


1649932741853.jpeg
 

biometrics

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Hello Biometrics. Thanks. Are you asking whether I have taken my PC to a PC shop to establish whether it is the PSU that has blown.
Mine is a SuperFlower 80 Plus Gold 550W. I bought it from Wootware years ago.
Now that I think about it I'll need to test my old power supply. Last I switched it on the PC didn't boot but I assumed it was the motherboard or CPU.

Confirm if it's your power supply then I'll make a plan.
 

Nicholas

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Easy way to test is to smell the fan at the back of the power supply. Burnt electronics have a distinctive smell. If you smell nothing there, just open the PC case and have a look. You'll likely see swollen capacitors on anything that's damaged as well as potential black marks.

This will help diagnose what needs replacing and is free to do :D


View attachment 32525
Do bad capacitors become taller when they swell?

I didn't smell anything when something exploded. I have just smelled the back of the PSU. Nothing unusual.
 
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Do bad capacitors become taller when they swell?

I didn't smell anything when something exploded. I have just smelled the back of the PSU. Nothing unusual.
They don't grow, but the top bulges out like the ones in the photo I posted. If it's excessive you'll also see a liquid has run out the top. But they should be flat on top, so if any aren't flat, it's a sign they're damaged.
 

Nicholas

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I had a quick look at my motherboard. LOTS of capacitors, but none of them seem to have burst. I will take out my graphics card later to see if I missed any there.
 

Düber

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I had a quick look at my motherboard. LOTS of capacitors, but none of them seem to have burst. I will take out my graphics card later to see if I missed any there.
The power supply is the most likely the culprit, you would have to take it out and remove its covers to have a look. Usually easier to just replace it if there is no power coming out of it.

Do any fans spin up or any LED's light up?
 

Nicholas

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The power supply is the most likely the culprit, you would have to take it out and remove its covers to have a look. Usually easier to just replace it if there is no power coming out of it.

Do any fans spin up or any LED's light up?
I'm not going to risk trying to open it up. I would rather buy a new one. [550W 80 plus gold-rated] I'll be taking a look at what Wootware and Rebeltech have.

I heard the bang the moment I pressed the power switch. I didn't think of looking to see whether the PSU fan had started spinning, and I don't have fancy LED lights inside my PC. The case's previous owner put in a 200mm side fan with a red LED, but that faces towards a wall, so I don't usually notice it.
 

biometrics

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Any confirmation if it's the PSU?

I have this one, that needs to be tested, I can send to you:

1650224082468.png
 
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What do you think of this one?
I would rather go for this:


It'd 750W instead of 550 so has head room for when you end up upgrading/replacing your current system. I have it in my rig, works perfectly.
 
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