OCZ at it again [URGENT]!

[t33lo]

This is the second OCZ powersupply (OCZ POWERSTREAM 520W) that I have purchased. The first one blew out one of my rams. WHen I'd plug it in it would spark and sometimes it would blow out a fuse and i'd have to go downstairs and reset the circuit breaker. I RMA'd it and got another one and it did the same thing. I plugged it into two different surge protectors and plugged it in and instantly i heard the circuit breaker reset and the power go out. I doubt that I'd get two faulty PSU's. Am I plugging the PSU into my motherboard the wrong way? I have DFI LANPARTY SLI-DR. I plug in the 24 pin ATX connection, the 12 volt in the motherboard and thats it for direct power going into mobo. What is going on? I'm about to scream.

 

[danizaken]

Did you choose the right voltage type: 110v or 220v on the back of the psu?

 

[poly4life]

I was just about to suggest that, choosing the right AC voltage. If it was set to the correct position, check the circuit breaker, inspecting what else is on the same line as the PSU that could be causing problems. In fact, try disconnecting all but the most essential items on that line and see if that does the trick.

 

[RichPLS]

Sounds like definately a short. You board could be fried. Does it work with another PSU?
You should test your equipment before blowing a third. Check you outlet wiring also.

<pre><font color=red>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre><p></font color=red>

 

[t33lo]

The board worked with my other friends psu i think 420 w. I tried various outlets too and it still does it. THe psu sparks and trips the circuit breaker even when the psu is off so i doubt its the mobo's problem. I don't know if the house can't handle it or what. It is on the 110 V setting not 220. I have the 20+4 pin connected, the p4 for the proc, and thats it. I talked to th eguys at OCZ they gave me help on it but it still does it. I'm literally scared when plugging this thing in cuz i don't want to fry anything. I do doubt that it will fry anything if the psu is on 0 (off), at least I hope so. I really like this psu and I know its not faulty cuz I read all teh reviews from 50+ people and no one had this problem.

 

[RichPLS]

Check the wiring in the outlet. See if the +/- is crossed up. Some devices will still work if they are, so test your outlet.

<pre><font color=red>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre><p></font color=red>

 

[poly4life]

It's apparent that the mobo is, perhaps, the least likely culprits; so, you can set that aside. You say it trips the circuit breaker with the PSU switch on "off"? Does this spark exist on the mobo side of the PSU or the joint between itself and the outlet? Are you confident that devices at other outlets, connected on the SAME line, are properly installed? If you have no reason to suspect, like Rich mentioned, that the outlets are incorrectly wired, then perhaps the PSU is busted - but verify that claim by inspecting the outlet(s). It's possible that, internally, the PSU is locked at 220V, effectively incapacitating the toggle switch.

BTW, what input did OCZ bestow on you?

 

[poly4life]

It's also possible that you have too many devices on one line. Furthermore, when you connected the PSU, resulting in the circuit breaker opening because of a short circuit, it may have damaged other devices on the same line. I would check those appliances. Again, something is not correctly grounded and this condition may exist behind the outlet(s) or with another device.

 

[t33lo]

I have tried w/wo a surge protector in a single outlet. The PSU is set at the 110 and I didn't touch any of those adjustable rail settings. I spent the extra 60+ bucks to get a top of the line psu and I get shafted. What does it exactly mean when it trips the circuit breaker? I'm looking for the technical terms actually. I will call OCZ again tommorow and see whats going on. I know that the PSU has some kind of circuit protection in case of over/underflow so I don't think it is capable of burning out any components (i hope). If it comes down to it I might get another PSU. Any suggestions? I have dfi lanparty sli-dr, SD 3700+, 3 fans + zalman cnps7000 120mm, raptor, floppy, cdrom, bfg 7800 (possible sli not sure). I'm really scared with adjusting the rails or any thing without the help of the OCZ tech support. I don't want to ruin anything because of my fault. I don't consider myself an idiot when it comes to computers. WTF IS GOING ON?

 

[OldBear]

Did you follow <A HREF="http://www.bleedinedge.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5661" target="_new">THESE</A> instructions?

<font color=blue><b>I Harley here, I Harley there, this bear will Harley anywhere.</font color=blue>
<font color=red>I am the Harley Bear.

 

[t33lo]

I called up OCZ and this is exactly what they told me to do. It was what I had done to begin with. It still trips the breaker. Is the wiring in my house bad? The computer I used before with a surge protector and a weaker psu never ever had a problem.

Is it possible my house just sucks ass and can't handle this PSU? Sounds kinda bizarre but just wondering.

 

[poly4life]

First, t33lo, this is your second PSU from OCZ. While they don't have a long, illustrious track record like some of its competitors, I sincerely doubt the second PSU was shipped damaged. Anything is possible, yes, but it is not a priority. Your priority is the circuit breaker.

Also, it is hot all over the U.S. (is that where you reside?); If you live in a humid area, it's very possible that moisture built up on some corroided voltage lines, probably just outside your home, and shorted that line. Then again, I'd imagine this would cause problems to everything on that AC line.

The circuit breaker trips when there is too much current, essentially a short circuit. When you connected the PSU, even though it's off, it's still has a resistance. Think of resistance like a measure of water flow through a fixed pipe, think of current as water, the PSU as a resistor, and the wires connecting the circuit as tunnels. The resistor, or PSU, is a fixed size pipe. The smaller the pipe (greater resistance) the less water can full through in a given time. The larger the pipe (less resistance), then more water can flow through. When a short circuit occurs, it's as if the pipe was busted wide-open, with the water flowing the tunnel at an extremely high rate. So, even if the PSU is off, it still has resistance.

Now then, since the PSU was off and the circuit breaker tripped, it's possible that the PSU tripped it IF it's damaged. However, we set that accusation aside for now. Oh, almost forgot, did you hear a clicking noise from the PSU when you connected it to the AC outlet? If you did, it must've protected itself and your mobo (btw, if you installed one graphics card in your mobo, then it's NOT running in SLi mode).

Here's what you should do: take out all but the most critical components to run the system - all that should remain are one stick of RAM, the PSU, the mobo, the proc w/HSF, no case fans (leave the case open; we're just looking for the system to initialize successfully), video card (if possible, use a less powerful, alternative discrete graphics card or on-bard graphics if one is available and can be enabled at this stage of troubleshooting), the monitor, and the keyboard. Plug the cable into the PSU, then turn it on.

If it clicks at this point, that means the PSU was fed too much current or voltage (I believe you said it has both) and protected the system components. These protection mechanisms ONLY work on the DC side, not the AC line. If the circuit breaker tripped, as well, the PSU was fed too much AC current - basically a short circuit - and the PSU kicked in DC overcurrent protection. Again, this applies if you heard a click when it's ON.

If you repeat this step, but leave the PSU toggle switch to OFF and you hear a click, then you know the circuit breaker has tripped and the PSU is NOT causing the problem - the sudden surge of current off of your AC line is beginning at some other node, or device. [Edit: I apologize. What I should've said is if the PSU does click while it's OFF, then the PSU is either shorted or there is an overwhelming amount of current such that the open circuit of the PSU is closed.] If the PSU doesn't click, that's fine too. This just means that the circuit breaker tripped before the current had a chance to reach the PSU.

Here's what you do now. Find out what is feeding off the AC line, the same one connected to the PSU, and disconnect every single device that you can, especially the ones that need a wealth of power. Ideally, the AC line should be clean. Or, no devices should be on that line. Connect the PSU to the outlet and set it to OFF. Check if the circuit breaker tripped. If it didn't, turn on the PSU and check again. If all is fine, you know something else is causing the short circuit. If it shorts when it's OFF, the wiring inside your walls needs examination. If it shorts when it's ON, then it could be either the wiring (check the outlet) or the PSU.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by poly4life on 08/04/05 04:17 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[t33lo]

Awsome thanks for the advice I will try first thing in the morning. I also did resort to using one stick of ram and crappy pci card cuz i didn't want to take any chances. Would it be safe to assume that a room with 2 outlets, nothing in both except surge protector wiht my psu plugged into it would be clean?

I was also told from OCZ (which I will do tommorow) is to put a paper clip in to pins on the Atx 20 pin cable and just plug in a few fans using th emolex and see if it still trips or short circuits.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by t33lo on 08/03/05 11:16 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[poly4life]

Yes, that's fine. In fact, instead of hooking up all of the components, just try that, for it puts the minimum amount of load on the PSU. If this works, don't assume it's not the PSU. Just because the PSU works heavenly at one load, it doesn't equate to all loads. Meaning, a case fan is a case fan. A gaming rig is an entirely different matter. That's why those power supply testers are of little help during troubleshooting, for they draw very little power from the PSU.

Oh, and be very careful! Take your time and if your not sure about something, ask somebody who knows. Better safe than sorry.

Edit: In the second to or last paragraph, I talked about troubleshooting with a clean AC line. I made a slight error. If the PSU is set at ON or OFF, a click occurs, and circuit breaker trips, it could be EITHER the PSU and/or wiring (again, check the outlet first - start with the easy stuff). The key is in the click. When the PSU is set to OFF, you don't want to hear a click. It only clicks when a circuit is closed. In OFF mode, the circuit is open, at the PSU. If a big enough current flows, it could close the circuit. If that happens, the PSU should click, indicating overcurrent protection or short circuit protection on the DC side, and the AC current reached the PSU BEFORE the circuit breaker tripped. Either the PSU is not internally wired or functioning correctly or it's the house wiring.

On the other hand, if the circuit breaker trips, the PSU it set to ON, and the PSU does not click, then either the circuit breaker tripped before the current flowed through the PSU, indicating a short circuit with the house wiring. If the PSU set to OFF, however, then the PSU only protects when it's in the ON state (perhaps someone can verify this) - meaning it's the house wiring or possibly the internal AC wiring in the PSU (where the AC plug goes in). I'm guessing your problem will come down to the wiring on the AC line that connects to the PSU.

Last thing (actually the first thing, what I am I saying?): Check the AC cable. Is it damaged? Consider using a spare and see if it fixes it. You should also first check if the PSU is in pristine condition, as well as the wall outlet. Your checking for ground problems here. That's why your getting a short circuit in the first place. Take a good look at the female and male outlets for both the AC wall outlet and your PSU.



<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by poly4life on 08/04/05 05:24 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[t33lo]

I tried exactly what OCZ forums said with connecting the paper clip and I plugged in a fan. I got no power whatsoever in different plug sockets in the house. What does this mean now?

 

[RichPLS]

Sounds like you have very bad home wiring or the PSU is dead. Is their a red on/off switch on the back of PSU? Does that PSU have an internal fuse?

<pre><font color=red>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre><p></font color=red>

 

[t33lo]

Well I Used a different plug into the psu and i did get power. I got a yellow on the 12v rail, red on 5, and yellow on 3.3v. I called up OCZ and they told me to turn the rails and adjust them to green. I turned them various ways and nothing changed. They are setting me up with a 600 W. If this doesn't work, I'm throwing in the towel with OCZ.

 

[RichPLS]

Wootz! You're getting a 600watt beast! Do you have another house (and or PC) you can test it on first, before going through this again just to be sure?
OCZ sure is bending over backwards for you.

<pre><font color=red>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre><p></font color=red>

 

[t33lo]

I don't understand why my house could be the problem. I don't have an old house it was built in the late 80's. I'm really upset because I just want a PSU that works. I used the 420W from my cousin and had no problems at all. At this point I just want a PSU that works. I have all my parts and my system is ready to go I just can't power it up.

 

[RichPLS]

While you are waiting, can you borrow another PSU and try your system? You definately have been having more than your share of problems. I would be investigating everything I could at this point.

<pre><font color=red>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre><p></font color=red>

 

[emogoch]

I'd be more worries about the newer houses than old ones. I've seen some of the crap wiring that gets done in a rush job, which is more typical from newer homes than older ones.

One thing I'm surprised that no-one has suggested is that you get ahold of a volt/multi-meter and test the plug that you use. It should be in the 115V to 122V range.

The other part of all this is that you may also want to consider getting yourself a UPS. For under $100, you can get yourself something like <A HREF="http://apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=BE750BB" target="_new">this</A>. It's not the battery back-up that you need, but sounds rather the line conditioning and the surge protection features. The cleaner the power-input to your PSU, the better it'll run.

 

[RichPLS]

I like <A HREF="http://www.newegg.com/OldVersion/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=42-102-003&depa=0" target="_new"> CyberPower UPS </A>
Cheaper priced than APC and as good if not better quality.


<A HREF="http://www.cyberpowersystems.com/CPS1500AVR-HO.asp" target="_new"> I have this one </A>

<pre><font color=red>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre><p></font color=red>

 

[emogoch]

I just picked up an APC <A HREF="http://apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=SUA1500" target="_new">SUA1500</A> on Ebay for $133 CDN. Nearly 4 years old, and batteries aren't at full capacity, but for that kind of a deal, I can replace the batteries and still end up with a cheap-ass, over-powered unit.

Just plugged it into my system 2 days ago, and I've yet to get the high-performance machine that I originally got this thing for. I'll let you know how it turns out once that happens.

 

[RichPLS]

That is all I paid for my Cyberpower 1500 UPS online at Newegg new last year.

What I am saying is CyberPower is more bang for your buck, and way less costly.

<pre><font color=red>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre><p></font color=red>

 

[poly4life]

With the 600 OCZ, I'd highly recommend testing it in an outlet you KNOW is working, preferably someone else's house. If it's absolutely necessary to use a plug in your home, use one that's currently powering your DVD Player or TV or radio or whatever - you get the picture.

You just said that your cousin's 420W PSU worked fine. Can you elaborate? You tested your rig with his PSU at your cousin's house, right?

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by poly4life on 08/04/05 03:19 PM.</EM></FONT></P>