Minimum power supply for 9800 Pro?

[Bobby]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.periphs.videocards.ati (More info?)

My son has recently bought a second-hand 9800 Pro (Saphire) but his PC
"burn-out" when he installed it. The PC refused to boot and there was a
burning smell. He immediately switched-off.

It sounds to me like he has burnt-out his power supply (a cheap 300W model
which came with the (cheap) PC case).

Is that possible?

Could he have damaged his graphics card?

Will a new power supply solve the problem?

If so, what rating should be buy?

Cheers.

Bobby

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.periphs.videocards.ati (More info?)

In article Bobby says...
> My son has recently bought a second-hand 9800 Pro (Saphire) but his PC
> "burn-out" when he installed it. The PC refused to boot and there was a
> burning smell. He immediately switched-off.
>
> It sounds to me like he has burnt-out his power supply (a cheap 300W model
> which came with the (cheap) PC case).
>
> Is that possible?
>
> Could he have damaged his graphics card?
>
> Will a new power supply solve the problem?
>
> If so, what rating should be buy?
>
Yes it is likely. He probably won't have damaged it. You've not told us
his spec but a half decent 350-400W should do the job.


--
Conor

America: A democracy so successful, even the Ukranians copy it.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.periphs.videocards.ati (More info?)

On Sat, 4 Dec 2004 11:02:38 -0000, "Bobby"
<bobby@europe.com> wrote:

>My son has recently bought a second-hand 9800 Pro (Saphire) but his PC
>"burn-out" when he installed it. The PC refused to boot and there was a
>burning smell. He immediately switched-off.
>
>It sounds to me like he has burnt-out his power supply (a cheap 300W model
>which came with the (cheap) PC case).
>
>Is that possible?

Yes it's possible, and the most likely primary failure.


>Could he have damaged his graphics card?


Yes, above I wrote "primary failure" because when a power
supply dies it might take other parts to the grave with it
if it's badly enough designed. "Usually" it's just the
power supply but it certainly is possible that the
motherboard or video card and/or more are damaged... you can
only try a new power supply and see.

>
>Will a new power supply solve the problem?

Assuming that's the problem, yes.
If you have a multimeter you might take voltage readings of
the old power supply, with it's PS_On line shorted to
ground, hooked up to a small load like an old hard drive but
nothing else, not the rest of the system, and it should turn
on and run. Even so a generic comes-with-case power supply
is not typically suitable for a system with a 98000 Pro in
it... I'd advise replacing the power supply even if the
machine were working OK right now.


>If so, what rating should be buy?


Good ballpark would be 380W or higher in a name-brand like
Sparkle/Fortron, Delta, Antec Truepower, Thermaltake. There
are of course other components to consider too, but since no
mention was made of them I"ll assume they're typical,
nothing out of the ordinary and so there is no call for a
particularly high-capacity power supply like a 500W+, unless
you just wanted a better margin and more support for future
upgradability.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.periphs.videocards.ati (More info?)

"Bobby" <bobby@europe.com> wrote in message
news:31djqfF37po7gU1@individual.net...
> My son has recently bought a second-hand 9800 Pro (Saphire) but his PC
> "burn-out" when he installed it. The PC refused to boot and there was a
> burning smell. He immediately switched-off.
>
> It sounds to me like he has burnt-out his power supply (a cheap 300W model
> which came with the (cheap) PC case).
>
> Is that possible?
>
> Could he have damaged his graphics card?
>
> Will a new power supply solve the problem?
>
> If so, what rating should be buy?
>
> Cheers.
>
> Bobby
>
>
You said there was a 300 W PSU in this system? Then there is a great chance
this PSU did not have a separate power connector for the VGA card, while the
9800 Pro requires this.
If this is the case, the VGA card has been powered ONLY through the
motherboard and probably the mobo is dead. Maybe also other parts as a chain
reaction.
The only thing you can do is hope there are enough securities built in your
hardware, and try another adequate PSU (400 - 450 W) with VGA power
connector. If this doesn't work, you will have to check all components
(mobo, RAM, CPU, VGA, and even discs) one by one.

 

[Bobby]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.periphs.videocards.ati (More info?)

What do you mean by "VGA power connector"? The card takes a standard power
connector right?

"ElJerid" <s.vanderhaeghen.nospam@pandora.be> wrote in message
news:jRmsd.9996$Vz1.652356@phobos.telenet-ops.be...
>
> "Bobby" <bobby@europe.com> wrote in message
> news:31djqfF37po7gU1@individual.net...
>> My son has recently bought a second-hand 9800 Pro (Saphire) but his PC
>> "burn-out" when he installed it. The PC refused to boot and there was a
>> burning smell. He immediately switched-off.
>>
>> It sounds to me like he has burnt-out his power supply (a cheap 300W
>> model
>> which came with the (cheap) PC case).
>>
>> Is that possible?
>>
>> Could he have damaged his graphics card?
>>
>> Will a new power supply solve the problem?
>>
>> If so, what rating should be buy?
>>
>> Cheers.
>>
>> Bobby
>>
>>
> You said there was a 300 W PSU in this system? Then there is a great
> chance
> this PSU did not have a separate power connector for the VGA card, while
> the
> 9800 Pro requires this.
> If this is the case, the VGA card has been powered ONLY through the
> motherboard and probably the mobo is dead. Maybe also other parts as a
> chain
> reaction.
> The only thing you can do is hope there are enough securities built in
> your
> hardware, and try another adequate PSU (400 - 450 W) with VGA power
> connector. If this doesn't work, you will have to check all components
> (mobo, RAM, CPU, VGA, and even discs) one by one.
>
>

 

[Bobby]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.periphs.videocards.ati (More info?)

Thanks everyone.

A new PSU solved the problem (400W no-name job). PC now booting.

But he now has other problems. Artefacts at boot time and although drivers
install OK the PC is crawling (screen scrolling is awful).

Is the card bust?

Bobby

"Bobby" <bobby@europe.com> wrote in message
news:31djqfF37po7gU1@individual.net...
> My son has recently bought a second-hand 9800 Pro (Saphire) but his PC
> "burn-out" when he installed it. The PC refused to boot and there was a
> burning smell. He immediately switched-off.
>
> It sounds to me like he has burnt-out his power supply (a cheap 300W model
> which came with the (cheap) PC case).
>
> Is that possible?
>
> Could he have damaged his graphics card?
>
> Will a new power supply solve the problem?
>
> If so, what rating should be buy?
>
> Cheers.
>
> Bobby
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.periphs.videocards.ati (More info?)

"Bobby" <bobby@europe.com> wrote in message
news:31djqfF37po7gU1@individual.net...
> My son has recently bought a second-hand 9800 Pro (Saphire) but his PC
> "burn-out" when he installed it. The PC refused to boot and there was a
> burning smell. He immediately switched-off.
>
> It sounds to me like he has burnt-out his power supply (a cheap 300W model
> which came with the (cheap) PC case).
>
> Is that possible?
>
> Could he have damaged his graphics card?
>
> Will a new power supply solve the problem?
>
> If so, what rating should be buy?
>
> Cheers.
>
> Bobby
>

this happened to me


i took my gfx card to pc world, the tech there tested it (even tho he wasnt
meant to cos it was 3rd party) and he said it will probs be my board, bought
a new board and it worked no problem

i was however using a 480w thermaltake PSU and the problem was probably
caused by me installing something on the carpet (electro static build up)

this is fatal, it damages components, i was lucky my CPU, and graphics and
psu never went

 

[steve]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.periphs.videocards.ati (More info?)

Bobby wrote:
> Thanks everyone.
>
> A new PSU solved the problem (400W no-name job). PC now booting.
>
> But he now has other problems. Artefacts at boot time and although
> drivers install OK the PC is crawling (screen scrolling is awful).
>
> Is the card bust?
>
> Bobby

You were told not to buy a no-name job and yet you did. Now you come back
asking for more advice!

Steve

 

[Wazza]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.periphs.videocards.ati (More info?)

"Steve" <bond_youknowtherest_uk@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:31emimF38vkomU1@individual.net...
> Bobby wrote:
>> Thanks everyone.
>>
>> A new PSU solved the problem (400W no-name job). PC now booting.
>>
>> But he now has other problems. Artefacts at boot time and although
>> drivers install OK the PC is crawling (screen scrolling is awful).
>>
>> Is the card bust?
>>
>> Bobby
>
> You were told not to buy a no-name job and yet you did. Now you come back
> asking for more advice!
>
> Steve

Then don't give him advice any ya tool ;-)

Sounds like the VGA card/windows doesn't think his monitor is capable of the
resolution he has selected.

Did he install the ATI Control Panel (not the Catalyst Control Panel). If
not install it then go to Display properties, Advanced button, display tab.
Select the monitor and click on the blue "Use DDC information" button. You
can select a custom maximum resolution and refresh rate.

Only do this if you know what refresh rate and max res the monitor supports!

I had the screen scrolling problem with earlier drivers, but it seems to
have been fixed for me in later drivers.

As to the artefacts, if you are certain there is no overheating problem, it
sounds like the card could be damaged.
Does it happen when playing games, or just the odd flicker at boot time?
If it is the later then it might be OK, I have a flicker at startup (XP
loading screen), but not white artefacts that I have seen described, and the
card runs great, and has been trouble free, even wth a, SHOCK HORROR!
"generic" 400W PSU, for 1 year.

Good luck.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.periphs.videocards.ati (More info?)

He does need a bigger power supply. He probably at least burned out the old
power supply. It's in question whether he damaged the motherboard.

--
DaveW



"Bobby" <bobby@europe.com> wrote in message
news:31djqfF37po7gU1@individual.net...
> My son has recently bought a second-hand 9800 Pro (Saphire) but his PC
> "burn-out" when he installed it. The PC refused to boot and there was a
> burning smell. He immediately switched-off.
>
> It sounds to me like he has burnt-out his power supply (a cheap 300W model
> which came with the (cheap) PC case).
>
> Is that possible?
>
> Could he have damaged his graphics card?
>
> Will a new power supply solve the problem?
>
> If so, what rating should be buy?
>
> Cheers.
>
> Bobby
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.periphs.videocards.ati (More info?)

"Bobby" <bobby@europe.com> wrote in message
news:31djqfF37po7gU1@individual.net...
> My son has recently bought a second-hand 9800 Pro (Saphire) but his PC
> "burn-out" when he installed it. The PC refused to boot and there was a
> burning smell. He immediately switched-off.
>
>

I have an ABIT SFF case which has 200w in it and runs great, even when
playing Unreal at high res.