Pop and Flash from new PSU

007jkf

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Feb 20, 2006
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I'm building a new system with a PentiumD 830 on an AOpen i95Pa-PLF motherboard. I installed a new Thermaltake 430W. When I booted up for the first time, it went through everything fine. Because I had no CD in, it sat at the "Press any key to boot from CD" screen for a bit, and then started the boot process again. About halfway through, there was a flash and a *pop* from the PSU. Of course, I turned it all off and unplugged everything. There was no burning smell.

Because I'm also building a second system, I have a new Thermaltake 500W. I plugged that into the mobo, etc, but it won't boot now. I get the whole "one fan spins for a bit but that's it" situation. I haven't tested the 500W with my other system yet to see if it boots.

I guess I have two questions:

1) Is there a way I can test the motherboard to see if it's been damaged?
and
2) What would cause the 430W to go flashy-pop on me?

Thanks for any insight you might have. I'm going to pick up a power supply tester tomorrow to see if that yields any insights, but any help is welcome.

Kyle
 

RocketRobin

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Mar 3, 2006
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One way of checking your motherboard is to connect a known good PSU and give it a go. Assuming your 500W unit is good, then it's possible that the flashy/poppy PSU took the VRM (voltage regulator module, or PWM) on your motherboard down with it.
One way of making a PSU flash, pop, smoke, etc. is to connect it to the mains with the voltage input switch (120V/230V) in the wrong position.
Or, it could have simply had a defective component and the PSU fried by itself. Internal fuses can flash and pop, but are uncommon in modern PSUs. Electrolytic capacitors can make all sorts of pyrotechnic effects when they fail and can be used for all kinds of pranks in the high school lab... but I digress.
Personally, I've had several PSUs crap out long before their warranty (let alone MTBF rating) was up. Most times they just give up the ghost and go to the big hoover dam in the sky. When luck runs out they take the motherboard with them.
 

hashv2f16

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Dec 23, 2005
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dude. i just had the flashy pop and never work again thing happen to me on a thermaltake purepower butterfly 480W psu which i thought was all sweet as i had been running for a few months, but one day, when i go to boot up, flash pop! they must of had a really bad batch of capacitors in their circuitry or sometin... anyway RMA it

that makes 3/3 of the thermaltake psu's i have ever bought down for the count...