PSU Chirp/Pulse?!

[adamracer91]

Hi, and thank you for any help in advance.

I recently purchased a Corsair TX750w to complete my new build. I installed everything, and upon plugging in the power chord to the PSU and turning the power switch to “I”, I noted a strange chirping noise being emitted from the PSU. Upon further inspection, this chirping noise was accompanied by both a twitching fan on the PSU and blinking “power-switch” and “clear cmos” buttons on the motherboard—both in sync with the noise.

I originally though this problem was with the motherboard so I went through the works—running with only one ram stick in different slots, checking the “power switch” 2 pin connecter, etc. However, no matter what, I couldn’t get the computer to start.

So, I cleared out the motherboard and all other components—minus the power supply and fans. I used the paperclip trick and got the fan/LED combination to run, but….the light and the fan speed was pulsing with the previous chirp of the PSU.

I don’t think this chirp/twitch is normal. But I wouldn’t know.
Any help would be great.

Thank you,
-Adam

 

[cmichael138]

The PSU should not be chirping, or making any noise for that matter. I suspect that, along with the pulsing, indicates a faulty PSU. Since it's new I would recommend an RMA.

 

[erocka]

I have the same problem.

I just switched from air cooling my CPU and GTX 280 to a swiftech water cooled CPU and a new water cooled GTX295. When I do the paper clip trick, everything not hooked to the mobo works (since the PS isn't hooked to the mobo). Once I put the 24 pin connector back in the mobo, the mobo light comes on to show me it has power. With everything hooked up, I press the power button and all lights blink in synchrony, even the power supply (tagan BZ series 800w), which has 8 lights blinking at me as if to communicate on close encounters of the third kind. All of the fans move just a bit, as if they want to turn on but just aren't too sure about it. When I get closer to the PS, I can tell it's also making a sound I can only liken to chirping.

In diagnosing the problem I have disconected the following in hopes of getting a post beep/screen.

1)Disconnected Video Card, same result.
2)Disconnected CPU, same result.
3)Disconnected down to one stick of memory (and no memory for that matter), same result.
4)Disconnected fans, same result
5)Tried powering with two power supplies, same result.

I'm pretty sure I have a short somewhere but I have no idea where. I even hooked up two power supplies (5 above), the 800w pushing everything but the mobo, and a seperate 350w hooked up to the mobo, which I knew worked because it lit the blue light up. As soon as I pressed power, the whole thing shut down, even the 800w power supply. I'm no electrician but i'm guessing that means there is a short somewhere on the mobo and I have no freakin clue where.

I really don't want to breadboard the computer, i'd have to take apart the water cooling system which I just put together...

Not sure what to do, please help if you have any suggestions or have any clue what the chirping/split second of power means.

My rig that was air cooled and had no problem included:
nforce 680iLT SLI mobo
Tagan BZ Series 800W
3 HDs: 1gb cav. black, 750 cav. black, 150 raptor
BFG GTX 280
Sythe Ninja CPU cooler

Now:
nforce 680iLT SLI mobo
Tagan BZ Series 800W
3 HDs: 1gb cav. black, 750 cav. black, 150 raptor
BFG GTX 295 H2O
Swiftech water cooled, w/apogee CPU, H2O 220

 

[jsc]

Erocka, you should start yur own thread, not piggy back off someone else. But since you are here ...

The motherboard LED that you are talking about is powered from the completely separate standby power supply, not the main section. It really does not mean much. It's primarily an indicator that the PSU is plugged in and turned on.

Unfortunately, the paperclip trick also doesn't mean much. It's a sign that the 12 volt output will run a very minimal load (PSU fan). It does not test the 3.3 or 5 volt outputs. It also does not test the "PowerOK" control signal from the PSU to the motherboard. The CPU needs this signal to boot.

Your problem sounds like either the PSU is defective or you have a short somewhere.

First rule of troubleshooting: if you have a working system and you change one thing (watercooling in yur case) and the system no longer works, look at what you changed.

I am afraid that you will need to break your system down and look for a short somewhere.

 

[erocka]

Sorry for piggy backing. I figured we had a similiar problem so a solution to one may help the other. I called EVGA and talked to their technical support about one of the lights from the motherboard. It was an amber yellow light that eventually remained on after pushing the power button too many times to where nothing would respond unless I removed the power and then reconnected. He didn't have an answer for the light but said that it sounded like a short. So I asked if he had any idea where. He suggested the back of the apogee water cooling unit, which cools the cpu. Honestly that was my first notion too but I didn't want to break the whole thing down. So... I broke it all down,
1)Removed the mobo
2)used a hair dryer to remove the sticky film that attaches the base plate of the apogee to the back of the motherboard.
3)Applied electric tape to the top and bottom of the mobo, covering the areas of the screws and any area that may come in contact with the apogee. Pocked holes in the tape with a pin to allow for the screws to more easily screw in.
4)Put it all back together.

BLADOW!! It works. So, the blinking in synchrony and chirping from the PS didn't mean anything was broken, just that it had a short somewhere. Now it all works and i'm off to overclocking.

My core temps were sitting in the high 30s with no load, about 10-15C cooler than my sythe ninja.