Overheating PSU

[rickylodge2001]

Hi guys,

I have a quick question regarding my recently overheated PSU. Around a week ago I started to smell a funny burning smell coming from the back of PC and sure enough within 10 mins my PC shut it's self off...No nice Window's screen to say so just immediate power cut off. When I hit the power button to try and turn it back on, nothing. I slid the side of my tower off and removed the PSU and smelled the fan and vent and sure enough it had burnt out.
Yesterday I replaced the PSU, connected it all back up and fired my PC up and all the fans in my machine including the graphics card fan were spinning but no picture on the monitor. The graphics does require it's own power source from the PSU which it has and everything has been wired exactly as before the melted PSU failed me but I cannot get a picture on my monitor.

My question to you guys is this, is it possible that the old PSU (which was a very basic 500w) has damaged my graphics card or worse motherboard when it overheated. Just to mention the new PSU is 550w and of a decent spec.

Any help you guys could shed would be greatly appreciated

 

[Gulli]

Yes, it is very well possible other components, specifically the motherboard, have been damaged.

 

[GhislainG]

Even though the graphics card doesn't seem to be working, is the PC booting, i.e., do you see disk activity? You should test the graphics card in another system to determine if it works or not. Unfortunately using a poor quality PSU sometimes leads to expensive repairs. What decent specs PSU did you get?

 

[rickylodge2001]

I don't see disc activity, just the lights on the front of the machine lit up with all of the internal fans spinning. My new PSU is a Corsair 550W VX Series (http://www.corsair.com/products/vx/default.aspx)

 

[Gulli]

I don't see disc activity, just the lights on the front of the machine lit up with all of the internal fans spinning. My new PSU is a Corsair 550W VX Series (http://www.corsair.com/products/vx/default.aspx)

That is a very reliable PSU, so I'm guessing something is broken, it could be the memory, motherboard, video card or a combination of those, though I'm betting on the motherboard.

 

[GhislainG]

Then the cheap PSU took out other components with it. It's now time to troubleshoot and start testing each component. Disconnect or remove all peripherals, including the video card. Only keep the CPU and memory installed. Does the system beep when you power on (either a case or a on-board speaker is required)?

 

[rickylodge2001]

I have removed all peripherals including the Graphics card and booted the system up and there is no beeps?? Any help?

 

[Gulli]

I have removed all peripherals including the Graphics card and booted the system up and there is no beeps?? Any help?

Fried memory and/or motherboard.

 

[GhislainG]

I have removed all peripherals including the Graphics card and booted the system up and there is no beeps?? Any help?

Do you have a case or a on-board speaker? If you get no beeps, then I have to agree with Gulli. Remove the memory. Does the system beep at POST?

 

[rickylodge2001]

I have removed the memory and am now getting beeps when firing the system up...does this mean the motherboard is fried?

 

[Gulli]

I have removed the memory and am now getting beeps when firing the system up...does this mean the motherboard is fried?

No, it probably means the memory is fried, or at least one of the sticks.

 

[GhislainG]

If it detects that no memory is installed, then it seems to be working (at least well enough to detect that memory isn't installed). Install a single module to see if it works.

 

[rickylodge2001]

Ok, I have tried putting each stick in individually and it boots up fine as well as booting up fine with both sticks in. When I remove the memory completely the computers beeps constantly. However for this memory test I have not had my Graphics Card (nVidia 8600GTS) installed and it doesn't beep with that removed? As my main indication that I had a fault was no picture would this mean a fried graphics card?

 

[GhislainG]

When you say "it boots up fine", you mean that you can see disk activity, etc.? If so, then your graphics card probably is defective.

 

[rickylodge2001]

Yea, sorry - What I meant was when I turn it on without the graphics card in the motherboard everything seems to be fine, all of the fans turn on as normal, all normal sounds are made and the hdd light flickers as normal - Would this indicate that I need to make a trip out and replace the graphics card?

 

[GhislainG]

That certainly is where I'd start. You could also try an old PCI video card if you have one.