Which component usually burns?

[heffer]

I installed a new cooling system and adjusted a few fans on my other computer. When I turned it on again, nothing happened. But a blue LED on the motherboard was lit so I knew it was getting power. I came back 5 minutes later and when I pushed the power button again it would turn on for 1 second, then shut off again. When I tried again I heard a noticeable "Snap" sound like a small pop, and saw smoke rising out from the top of the case which smelled pretty awful. I immediately pulled the power plug and examined the insides. The problem is I don't know exactly which component(s) burnt out and if anything else was damaged by it.

I tried turning it on again subsequently. The computer does turn on now, the fans work, the harddrives spin, the LEDs come on but I don't hear the 'beep' sound, nor does it ever post. I've tried turning it off and on, off and on, but same thing every time. it seems like the computer is running (fans, hdds, etc), but again, nothing comes up on my monitor, no sign of POST, no beeps. Does anyone know what the problem might be? Do I need a new power supply or motherboard or something else? Thanks for reading.



pc info:

Evga x58 3X SLI E758-TR motherboard

Xclio s8p4 850w psu

core i7 920

corsair xms3 6GB ram

300GB velociraptor hdd (main drive)

2 x 500GB western digital drives

9800gtx and 9600gt video cards

win xp 64bit

 

[4745454b]

If there was an actual popping noise, its most likely caused by a capacitor "popping". This can happen in cheap PSUs. It could also be in the motherboard, but a visual inspection will rule that out. Replace as needed. Your better off avoiding Xcilo.

 

[Onus]

Do NOT keep turning your system on! Who knows what the waveforms from your damaged PSU now look like? Capacitors are filters; if you lost one, the output could be a jagged mess. I'm more inclined to believe a solid state component smoked and croaked, meaning one or more rails is dead.
Your system would have been easy for a true 850W PSU to handle, but you've got an XClio. Their Greatpower line is supposed to be good, but I'm guessing that's a Stablepower. The only reviews I found online were incompetent pieces of fluff where someone put one in a machine that could have been run by an Earthwatts 380, called it a "battery of tests," and said it was good.

 

[ion_tribe]

We used to sniff out the burned component. It has a very distinctive smell compared to others