Sparks and Smoke

[razorwind]

I powered on my PC this morning and to my horror saw sparks and smoke coming out of my power supply (OCZ Fatal1ty 550W). I could also smell the electrical burning coming from it... My next step was to swap out the PS and put in an old working Antec Earthwatts 500W. But as soon as I hit the power switch on the PS itself, smoke started coming out of the Antec as well.

I'm pretty sure the motherboard got fried because the green LED that is usually on is no longer lit. Everything else seems fine though. I also put in both PS in another computer and they both powered on. I only had the motherboard connected though, didn't try it with all components hooked up.

So my question is... are both PS safe to use? And why did the Antec start smoking as well as soon as I switched it on?


Specs:
Asus P5N-E SLI
C2D E6500
MSI 8800 GTS 640MB
Patriot 4GB DDR2 800Mhz
2x Hard Drives
1x DVD Drive
Cooler Master Storm Sniper Case

 

[Shaun o]

As a rule that sounds bad razorwind.
The only three main causes of that are a short between the mobo, touching the case at some point.
Or you left a loose screw behind the mobo and case, someone else did !.

The last one can be a bad earth to ground.

Your best bet is to take the board out of the case and do a bench test to find out if it is a case short.
Since it has blown two power supplys it looks like the problem of a short circuit.

 

[razorwind]

So even though they powered on in another computer, I shouldn't use them anymore?

 

[moody89]

I'd agree with shaun o - it does sound like a short circuit of some sort and you're best bet is to remove your motherboard and try bread-boarding (placing on a piece of cardboard and running it).

It's hard to say if you're PSUs are still good or not. Usually something tends to go on a short circuit thats bad enough to cause smoke and sparks although you may be lucky.

 

[razorwind]

Thanks for the answers. I've removed everything from the case and there were no loose screws, thankfully it wasn't something that stupid on my part =P

If the PSUs are bad, would it harm other components if I place them in another computer?

 

[Userremoved]

Thanks for the answers. I've removed everything from the case and there were no loose screws, thankfully it wasn't something that stupid on my part =P

If the PSUs are bad, would it harm other components if I place them in another computer?

Not 100% of the times but I would not not gamble with them.

 

[misry]

Once the magic smoke that makes a chip, (or PSU), work has been released it no longer works.

Another way to look at it is, do you want to trust whatever components you have left to something that has had so a radical departure from operating norms that it belched smoke?

 

[shovenose]

+1 computers dont wokr when the magic smoke has escaped!