Lightning strike and first encounter with such issue

[c4tch]

I wake up saturday morning to a bolt of lightning blowing a fuse to my apartment. I reset the fuse and my computer does not turn on. Re-plugging and on/off switching the PSU still results in nothing when I hit the power button to turn on.

Computer:

gigabyte p35 ds3L
320gb WD HDD
Antec earthwatts 380W PSU
Pentium dual core 2ghz 1mb L2 cache 800mhz FSB
Geforce 9600GT
Writemaster dvd R/W player
4gb Kingston Ram

First things first - try using another PSU to get the thing turned on. I bought a 500W Antec Earthwatts at Best Buy, hook it up. And viola! computer turns on. Wonderful. After roughly 10-12 minutes though, the computer shuts off, no BSOD, and then attempts to restart, yet doesn't seem to be able. You can hear the GPU fan blurring on, then stopping, and you can see the back fan turning on and stopping, as well as the CPU fan just barely starting up but then stopping.

Flipping the back switch off then back on, hitting the power button results in normal start up, only this time it takes MUCH less time for the random turn-off, and subsequent attempts to restart with all the fans beginning their desperate waves of on again off again.

Do I need to go get another PSU? Too many watts? should that matter? This is my first system I've ever built, and this month is the two year marker for when I built it. The ram has been recently upgraded but other than that, everything else is original (except now the PSU).

Also, recently just realized that the back LED ethernet indicator won't turn on at all, regardless of which RJ45 I use. The strike did blow our old modem out, but the switch is fine and since replacing the modem, my roommate's computer runs honkey dorey (it's what I'm posting on).

I've done my best to learn along the way, but I'm pretty stumped and I'd love if it's a simple fix I have just neglected to understand in my computer ignorance. And just to be certain that there should be no other places i'm needing to connect power - I've two positions on the mobo: one 4pin near the CPU, and the main 24pin; one flat 4pin for the back fan; one for the HDD; one for the DVD RW; one for the pci-e 9600GT.

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated. I'm gonna try to track down another PSU in the mean time to see if it helps.

Cheers. (and just because this is the funniest smiley I've seen in a while)

Thanks in advance guys!

 

[cmcghee358]

A bolt of lightning fried your computer.

 

[rolli59]

Motherboard might be fried.

 

[Deadstick50]

Im guessing you didnt have it on a surge protector....time to build a new computer, that one is toast!

 

[cmcghee358]

Also, generally if you have renters insurance it will cover that. So if you do, file a claim and build a new beast.

 

[psycho sykes]

I think that you should try something more encouraging first!

 

[c4tch]

It was in fact on a surge protector, I am not that naive. But I will be buying a name brand surge protector with a lifetime warranty as opposed to this one that has protected nothing.

If it's fried, it's fried - no use crying over spilled electrical current.

Are there any suggestions on a mobo/cpu combo that will work well with my system? I'm comfortable with everything else on my system - maybe get a new video card.

Thanks again guys.

(my friend suggested that I use a voltometer and get a circuitry diagram from the manufacturer and test all the connections - problem is that will take a whole day I don't have - i work 3 jobs - and if it is busted, I was going to act as if it were anyway. and if everything is fine... i still have no idea what could be wrong. He did also mention that old PSUs output at 1.2V and that newer ones are higher, I'll check if this new PSU differs from the old in this way)