Enermax 500W PSU fried; Reason?

[Fred DM]

i've recently upgraded the following system and have been using it in this configuration for 3 months:

- Asus P7P55D-E
- Intel Core i5 750 w/ Scythe Mugen 2
- 4GB DDR3 Corsair XMS3 1600MHz
- Sapphire Radeon 5870 Vapor-X
- 2x Samsung HDD (250GB & 1TB)
- Asus 18x DVD
- CoolerMaster HAF 32 Full Tower (4x Fan)
- Enermax Liberty 500W PSU

yesterday morning, out of nowhere, the PSU was fried. it must have happened the moment i switched power on. power went out for the entire room as a result, that's how i noticed it. i also noticed that the PSU can now no longer be switched off, the power switch cannot be set to '0' anymore.

now, i've been using that PSU for 4 years straight, but these PSUs are said to last some 100'000 to 120'000 hours...

i have no idea at all what caused the malfunction. i also don't know if it damaged any other components in the computer. i hope to god it didn't.

i'm picking up a new PSU (Corsair TX650W) tonight, but i'm kinda scared of plugging it in...

anybody ever have a PSU go out like that? did i just have a bad unit? should i be worried about the rest of the components?

 

[saaiello]

Its very unpredictable if any damage occurred to your system. Enermax PSU's are fairly decent units so I would imagine that everything would be fine but, there is no telling for sure. I would make sure to check all the components in your system for blown caps or a burnt smell before plugging in a new unit.

 

[Fred DM]

Its very unpredictable if any damage occurred to your system. Enermax PSU's are fairly decent units so I would imagine that everything would be fine but, there is no telling for sure. I would make sure to check all the components in your system for blown caps or a burnt smell before plugging in a new unit.

thanks for the reply.

i've looked at the components and don't see any damage, no smell either. on the other hand, i'm no electrician. i see no burnt or melted parts.

i've also opened the PSU and can't see any superficial damage, either. it did, however, have a burnt smell.

Edit: i've bought and installed said PSU now and everything seems to be running fine. it really looks like no other components have been damaged, which is a great relief. i still wonder why the Enermax PSU was fried, though...