Faulty PSU or something else?

[Kiento]

Hello,

I have a desktop computer that I built myself about three years ago. Off and on over the past year and a half it has stopped getting a signal to the monitor. I've struggled to figure out what the problem was many times, but eventually I would leave it off for a few months and it would magically work again the next time I tried to turn it on. I haven't the slightest clue why. Anyways, now it is doing the same thing again. I power on the system and I immediately hear the fans running extremely fast and they never slow down. Usually they start out fast and then settle into a normal speed within a second. There is no POST beep or anything, but the monitor won't get a signal from the video card. I've removed various components (RAM, graphics card, etc) to see if they were the issue, but nothing has changed. I disassembled the whole thing and it put it back together step by step, testing it after connecting a new component, but still nothing changed. I've tested every cable I can, the only conclusion I have been able to come to is that the PSU is going bad (giving off too much power?) and I need to replace it, but I don't want to spend the money on a part that doesn't need replaced. So I need to know for sure. I have a multimeter to test it, but I am not entirely sure how.

Has anyone had a similar problem that can also offer some solutions? Any help is appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[shovenose]

detailed specs please?
(mobo model, psu model, etc...)

sounds like either a graphics, mobo, or psu problem.

 

[Kiento]

Memory: CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)

Mobo: ASUS P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI x 16 ATX Intel Motherboard

PSU: Thermaltake TR2 W0070RUC 430W ATX12V V2.2 Intel Core i7 Compliant Dual 80mm Fans

Video Card: XFX PV-T71G-UCE7 GeForce 7900GT 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI Support Video Card

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 Conroe 2.66GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor BX80557E6700

Running Windows 7.

I removed the graphics card and the same thing happened, so I'm inclined to think it's not that.

 

[Bargain Hunter]

It's most definitely either a Power Supply or a Motherboard issue.

The Power Supply is a more likely candidate, especially because of the "leaving it off for a few months and magically working again turning it on afterwards" part. This can happen for many reasons... but an incident like this is likely to be Power Supply related in my experience.

I would suggest you try a different Power Supply to confirm this first... have you got a friend or someone that can perhaps lend you one to test?

You can also buy a Power Supply if it's refundable to test this out and return it later if it's not the problem.

 

[shovenose]

that is a very lousy psu. ive had bad experiences with that model yself, its very over-rated, max of 350w really

 

[shovenose]

also, check for bloated or leaking capacitors on your video card.

 

[Kiento]

I've checked for bloated capacitors. I didn't see any.

If I was to get a new PSU, what model would you recommend?

Also, do any of you know how to test a PSU with a multimeter?

Thanks for the help so far, guys!

 

[Kiento]

Best answer selected by Kiento.