Psu blew

[mightyme]

I tried installing a corsair gs600 into my pc. Description of the psu said it was compatable with my mobo so i plugged everything in. turned it on and within a second crack, fizzle, pop! I'm just curious what would have caused this since i belive i plugged everything in correctly. I mean, i plugged everything into where the old powersupply was plugged in and didnt force anything. One thing that did come off odd was that there was no atx 4 pin. Instead the new psu had a pci-e. I read about it and it said the 8pin would be compatable with the 4pin. The psu was connected to a surge protector and nothing else blew. Now i'm afraid to ever upgrade anything in a pc again. Mobo is gone for sure, not sure what else. probably just start over from scratch. I know i'm a rookie at this stuff and i probably shouldnt be messing with things i dont quite get but i figured how else do you learn? If anyone could help me understand what i did wrong i would greatly appreciate it.

 

[delluser1]

I tried installing a corsair gs600 into my pc. Description of the psu said it was compatable with my mobo so i plugged everything in. turned it on and within a second crack, fizzle, pop! I'm just curious what would have caused this since i belive i plugged everything in correctly. I mean, i plugged everything into where the old powersupply was plugged in and didnt force anything. One thing that did come off odd was that there was no atx 4 pin. Instead the new psu had a pci-e. I read about it and it said the 8pin would be compatable with the 4pin. The psu was connected to a surge protector and nothing else blew. Now i'm afraid to ever upgrade anything in a pc again. Mobo is gone for sure, not sure what else. probably just start over from scratch. I know i'm a rookie at this stuff and i probably shouldnt be messing with things i dont quite get but i figured how else do you learn? If anyone could help me understand what i did wrong i would greatly appreciate it.

That's because it has a 4+4
http://www.playtool.com/pages/psuconnectors/connectors.html#eps4plus4

You didn't use the 6+2 pin , did you ?
http://www.playtool.com/pages/psuconnectors/connectors.html#pciexpress6plus2

 

[mightyme]

Yeah i used the 6+2 pin. The model had 2 of the 6+2 and no 4+4. Is that what did it? If so then why the heck would it say its compatable with my system?

Thank you for the response btw.

 

[geekapproved]

The 6+2 is for a PCI-E video card, not a motherboard.

I find it hard to believe it fit though, I mean why would they make is so people CAN plug it in wrong?

Either way, you can send in your psu for warranty replacement. Pray your motherboard and cpu aren't damaged.

 

[larkspur]

Yeah i used the 6+2 pin. The model had 2 of the 6+2 and no 4+4. Is that what did it? If so then why the heck would it say its compatable with my system?

Thank you for the response btw.

Ouch. I looked up your PSU. It has a single all-connected 8-pin ATX connector. Most PSUs separate the 8-pin ATX connector into two 4-pin ATX connectors. You could have plugged in HALF of the 8-pin ATX connector into your motherboard's 4-pin ATX connector. Unfortunately you plugged the auxiliary PCIe power cable (the 6+2pin) in and fried your board/PSU. I can definitely see where the confusion could occur. You have my sympathies. Any of your components that were connected at the time may be toast but aren't necessarily bad. You will need to test them individually.

Any idea if the crackling came from the motherboard or PSU or both?

 

[mightyme]

Ahhh i see. I plugged the 8 pin that should have gone into the atx into the vid card and 6 pin into atx. Wow. Yeah that is crazy they would make them both compatable. Cracking came from the psu. Although mobo is gone too. Plugged in the old psu and soon as i turned it on the mobo started smoking. Well now i know. if it were seperated i'm sure i could have figured it out easier. Makes sense now that i think about it, 2 plugs for multiple gpu's.

Thanks guys, that was very helpful.

 

[ko888]

Yeah i used the 6+2 pin. The model had 2 of the 6+2 and no 4+4. Is that what did it? If so then why the heck would it say its compatable with my system?

Thank you for the response btw.

It does have a cable with two ATX12V connectors each that together form an EPS12V connector.

From Corsair's Frequently Asked Questions

Where’s the 4-pin EPS/ATX 12v connector that I need for my motherboard?

Our power supplies ship with an 8-pin connector that splits in half. Use half of this connector for the 4-pin EPS/ATX 12v connector on your motherboard.

 

[totalknowledge]

I agree that its rather disturbing that you can even accidentally do this. It's only been recently that psu's have been shipping with dedicated 8-pin pcie connectors, and having the two 4-pin connectors joined.

If either 8 pin can be plugged into the other, that is a serious design oversight.

eta: make sure that you let the psu manufacturer know that this has happened. While they may or may not be culpable for any damages done, they hopefully take steps to keep this from happening in the future.

 

[delluser1]

There's a picture guide on the back of the Corsair box, shows the connector and tells what it's for.

Yellow wires on the top of the 8 ( 4+4 ) pin EPS/ATX12V connector , black wires on the top of the 6+2 PCIe

 

[mightyme]

The more I research into PSU's the scarier it gets. Even with brand names things can blow. That guide was crap. Would have been helpful if they included something to the effect of plug tube a into slot b, etc. Like a normal instruction handlet. I sent all the parts back for refund so hopefully everything goes smooth. If not, lesson learned.

Edit: I should also point out that the 6 pin had a the connecting peice on the far end so it looked as if it were meant to be used as a 4 peice as well. This is what kinda convinced both me and my cousin that it was meant for that slot. If that makes sense.

 

[geekapproved]

Sad thing is you probably fried the psu, board, cpu, memory and video card.

 

[hunter315]

How hard did you have to press to get the 6 pin into the 4 pin slot? They are keyed differently to prevent that. The 8 pin ATX connector would have taken quite a bit of force to get into the PCI-e connector as the squared off pins are in a different configuration.


Next time you are unsure where things go, STOP, read a guide, ask some questions, then proceed as i doubt your motherboard or GPU will be covered under warranty, they are not covered in the event of electrical damage.

 

[mightyme]

Not hard at all. Slid right in and fastened like it belonged there. I didnt force anything in.

 

[delluser1]

How hard did you have to press to get the 6 pin into the 4 pin slot? They are keyed differently to prevent that. The 8 pin ATX connector would have taken quite a bit of force to get into the PCI-e connector as the squared off pins are in a different configuration.


Next time you are unsure where things go, STOP, read a guide, ask some questions, then proceed as i doubt your motherboard or GPU will be covered under warranty, they are not covered in the event of electrical damage.

6 pin PCIe works in ATX12v.
8 pin ATX to PCIe should have been tough.
Good advice