Electricity, UPS and PC power issue

Yesterday morning, I was smelling that nice smell you get when you first buy a new PC, ya know, the fresh wire smell. Ironically this is the same smell when you have BURNT wire.
Well, it sounded innocent at first, but after an hour or so, it started smelling more, which indicate it wasn't normal. Finally, a few minutes after, the PC turns off on its own. I knew it wasn't normal at all because the UPS would've kicked in as it always has.

I look behind, and could smell some burnt electronics from the PSU. At this point I am getting quite nervous, hoping it didn't fry anything else like the HDD, because I had my family project prepared for today. So I call my uncle, and he tells me to unplug the PC power cord from the UPS and put it in the power bar instead. I turn it on, it all works, and has been since yesterday.

So now I am wondering, just what happened? My UPS has been here for two years now, and has always kicked in right when it was needed. It is an APC Back-UPS 650VA, rated 400W. My system's a measily AthlonXP 1.4GHZ with a Ti200 64MB video card, one 80GB HDD, 16*10*40 CD-RW, 512MB DDR, and an 300W Antec PSU. Those are about all I can tell that are the most power drawing components from the computer. I also have the 17" CRT monitor and sound system also plugged in the UPS.

Anyone know what happened? Like I said, the system is far from being too much on the UPS, it has always worked when needed, for many minutes too. It usually can last 10 minutes actually. So I don't think it's a power load issue more than some other electrical one.

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<font color=blue>Ede</font color=blue>

That's pretty weird. I would have expected the UPS to start stinking if it was the problem. Try putting something else on the UPS to see if it works ok. Try plugging the system back into the UPS and power it up. The only time I've seen issues with UPS's is when the battery needs replacing, which means the PC loses power when the mains fail. Since the odor came from the PSU, I would check there. Also, sniff around inside the case just to be sure. But my gut feeling is a PSU on the way out.

Jarrett

Definitely the PSU has the smell. Like I said, when I smell from the back of the case, the fan exhaust of the PSU, the odor can be caught.

If it were the UPS, it'd come from there.

Crap, now I am starting to smell it again though.
Will see what happens tommorow. I'm planning a major upgrade this winter, so I guess I might as well just go buy the PSU already. Was thinking of either the NeoPower 480W or the Enermax Dual Fan 550W. Both similarly priced.

What do you think I can do to the UPS though? Like, if it really were the issue, what can I do now? I really have no clue if APC will replace it or do something about it. I don't either know how long the warranty lasts. But the thing is, it prolly IS the PSU, just that I don't know why it now began to create problems.

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<font color=blue>Ede</font color=blue>

major upgrade is not coming fast enough

RIP Block Heater....HELLO P4~~~~~
120% nVidia Fanboy+119% Money Fanboy
GeForce 6800 Ultra--> The Way we thought FX 5800Ultra is meant to be played
THGC's resident Asian and nVboy

I clean it about every 3 months. It hasn't been a month I believe since I cleaned it.
I don't have PowerChute installed anymore, since I use the Windows XP UPS service instead. I dunno how useful will the PowerChute be, since the UPS is the kind that communicates to inform it's on battery power, but does not give you any extra info like voltages, or even battery charge.

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<font color=blue>Ede</font color=blue>

But then why would the PSU itself go down, if something like the HDD had an issue? I mean, the HDD isn't the one that could turn off a PC, right?
Technically it could fry and the PC would continue running, just no drive detected, at least that's what I'm assuming.

Yeah my UPS is the Back-UPS one, as I said, so it won't read much data in the end. Maybe the software detects a history of usage, but certainly not anything about the actual charge in there, or best yet, the load.

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<font color=blue>Ede</font color=blue>

On a possibly related issue, the PC has been, since the beginning of the year (and at some extended periods during the year not had the issue) had an odd fan noise. At first it was more rrrrrrrr that was loud, that happened during operation, and would just whine at times from low to high in noise. Later on, a new sound popped that seemed to replace that one, but now it's a higher pitched whining than roaring of a fan. I still can't pinpoint where it comes from!

I had a hunch it was the video card fan, since holding a pen thru it had such noise come out, but I could be wrong. It could also be the northbrige fan. Certainly not the CPU one though, because it continues the same sound during those odd fan noises. Thankfully it's the one component that so far has been working right. Considering it's running often at max speed and has had its share of dust, I'm amazed at the Volcano 7's durability.

My uncle suggested today the HDD too BTW, but I do think it is safe to discard it from the probable causes. It wouldn't be functioning as properly as now if it had issues, and most certainly some other noise from an HDD, like clanking would be heard, no?
I currently have the case opened, the side is close to it, but not put in place. So a little bit of air can enter easily.

I just haven't yet changed a PSU or installed one ever, in fact 3 years ago the PC was built by technicians. Now I'm getting ready to build my own this winter. So I am really hoping I won't change this PSU before New Year, so I won't have to buy a new PSU, the one I will get, and start using it in such a system.

On one hand though, you guys could be right, dust might be the culprit. It could be doing some serious devastation inside the PSU. Is that possible for it to create enough damage for such an odor to come up?

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<font color=blue>Ede</font color=blue>

Well, one thing I will definitely do above all, especially after even the technician at work told me the same thing too (better do somethin' or the PSU might fry and take away other components with it too!), is backup. Started archiving all data important into one folder. Damn, I'll need about 6 CDs at least. (crazy)
I need a DVD burner.

Now I do wonder how reliable are DVDs for backups? CDs seem to actually be losing their readability lately, and I wonder if DVDs are more resistant and durable. It'd rock to need one DVD only to burn backups, but I am worried about long-term use of the media, as I have no clue on researches on their durability. I know CD-Rs can even lose quality within a year sometimes. The estimated 100 years of information preservation of a CD turned out to be a fake and rather the average was 3 years.

And finally, I know that I didn't still pinpoint the actual fan or component that has the odor. But I'll drop by this saturday and see a technician friend, since the last thing I'd risk is opening the PSU itself. If it's a new on needed, well, pop in another cheap one for now... No sense in buying a brand new one for the next system and start using it on this one.

At least it's easier now to pinpoint the fan noise at startup, since it's now very frequent and can happen anytime if you close the comp for an hour or so, so I can use it before going to see the technician and it'd prolly have been shut off long enough for the sound to pop up again.

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<font color=blue>Ede</font color=blue>

Yeah, I'll either ask a friend who's had experience with opening PSUs (it could really just be dust burning) or just get a new one.

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<font color=blue>Ede</font color=blue>

Zyp, that's what I was hinting at with my last post. Some cheap priced 300W one will take care of the PC for the next two months.

I WOULD say it's likely the PSU too, because it turned everything off. I WILL however have the system checked by a technician friend, he's always helped us out anyways. No sense in personally risking opening the PSU.

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<font color=blue>Ede</font color=blue>

Hmmm ok [innocent]I'll try that today! This is gonna be interesting, if you say so![/innocent]



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<font color=blue>Ede</font color=blue>

That's what I had recommended to Phial. What a sweetheart, he follows everything I tell him to do.

Though he had trouble speaking the next day. I wonder why.

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<font color=blue>Ede</font color=blue>

Him or Flammy one!!!



<==== Should be (Forum <font color=red>Coors </font color=red> Master) [/shrug]

Dazzle them with Brilliance, or Baffle them with BS!
<font color=red>{FMCD}</font color=red>

I think I remember someone did. But uh...dunno how they survived, lmao.
Heck, using a tongue to detect voltage is pretty damn ridiculous as it is.

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<font color=blue>Ede</font color=blue>

it was only like 5v that comes out but still its the idea, lol.

"Never underestimate the predictability of Stupidity."
<A HREF="http://www.cameronwilliamson.com" target="_new">-={Neurotic Narcissist.}=-</A>
<font color=green>{FLM}</font color=green>

That's not the least of what he's eaten!!!



<==== Should be (Forum <font color=red>Coors </font color=red> Master) [/shrug]

Dazzle them with Brilliance, or Baffle them with BS!
<font color=red>{FMCD}</font color=red>

I was think of the cheese eating he did / does when I wrote that..

Wonder where he went??? He might have got his ass handed to him in a hand bag, for all we know!!!



<==== Should be (Forum <font color=red>Coors </font color=red> Master) [/shrug]

Dazzle them with Brilliance, or Baffle them with BS!
<font color=red>{FMCD}</font color=red>

Something like that....



<==== Should be (Forum <font color=red>Coors </font color=red> Master) [/shrug]

Dazzle them with Brilliance, or Baffle them with BS!
<font color=red>{FMCD}</font color=red>