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PSU won't power on...strange...

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  • Motherboards
  • Power
  • Components
Last response: in Components
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July 26, 2014 5:06:51 AM

I did a pin test(black+green) and the PSU works fine. Plug it into the motherboard and it will only run for about 0.3 seconds before losing power on the first try; then completely powerless second try onward. Motherboard light is on but just won't power on. Did another test with my other PSU and everything works fine. One thing about this PSU is that it will not fully plug into the mb, will leave about 1/6" of gap(can this be the cause of the problem?) Amazon is sending me a replacement but I just want to know why.

Why won't it power on despite working with pin test?

PSU:Corsair CX600M
MB:Asus M5A97 R2.0
CPU:FX-8320
GPU:Evga 750Ti

More about : psu power strange

a b V Motherboard
August 22, 2014 7:17:53 PM

Check all the pins and sockets for the ATX power connector and the CPU power connectors. Both on the cables and the motherboard. It does occasionally happen that a connector pin gets bent just enough to not allow it to fully engage the socket. Also the female receptacles for the cable pins in the socket on the motherboard can actually get crushed down or foreign debris can get trapped I there. Check all of it very closely with a light and if possible a magnifying glass to make sure this has not happened. Check the plastic of the plugs for deformity. If a connector has gotten warm it could get warped as could the socket on the motherboard.
a b V Motherboard
August 22, 2014 7:27:59 PM

Also, the pin test does not check nor test for all the possible failings inside a PSU. There are many other issues and faults that can be present in the cpu that are not going to be detectable by just one test. You would need to test for voltages, resistance and load testing. One way is with a PSU tester but obviously most people don't have one and they're not entirely accurate anyway. You can perform many tests with a digital volt ohm meter or DVOM or even an analog electrical tester if you know what you're doing. Here's a pretty decent video tutorial on testing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac7YMUcMjbw

Keep in mind there are other issues that basic testing won't reveal in some cases.
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