How to distinguish between PSU or Motherboard's problems

dragonrider157

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Jan 19, 2013
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Hi, I found my problem somewhere through a google search but couldn't find it again...

Anyway, here it goes:

When I click the power button, neither of the leds (Power or HDD) light up, and no fans start spinning (CPU, GPU, rear) with the exception of the front fan (which connects directly to the PSU, I think!). It also doesn't make any of the sound signals. HOWEVER, the HDD starts working, from what I could recognize...
The problem is solved when I disconnect one of the Ram sticks (I have 2), and click the power button. Then it keeps working when I add the 2nd stick again...

Other issues I am experiencing are: sometimes while playing, I hear a freeze noise for a second, and then the sound continues but the monitor loses its signal. Other times, the computer simply does the freezing sound and it shuts down, and then I have to do the ram trick again.
(I was able to find the freezing sound I am referring to: link.)

My guess is that it's the Motherboard or the PSU's fault.
Also, I found something fishy in the PSU's connector that plugs into the motherboard (the one with the most pins): One of the pins has the surrounding plastic black smudge ("like burned black"). I don't know if this is recent or not, however; the problem only started recently...

Thanks in advance!

 

johnnyq1233

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Aug 15, 2007
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That sound is your pc locking up(freezing). You probably have some kind of hardware issue. So....
List all the parts in your computer system... Motherboard, ram, cpu, graphics card, power supply, etc...
Maybe we can solve this...
 

dragonrider157

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Jan 19, 2013
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Yes, it's hardware issue, formatting didn't solve it.

So, here it goes:
Asus P8H77-M LE (motherboard)
OverviewSpecificationsGallerySupport
Intel 3570k
Nvidia GTX660
Kingston HyperX DDR3 2x4GB
Toshiba DT01ACA100
Nox NXS520 (PSU)

I'm almost sure the problem is related either to the Motherboard or the PSU... But how could I test to find out which one of them? The fact that it (sometimes) happens while playing may suggest that the PSU is unstable with higher load... or not?