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Apparent PSU problem



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 19th 20, 08:36 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Larc[_3_]
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Posts: 383
Default Apparent PSU problem

I have an older extra PC (ASUS H97M Plus motherboard - i3-4150 CPU - 12GB Kingston
HyperX DDR3-1600 RAM) that I use for Windows 10 Insider Preview beta builds. It has
a PS/2 keyboard that I've been using to start the system (CTRL+ESC). That start
method stopped working a couple of weeks ago and I had to resort to the start button.
That started failing and now won't start at all. I connected the power supply to a
tester that showed all power levels OK, but the PG indicator was dim and blinking off
occasionally. That was sufficient to cause me to order another PSU (Thermaltake TR2
430W since I'm using onboard graphics and don't have to power a GPU). The old one in
the system is an Antec TRU 430 that has to be at least 14 or 15 years old. Is there
anything else I should have checked before deciding the PSU was the culprit? Other
than the recent start problems, everything else has been working well as usual.

Larc
  #2  
Old September 19th 20, 08:50 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Bill[_40_]
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Posts: 10
Default Apparent PSU problem

Larc wrote:
I have an older extra PC (ASUS H97M Plus motherboard - i3-4150 CPU - 12GB Kingston
HyperX DDR3-1600 RAM) that I use for Windows 10 Insider Preview beta builds. It has
a PS/2 keyboard that I've been using to start the system (CTRL+ESC). That start
method stopped working a couple of weeks ago and I had to resort to the start button.
That started failing and now won't start at all. I connected the power supply to a
tester that showed all power levels OK, but the PG indicator was dim and blinking off
occasionally. That was sufficient to cause me to order another PSU (Thermaltake TR2
430W since I'm using onboard graphics and don't have to power a GPU). The old one in
the system is an Antec TRU 430 that has to be at least 14 or 15 years old. Is there
anything else I should have checked before deciding the PSU was the culprit? Other
than the recent start problems, everything else has been working well as usual.

Larc



Sorry, what does PG stand for? Since you said all power levels were
okay, I'm not sure what a new one is going to do better. You know how
to do what the start button does directly on the motherboard with a
screw driver, or other tool, don't you? I assume you tried that too.
Next, I would look at the owners manual for the motherboard and see what
a blinking PG indicates. Sorry, I am not an expert. Good luck!
  #3  
Old September 19th 20, 10:13 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Larc[_3_]
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Posts: 383
Default Apparent PSU problem

On Sat, 19 Sep 2020 15:50:22 -0400, Bill wrote:

| Sorry, what does PG stand for? Since you said all power levels were
| okay, I'm not sure what a new one is going to do better. You know how
| to do what the start button does directly on the motherboard with a
| screw driver, or other tool, don't you? I assume you tried that too.
| Next, I would look at the owners manual for the motherboard and see what
| a blinking PG indicates. Sorry, I am not an expert. Good luck!

PG=Power Good. It's an indicator that all power levels (+12V, +5V and +3.3V) are at
their correct output values. Under voltage protection kicks in and prevents the PSU
from turning on if there's any variation. This explains it more fully:

https://www.hardwaresecrets.com/ever...protections/2/

Here is one part that explains the need for a PG reading to be OK before a computer
will start:

"... the under voltage protection shuts down the power supply if the outputs have a
voltage below a certain level. If the UVP is active when the power supply is first
turned on, the power supply would never turn on, because voltages are below the UVP
trigger point. In other words, because when you first turn on the power supply
voltages are below their values for a fraction of second, the UVP would prevent the
power supply from being turned on."

The PSU not coming on when UVP is active is a PC thing. When the PSU is connected to
a tester instead, it will come on even if there are problems.

I'm at least 90% sure the PSU is the sole problem here, but just wanted some input
from wiser, although likely not grayer, heads if there could be something I've
overlooked.

Larc
  #4  
Old September 19th 20, 10:57 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Rene Lamontagne
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Posts: 187
Default Apparent PSU problem

On 2020-09-19 4:13 p.m., Larc wrote:
On Sat, 19 Sep 2020 15:50:22 -0400, Bill wrote:

| Sorry, what does PG stand for? Since you said all power levels were
| okay, I'm not sure what a new one is going to do better. You know how
| to do what the start button does directly on the motherboard with a
| screw driver, or other tool, don't you? I assume you tried that too.
| Next, I would look at the owners manual for the motherboard and see what
| a blinking PG indicates. Sorry, I am not an expert. Good luck!

PG=Power Good. It's an indicator that all power levels (+12V, +5V and +3.3V) are at
their correct output values. Under voltage protection kicks in and prevents the PSU
from turning on if there's any variation. This explains it more fully:

https://www.hardwaresecrets.com/ever...protections/2/

Here is one part that explains the need for a PG reading to be OK before a computer
will start:

"... the under voltage protection shuts down the power supply if the outputs have a
voltage below a certain level. If the UVP is active when the power supply is first
turned on, the power supply would never turn on, because voltages are below the UVP
trigger point. In other words, because when you first turn on the power supply
voltages are below their values for a fraction of second, the UVP would prevent the
power supply from being turned on."

The PSU not coming on when UVP is active is a PC thing. When the PSU is connected to
a tester instead, it will come on even if there are problems.

I'm at least 90% sure the PSU is the sole problem here, but just wanted some input
from wiser, although likely not grayer, heads if there could be something I've
overlooked.

Larc


If the PG line, pin 8 was blinking or dim, that would be ample reason
to change out the PSU for a new one, I believe you are doing the right
thing.

Rene

  #5  
Old September 20th 20, 04:37 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Paul[_28_]
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Posts: 1,467
Default Apparent PSU problem

Rene Lamontagne wrote:
On 2020-09-19 4:13 p.m., Larc wrote:
On Sat, 19 Sep 2020 15:50:22 -0400, Bill wrote:

| Sorry, what does PG stand for? Since you said all power levels were
| okay, I'm not sure what a new one is going to do better. You know how
| to do what the start button does directly on the motherboard with a
| screw driver, or other tool, don't you? I assume you tried that too.
| Next, I would look at the owners manual for the motherboard and see
what
| a blinking PG indicates. Sorry, I am not an expert. Good luck!

PG=Power Good. It's an indicator that all power levels (+12V, +5V and
+3.3V) are at
their correct output values. Under voltage protection kicks in and
prevents the PSU
from turning on if there's any variation. This explains it more fully:

https://www.hardwaresecrets.com/ever...protections/2/


Here is one part that explains the need for a PG reading to be OK
before a computer
will start:

"... the under voltage protection shuts down the power supply if the
outputs have a
voltage below a certain level. If the UVP is active when the power
supply is first
turned on, the power supply would never turn on, because voltages are
below the UVP
trigger point. In other words, because when you first turn on the
power supply
voltages are below their values for a fraction of second, the UVP
would prevent the
power supply from being turned on."

The PSU not coming on when UVP is active is a PC thing. When the PSU
is connected to
a tester instead, it will come on even if there are problems.

I'm at least 90% sure the PSU is the sole problem here, but just
wanted some input
from wiser, although likely not grayer, heads if there could be
something I've
overlooked.

Larc


If the PG line, pin 8 was blinking or dim, that would be ample reason
to change out the PSU for a new one, I believe you are doing the right
thing.

Rene


The 5V is probably low on it.

One of my Antecs, it was the +5V output caps that
let out the magic smoke. Other threads mentioned
measuring +5V and finding it abnormally low.
If it gets too far out of spec, eventually it
could cause PowerGood to flip state.

There are *three* Antecs in the junk room, but none
is an exact match for the OPs one. They're all likely
to be ChannelWell builds. The transformer inside will
have "CWT" stamped on the transformer or similar.

There were four caps on mine, split on the top, with
orange-brown juice coming out.

One of those Antecs has a funny flaw - the output is fine,
but on the primary side, the PSU puts "noise on mains", which
other appliances can sense to their detriment. It can cause
my ADSL2 modem to lose sync at 9PM in the evening. So that PSU
earned a membership card to the Junk Room.

Paul
  #6  
Old September 20th 20, 06:34 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Peter Johnson[_5_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 19
Default Apparent PSU problem

On Sat, 19 Sep 2020 23:37:39 -0400, Paul
wrote:



If the PG line, pin 8 was blinking or dim, that would be ample reason
to change out the PSU for a new one, I believe you are doing the right
thing.


+1

I don't know about the current state of things but it used to be that
because a psu tested ok didn't mean that it was ok. I once paid a
computer shop £5 to test a psu that had been in a problematic system.
It was OK said the shop owner. So I sold it on eBay, fortunately to
someone who lived not far away, who put it in his system and found
that it wouldn't power up. (Over a few months I had changed everything
in that system to try and fix random restarts. The psu was the last
item. It hadn't been a cheap one, either.)
  #7  
Old September 20th 20, 07:45 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Larc[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 383
Default Apparent PSU problem

On Sun, 20 Sep 2020 18:34:48 +0100, Peter Johnson wrote:

| On Sat, 19 Sep 2020 23:37:39 -0400, Paul
| wrote:
|
|
|
| If the PG line, pin 8 was blinking or dim, that would be ample reason
| to change out the PSU for a new one, I believe you are doing the right
| thing.
|
|
| +1
|
| I don't know about the current state of things but it used to be that
| because a psu tested ok didn't mean that it was ok. I once paid a
| computer shop £5 to test a psu that had been in a problematic system.
| It was OK said the shop owner. So I sold it on eBay, fortunately to
| someone who lived not far away, who put it in his system and found
| that it wouldn't power up. (Over a few months I had changed everything
| in that system to try and fix random restarts. The psu was the last
| item. It hadn't been a cheap one, either.)

If power output level is dropping randomly as happened with my problem PSU, it is
possible one could test OK on a check and then fail in a later check or application.
I hate that. If a PSU is going, I prefer absolute failure. Then there's no doubt.

Larc
 




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