HELP! Whole system went down

Doc Rob · 7 Mar 2006 at 15:25

Sitting happily playing WoW this afternoon. Suddenly heard a tortured-plastic noise (like something cracking). Took me a few seconds to identify it as coming from the PC. Then noise gets louder, and suddenly the whole system powers down, accompanied by a burning electrical smell.

Obviously unplugged everything immediately and opened up the case. Nothing really seemed to smell, apart from possibly the PSU - a Hiper, bought from here only a couple of months back.

Computer will not turn on at all now - power switch on PSU does not light up when switched on.

Does this sound like purely a PSU problem? I'm praying nothing else is damaged.

semi-pro waster · 7 Mar 2006 at 15:31

Do you have another PSU that you could test it with? If you are lucky then because it is a decent brand of PSU then it won't have taken anything else with it. I don't know for certain that it is the PSU at fault but it sounds reasonably likely.

Doc Rob · 7 Mar 2006 at 17:56

PSU positively identified as source of problem - reproduced noise and smell when plugged in - and fused its power lead. (Turns out it had fused the first one as well).

Went out and bought a replacement PSU - thinking that I'll argue the toss with the suppliers later. Guess what? New PSU all wired up, but now the lights are on but nobody's home. Green light on the MB, PSU light on, nothing happens on pushing the power button whatsoever. I don't know precisely what has been cooked, but Hiper owe me a replacement. And I am seriously ****** off.

MuSsEr · 7 Mar 2006 at 18:29

id try unplugging everything and then see what works one bit at a time, see if u get any life with just the cpu in and then add the ram etc.

Doc Rob · 7 Mar 2006 at 19:35

MuSsEr said:
id try unplugging everything and then see what works one bit at a time, see if u get any life with just the cpu in and then add the ram etc.

I'm not enough of a tech-head to do this myself, but I know a man who is. Taking PC to see him tomorrow.

muckymick · 7 Mar 2006 at 19:48

Have you tried clearing the cmos ?

NightmareXX · 7 Mar 2006 at 21:08

Why would the CMOS of been affected?

And if it was, wouldn't if of been fried?

muckymick · 7 Mar 2006 at 21:14

A spike in power to the mobo may have upset something and clearing the bios may just cure it.