After 5 months the Desk Top Computer Power Supply smoked!

[Don2222]

Hello

Went to get on the Server this morning to order parts and no connectivity! Looked at the box and no power lights! Then I smelled a burned electrical smell coming from the power supply I purchased at the local computer shop! It was fried! The brand was Cool Max and supposedly rated for 400 watts to replace the original 300 watt supply in my HP Desktop with an HD video card I use as our home media server connected to the 47 inch flat screen and it is also our personal internet web server.

Therefore, I went to Best Buy and picked up a premium Corsair GS700 watt gaming supply which is much heavier and looks like it was built to last. The salesman said his is still running after 7 years. So I whipped out the sizzled and fried cool max and banged in the Corsair GS700.

The large fan in the corsair turns on a cold boot and then stops. The service tech stated it is hooked into a thermal circuit and only comes on when the machine gets a little warmer.

See pics below. It has some cool led lights that you can select red, white or blue for atmosphere!

What power supplies do you have? How long do they last? What brands do you like?

 

[BrotherBart]

I have Dell machines. I am used to the smell of smoke.

 

[Don2222]

I have Dell machines. I am used to the smell of smoke.

I know what you mean BB. When I worked for Lotus Development years ago they had Dells. Dells were notorious for bad power supplies! Now I try to buy boxes that fit generic parts. The Corsair was approx 1/2" longer than the cool max but still fit in the case fine. It also had more plugs and wires than I needed. Now I know I have reved up performance and alot more power! 700 Watts for 24/7 server operation!

 

[BrotherBart]

Good ole Lotus Development. I was the Venture Manager for a world wide Notes implementation for the oil company in 1994. Great people at Lotus. IBM wanted me to join the party in 1995 when they bought'em and I said thank you but no thank you. Don't need no blue tattoo.

Looks like you should have enough juice for that server, and to fry a few eggs too.

 

[Retired Guy]

When I was working we had a couple hundred Dell Optiplex machines. Never a problem with power supplies just a couple with memory issues.

 

[Don2222]

When I was working we had a couple hundred Dell Optiplex machines. Never a problem with power supplies just a couple with memory issues.

The Optiplex is a good machine.

We were talking about this one. It is in a museum now. LOL

 

[heat seeker]

I'm running a Mac now, but have had two Dells that were near bulletproof. Not a bit of trouble with either. Windows, on the other hand...

 

[Don2222]

The original power supply in the HP Desktop lasted quite a few years. I was just really upset about that cool max (see pic below) that I got from a reputable computer store is just such poor quality it smoked up after 5 months! $#$@^^&@%#&#**@*#(!!

 

[BrotherBart]

Mine are Dell GX280 machines. They have a known power supply and melting capacitor problems that Dell wouldn't never fess up to. I bought five from the county government for $25 apiece and just swap the drives when one burns up. The latest one has actually lasted a good while.

The worst one filled the basement with smoke while I was out in the yard.

 

[Don2222]

Here is a nice video on a GX280 that does not boot up! LOL

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[Highbeam]

So I have a dell desktop machine and I suspect my power supply is trash. It's a big tower and black but I am not certain of the model number. Inspiron? Anyway, it will just shut off every so often. Usually when being asked to do some heavy browsing like in the middle of a youtube movie. Restarts no problem. No smoke.

I've changed cards and added memory to machines but never a power supply. Does my issue sound PS related? Is the dell PS proprietary? Easy to swap? Are new PS units expensive?

 

[Don2222]

So I have a dell desktop machine and I suspect my power supply is trash. It's a big tower and black but I am not certain of the model number. Inspiron? Anyway, it will just shut off every so often. Usually when being asked to do some heavy browsing like in the middle of a youtube movie. Restarts no problem. No smoke.

I've changed cards and added memory to machines but never a power supply. Does my issue sound PS related? Is the dell PS proprietary? Easy to swap? Are new PS units expensive?

Could be bad caps, they have alot of problems.
See > > http://ldstech.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=2217

 

[Ashful]

Mine are Dell GX280 machines.

Well, thar's yer problem! I've been running Dell Precision workstations for years, never a problem. Typing this on a 2010 vintage T7500 with eight Xeon processors and 24 GB RAM (3D simulator box). I have two 2008 vintage T7400 quad cores, still going strong.

 

[jharkin]

For years I bought mostly Enermax supplies when I was into gaming and building a new rig every 2 years.

Now there are many good brands out there, and I think my current unit is also a Corsair. I got one of the modular ones that you only plug in the adapters needed, cuts down cable clutter a lot.

 

[tekguy]

gx280's where pretty stable machines, gx270's basically had a design flaw and would pop caps left and right, dell replaced boards by thousands if not hundred of thousands, gx280's are long in the tooth.. dont get me started on HP machines blowing power supplies and caps left and right

but yeah if your machine is shutting off at random checking caps is simple enough to do, if they are puffy they are toast (if your handy at soldering its simple job to replace for little cash)

and to the OP, alot of power supplies are overrated (wattage wise) - corsair is a good brand

 

[TMonter]

I'm partial to Antec power supplies as the few times I've had issues with their equipment they have replaced the items without a hassle. However as people have pointed out there are a lot of good power supplies out there. I have an Antec 550W in my current machine.

 

[Don2222]

I'm partial to Antec power supplies as the few times I've had issues with their equipment they have replaced the items without a hassle. However as people have pointed out there are a lot of good power supplies out there. I have an Antec 550W in my current machine.

Hi - I am happy with my big Corsair GS700 700 watt gamer supply even though I do not do gaming, but I do stream Hulu to my 47 inch flat screen and run an Internet Web server and it runs a shared Biz database to 4 users at the same time.

Although I did pay double about $120 for it, what is the price on the Antecs?

 

[jharkin]

Antec is a good company too, they make very nice cases.

 

[TMonter]

Hi - I am happy with my big Corsair GS700 700 watt gamer supply even though I do not do gaming, but I do stream Hulu to my 47 inch flat screen and run an Internet Web server and it runs a shared Biz database to 4 users at the same time.

Although I did pay double about $120 for it, what is the price on the Antecs?

It varies depending on the wattage but they are about on par with the Corsair supplies. I typically use Newegg as my go to purchase place for computer components.

 

[TheMightyMoe]

I swear by Antec, I'm running a 1,500 WATT, and there are still 3 old computers I've built alive in the last 7? years, that are still ticking.

For a decent power supply expect to pay around 100$.

I would never put a subpar-powersupply in a rig I want to last.

 

[Don2222]

I swear by Antec, I'm running a 1,500 WATT, and there are still 3 old computers I've built alive in the last 7? years, that are still ticking.

For a decent power supply expect to pay around 100$.

I would never put a subpar-powersupply in a rig I want to last.

I agree, just had trouble finally getting a good supply, the original was 300 watt and it lasted maybe 3 years. Then I went to the local computer shop and they sold me that 400 watt supply above which I thought was better! I was in a hurry to get some data I needed and I thought I was all set! #$@@.

This time I went to Best Buy and the salesman again sold me a 400 watt supply and told me it was a real good one. Well I had to bring it back so the other guy could show me how to separate a connector so it would plug into the motherboard. Then I said no, do you have a better supply? He seemed quite knowledgeable and led me to the GS700 and GS800 Corsairs for about $120. The local computer shop I went to did not have these good ones in stock, go figure! Maybe they make more money on the cheap ones!

So I finally got a good supply! Thanks, now we know there IS a difference!

 

[tekguy]

I agree, just had trouble finally getting a good supply, the original was 300 watt and it lasted maybe 3 years. Then I went to the local computer shop and they sold me that 400 watt supply above which I thought was better! I was in a hurry to get some data I needed and I thought I was all set! #$@@.

This time I went to Best Buy and the salesman again sold me a 400 watt supply and told me it was a real good one. Well I had to bring it back so the other guy could show me how to separate a connector so it would plug into the motherboard. Then I said no, do you have a better supply? He seemed quite knowledgeable and led me to the GS700 and GS800 Corsairs for about $120. The local computer shop I went to did not have these good ones in stock, go figure! Maybe they make more money on the cheap ones!

So I finally got a good supply! Thanks, now we know there IS a difference!

i use to manage a very busy independent computer service center, my guess its not that they make more off cheap ones its people are cheap and very few will pay $120 for a power supply or other 'high' end parts.. we would stock some 'specialty parts' but not many as collecting dust on the shelf is money being lost to depreciation

most people are pissed their computer is broke and want it fixed as cheap as possible, I miss the old days when every PC cost 2K + and people didn't complain about a $150 repair bill

 

[Ashful]

I miss the old days when every PC cost 2K + and people didn't complain about a $150 repair bill

We used to have a saying, back when I built PC's, "every PC cost $2000, it's just what you get for $2000 that keeps changing."

<-- current PC cost $8500

 

[jharkin]

I remember the first PC I ever bought with my own money cost $2700. An entire summer job savings in college.

It had a 100MHz Pentium and 16mb ram.

The 7mhz 8086 my Dad bought when we were kids cost even more in 80s dollars. Imagine what that equals today.... How things change.