Some of you may recall the CPU frying itself awhile back in my PC, and I replaced the CPU today.  However, I switched the power on and nothing.

Hopelessly feeling powerless.

I suspect the CPU damaged the motherboard when it went kablooie.  Any other ideas?

It is not the PSU.

600 watts.

How did you KNOW that it was the CPU in the first place?


As to the power supply........ did you put a multimeter on the various outputs to see if they are indicating the correct voltage?  Of course, that would not tell you if the voltage is correct under load conditions.... but it is a start.

best,

.................john

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Well that is a pretty good indication you likely fried it, I'd say.    However......... there are other considerations here.... see below.

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Not sure, but I think you are describing a multimeter there.    You need to know the exact voltages (under no load) that your power supply is supposed to put out.  You might have to look that up.  Make sure you set the scales correctly if it is not a self-scaling uint.

Also... be careful poking around in the case.  Make sure you are well grounded... or you can do more damage fast.  And be careful of using the continuity tester function..... it supplies voltage to test the circuit.  Don;t want to put that to the wrong place.


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Welll.... you are making a big assumption here.    The puff of smoke from the CPU may heve been the RESULT of another component "going west", not the cause of it.  Chicken and egg problem.   The car crashed and that is a big problem with all the bodywork bent and destroyed.... but the CAUSE of the crash was the blowout on the left front tire.  Fixing the metalwork crash damage doesn't address the shot tire.  

Simplest example I can think of here would be is a voltage regulator in the power supply decided to "give up the ghost"........ and sent significant overvoltage to the core supply of the CPU.  Smokesville!

And yes... it could also happen that the CPU going bad could send an inappropriate amount of current or voltage to another component that causes IT to also go bad.  

Hard to figure out which is which sometimes.  Is the headache just a headache.... or a brain tumor?  If you are a trained doctor....... you know how to find out.  Lacking that training............  

This stuff can be far more complicated that it seems at first.

Unfortunately, it seem that most "technicians" working on computers today are maybe better described as "card replacers" than "soldering iron jockeys".  Not too much repair is done at the component level anymore.  Circuits are getting too complicated... and much is reduced to microchips which by their very nature are not really "repairable" in and of themselves.

So a "repair" these days might consist of putting in a whole new power supply.... rather than replacing the component (say a filter capacitor) in the supply that blew.... and would only cost $0.50 or less to buy.  If the person knew how to troubleshoot at the component level, it would only take a few minutes to diagnose, identify, and replace.  But then again........ with computer labor running in the $100 per hour range.... and most new power supplys likely being less than that one hour minimum charge ....... stuff just gets thrown out.  What a waste.

Anyway.... my ham radio "soldering iron jockey" background is showing  .


best,

.......................john

PSU: 12v, 3,3v and 5v output... the difference is in the available load.

You need to do a trick with some of the connector pins to get the PSU to switch from standby to running mode, or you will only find the 5v standby power

Good Point Fozzer! 

In fact.... we should probably mention her that inside that case ,....... although it is not easy to find.... can be some voltages that could be lethal.

So be caredul there Scorpion.  MOST stuff in the case is low voltages.... but the power supply "inner workings" is another story.

You really probably don't want to go poking around inside the PS box. 

best,

...................john

heres a good link for PSs:

http://web2.murraystate.edu/andy.batts/ps/POWERSUPPLY.HTM

I haven't done any overclocking, but I'll try the battery anyway.

I can say it's not my hard drive or graphics card, because I'm using them both on the old PC right now.  (drive as slave) It can now only be the MOBO, RAM or PSU.  As I'm using the graphics and drive, and the CPU is brand new.

The best I can hope for is it being the PSU, despite being new.  A new PSU is a lot cheaper than a new MOBO.

Yeah... and the filter caps can store a charge even when the machine is unplugged.

best,

...............john

Entertainment indeed!  Despite the sinking feeling, I was quite delighted by the smoke!

I went to Fry's, and to my surprise, they were quite cordial and helpful.  Not typical of Fry's. Anywho, I bought a CPU, nothing happened, took it back, and the guys said both were in perfect working order.  After hearing utterances here about my PSU, I decided to go that route, besides the fact that it's cheaper.  No avail.  I still don't think it's RAM, and this only leaves the MoBo.  I shall take the PSU back fo a refund, and buy a new MoBo.  Hopefully, I shall be back in command of C172s and T-54s by the end of the week.