View Full Version : powersurge?
spinner
08-03-2005, 09:20 PM
Since mid july I've had two hard drives and a DVD burner die in the same PC. I had it set up as a server so it was running 24/7. They were all installed prior to June. I'm trying to think of something that would kill them over a period of 2 or 3 weeks. The mobo has been fine otherwise, if it was a power surge should I be shopping for another mobo just in case?
mander
08-03-2005, 09:34 PM
First question on my mind and I am sure others will ask the same, what are the temps in the system voltages...from the bios? This we will need to know before you replace anything that may not be needed.
Bad power supplies which aren't completely dead are known to damage other components. Check 12v and 5v rails - if fluctuating or out of range, that's the problem.
MOOGLY
08-03-2005, 10:05 PM
Where are you located ? Toronto has been backing off the voltages alot lately I can't see that being good for any electronics.
spinner
08-04-2005, 07:35 AM
Where are you located ? Toronto has been backing off the voltages alot lately I can't see that being good for any electronics.
I'm in Mississauga.
spinner
08-04-2005, 07:36 AM
Bad power supplies which aren't completely dead are known to damage other components. Check 12v and 5v rails - if fluctuation or out of range, that's the problem.
Ok, I'll test that tonight.
networkguy
08-04-2005, 09:21 AM
You could also just have bad power in general, HD and optical drives may be more sensitive to tihs and thus die faster. You may even have electronic rust on your mobo which just takes time to build up and kill your mobo. Have you had problems with any other electrical components, tv, dvd player, vcr, light bulbs burning out? I would think if bad power was your problem that other things would be affected too. Could it just be a bad outlet your pc is plugged into? Have you thought of getting a ups?
NG
spinner
08-04-2005, 01:41 PM
You could also just have bad power in general, HD and optical drives may be more sensitive to tihs and thus die faster. You may even have electronic rust on your mobo which just takes time to build up and kill your mobo. Have you had problems with any other electrical components, tv, dvd player, vcr, light bulbs burning out? I would think if bad power was your problem that other things would be affected too. Could it just be a bad outlet your pc is plugged into? Have you thought of getting a ups?
NG
I did have an HP Scanner plugged into the same power outlet and it seemed to stop working around the same time. But just before i decided to toss it and took it to my daughters room and hooked it up to her PC and it worked fine.
A good power supply will be able to produce the required voltages even during periods of reduced input voltage or fluctuation. The el-cheapo no name ones with small capacitors tend to be a lot more sensitive.
If other electronics are also having problems, you should consider a UPS.
A minor surge can damage components without killing an entire machine - protected power bars are by no means 100% effective.
spinner
08-04-2005, 07:26 PM
A good power supply will be able to produce the required voltages even during periods of reduced input voltage or fluctuation. The el-cheapo no name ones with small capacitors tend to be a lot more sensitive.
If other electronics are also having problems, you should consider a UPS.
A minor surge can damage components without killing an entire machine - protected power bars are by no means 100% effective.
rather than testing the current one, maybe I'll just go and buy a good quality one, this one is a brand I'm not familiar with.
Don't replace hardware unless necessary. Many people do so and end up with the same problem - sometimes it makes things worse.
Voltages can be checked via the BIOS menu very easily - refer to motherboard manual.
spinner
08-05-2005, 03:34 PM
on the one hand I agree, and certainly superstition has no place in diagnosing hardware problems but I just think with my crappy luck so far a new, better powersupply would be cheap insurance
awesomejs
08-05-2005, 03:49 PM
if u do get a new ps enermax brands are very good....
What's in there now?
If it's 350W or more (generic or not), don't bother. You might as well check the voltages now to know if it's the culprit or not. (very easy to do) It would be a shame to loose more components a few weeks after changing the psu, only to find out that something else caused/is causing the problem.
spinner
08-06-2005, 05:15 PM
What's in there now?
If it's 350W or more (generic or not), don't bother. You might as well check the voltages now to know if it's the culprit or not. (very easy to do) It would be a shame to loose more components a few weeks after changing the psu, only to find out that something else caused/is causing the problem.
These are the voltage readings from the BIOS:
VCore = 1.74v
+3.3 = 3.47v
+5 = 4.99v
+12 = +11.90v
-12 = -11.18v
-5 not monitored
none of the voltages fluctuated while I was reading them.
Those are fine. A temporary spike/surge related to the incoming line voltage could have killed the drives, or the IDE controller could have caused it. If everything died at the same time.
Heat is the number one cause of drive failure; make sure that there's plenty of space between each hard disk - putting one on top of another is a big no no. (though I admit to doing it on another system due to lack of drive bays)
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