too weak of PSU?

Dark Lord · Oct 1, 2006, 11:52 PM

in the last 2 weeks or so ive added in a 2nd hard drive, and in the last week things have started getting real odd.

right now for instance, i cant start any graphical apps. they all crash and come up with the "were sorry but "" has caused an error and needs to close"

the problem comes and goes, but its getting progressivly worse. even this morning for instance, my new hard drive started the dreaded squealing sound. the hd works great though and all the data is still here, which kinda makes me think its just not getting enough power to completly spin up.

now going back to the graphical apps part. if i restart my computer, i can get any program i want to run and it will just fine. if i walk away from the computer for awhile and come back to it though, chances are no graphical apps will run.

S754 A64 3200+ @2.0
x800 pro
2x512 kingston
1 IDE 7200 drive
1 Sata 7200.10 seagate (new perp recording)
1 cd burner
1 dvd rom
1 floppy
4-5 usb items
7 case fans, heat sink fan, 2 psu fans, and the vid card fan
6 speed control dials.... 4 are built into the case, 1 is manual adjust for the cpu fan, and the other is for the psu fan control.
480watt thermaltake psu.

useing the psu calculator in the sticky thread it looks like i should have a 450watt psu, so im kinda thinking i may be running low on juice.

CDsDontBurn · Oct 2, 2006, 12:03 AM

if the PSU is old enough, the power output may not be nearly as good as it once used to be.

Dark Lord · Oct 2, 2006, 12:05 AM

its going on 3 years old now.

CDsDontBurn · Oct 2, 2006, 12:11 AM

yea....might not be putting out the same power it once used to. i say get a multi-meter and check the amps and voltages it puts out on its rails just to double check.

Dark Lord · Oct 2, 2006, 04:58 AM

so what do you guys think? new psu should clear up all these problems?
kinda thinking something in the 550watt range.

well, id say something has changed over the last 18 months.

then

now

CDsDontBurn · Oct 2, 2006, 09:09 AM

lol....yea, a new PSU would come in nicely. but remember, it's not always about the wattage. check the amps on the 12v line of whatever PSU you get.

H3X4D3C1M4L · Oct 2, 2006, 05:56 PM

+12V is looooow on that PSU

Asmoday · Oct 2, 2006, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by H3X4D3C1M4L

+12V is looooow on that PSU

Yeah but not low enough to be outside the specs....I'm not saying that it isn't the PSU but that isn't that low. I'd recommend trying to borrow another PSU from a friend or something and see if you get the same instabilitys, just to be sure you know...

Dark Lord · Oct 2, 2006, 06:10 PM

id like to borrow one, but ive got the most powerfull psu by far.

oh, and my 3.3 just went to hell today. hit 2.99 as a low just awhile ago.

PangingJr · Oct 2, 2006, 06:20 PM

depending on the design of the power supply on the +12V rating patterns...
and its efficiency at typical, peak, full loads... the temperature of the unit itself while it's under these loads...

the +12V @ 11.9x, 11.8x, 11,.7x, 11.6x all these rating are sometime still okay in some of power supply's so long as it's designed to do that...

Asmoday · Oct 2, 2006, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark Lord

oh, and my 3.3 just went to hell today. hit 2.99 as a low just awhile ago.

damn, it sounds as the PSU is dying afterall...

Dark Lord · Oct 2, 2006, 06:28 PM

well heres the specs of what this psu SHOULD be.

Dark Lord · Oct 2, 2006, 06:34 PM

holy god, i may be dead here in a min.

mbm is reporting 3.3 @ 2.90 now, and im not even doing anything.

PangingJr · Oct 2, 2006, 07:17 PM

have a look at the measured voltage of all the rails on these power supplies (or other ones that are in the data base) as for example...
maybe you can find the info of your unit in the data base, and see why the rails are dropping like that...

LC_Power_Silent_Giant_550_Watt/
http://www.hardware.info/en-US/produ...iant_550_Watt/

Enermax_Noisetaker_485W/
http://www.hardware.info/en-US/produ...isetaker_485W/

Dark Lord · Oct 2, 2006, 07:39 PM

ok, found my new psu that ill probably buy tonight. an antec neo HE 550watt. has a 20.00 rebate on it so it comes out to 84.99 shipped.

PangingJr · Oct 2, 2006, 07:47 PM

this info may be contained some of old info, but you might want to check it out.
http://www.short-media.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29540

Quote:

Zippy/Emacs 350w psu = $83 (26@ on 12v line is better than antec 550, performance is comparable if not better than pcp&c. Prohibitivley expensive however)

H3X4D3C1M4L · Oct 2, 2006, 09:28 PM

The +12 rail powers the CPU... if its a little over or under its usually fine but .2 to .3 volts is far too low IMO, same for it being that much over. At that point though it is within spec its no longer guaranteed to be reliable or stable

Oct 1, 2006, 11:52 PM	#1
Dark Lord HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 5,945 Rep Power: 125 System Specs	too weak of PSU? in the last 2 weeks or so ive added in a 2nd hard drive, and in the last week things have started getting real odd. right now for instance, i cant start any graphical apps. they all crash and come up with the "were sorry but "" has caused an error and needs to close" the problem comes and goes, but its getting progressivly worse. even this morning for instance, my new hard drive started the dreaded squealing sound. the hd works great though and all the data is still here, which kinda makes me think its just not getting enough power to completly spin up. now going back to the graphical apps part. if i restart my computer, i can get any program i want to run and it will just fine. if i walk away from the computer for awhile and come back to it though, chances are no graphical apps will run. S754 A64 3200+ @2.0 x800 pro 2x512 kingston 1 IDE 7200 drive 1 Sata 7200.10 seagate (new perp recording) 1 cd burner 1 dvd rom 1 floppy 4-5 usb items 7 case fans, heat sink fan, 2 psu fans, and the vid card fan 6 speed control dials.... 4 are built into the case, 1 is manual adjust for the cpu fan, and the other is for the psu fan control. 480watt thermaltake psu. useing the psu calculator in the sticky thread it looks like i should have a 450watt psu, so im kinda thinking i may be running low on juice. __________________

Oct 2, 2006, 12:03 AM	#2
CDsDontBurn Lurking DriverHeaven Join Date: May 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 22,779 Rep Power: 235 System Specs	if the PSU is old enough, the power output may not be nearly as good as it once used to be. __________________ Her First Day \| A year later

Oct 2, 2006, 12:05 AM	Thread Starter #3
Dark Lord HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 5,945 Rep Power: 125 System Specs	its going on 3 years old now. __________________

Oct 2, 2006, 12:11 AM	#4
CDsDontBurn Lurking DriverHeaven Join Date: May 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 22,779 Rep Power: 235 System Specs	yea....might not be putting out the same power it once used to. i say get a multi-meter and check the amps and voltages it puts out on its rails just to double check. __________________ Her First Day \| A year later

Oct 2, 2006, 04:58 AM	Thread Starter #5
Dark Lord HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 5,945 Rep Power: 125 System Specs	so what do you guys think? new psu should clear up all these problems? kinda thinking something in the 550watt range. well, id say something has changed over the last 18 months. then now __________________ Last edited by Dark Lord; Oct 2, 2006 at 07:35 AM.

Oct 2, 2006, 09:09 AM	#6
CDsDontBurn Lurking DriverHeaven Join Date: May 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 22,779 Rep Power: 235 System Specs	lol....yea, a new PSU would come in nicely. but remember, it's not always about the wattage. check the amps on the 12v line of whatever PSU you get. __________________ Her First Day \| A year later

Oct 2, 2006, 05:56 PM	#7
H3X4D3C1M4L DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 6,794 Rep Power: 0	+12V is looooow on that PSU

Oct 2, 2006, 06:10 PM	Thread Starter #9
Dark Lord HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 5,945 Rep Power: 125 System Specs	id like to borrow one, but ive got the most powerfull psu by far. oh, and my 3.3 just went to hell today. hit 2.99 as a low just awhile ago. __________________

Oct 2, 2006, 06:20 PM	#10
PangingJr Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 5,989 Rep Power: 71	depending on the design of the power supply on the +12V rating patterns... and its efficiency at typical, peak, full loads... the temperature of the unit itself while it's under these loads... the +12V @ 11.9x, 11.8x, 11,.7x, 11.6x all these rating are sometime still okay in some of power supply's so long as it's designed to do that...

Oct 2, 2006, 06:28 PM	Thread Starter #12
Dark Lord HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 5,945 Rep Power: 125 System Specs	well heres the specs of what this psu SHOULD be. __________________

Oct 2, 2006, 06:34 PM	Thread Starter #13
Dark Lord HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 5,945 Rep Power: 125 System Specs	holy god, i may be dead here in a min. mbm is reporting 3.3 @ 2.90 now, and im not even doing anything. __________________

Oct 2, 2006, 07:17 PM	#14
PangingJr Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 5,989 Rep Power: 71	have a look at the measured voltage of all the rails on these power supplies (or other ones that are in the data base) as for example... maybe you can find the info of your unit in the data base, and see why the rails are dropping like that... LC_Power_Silent_Giant_550_Watt/ http://www.hardware.info/en-US/produ...iant_550_Watt/ Enermax_Noisetaker_485W/ http://www.hardware.info/en-US/produ...isetaker_485W/

Oct 2, 2006, 07:39 PM	Thread Starter #15
Dark Lord HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 5,945 Rep Power: 125 System Specs	ok, found my new psu that ill probably buy tonight. an antec neo HE 550watt. has a 20.00 rebate on it so it comes out to 84.99 shipped. __________________

Oct 2, 2006, 09:28 PM	#17
H3X4D3C1M4L DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 6,794 Rep Power: 0	The +12 rail powers the CPU... if its a little over or under its usually fine but .2 to .3 volts is far too low IMO, same for it being that much over. At that point though it is within spec its no longer guaranteed to be reliable or stable