Right, hardcore hardware nerds: If you're pretty sure you've isolated a PSU failure on a modern PC, do you even bother with the PSU-testing part?
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Right, hardcore hardware nerds: If you're pretty sure you've isolated a PSU failure on a modern PC, do you even bother with the PSU-testing part?
Or do you just order a new PSU?
I figure it's a bit like a water pump on a car. By the time you've got the thing apart enough to test the potential failure point, even if it turns out it's still maybe ok, why not just... put a new one in there.
(like I might get a PSU AND a PSU tester, best case, I end up with a spare PSU? hrm)
@glassbottommeg PSU testers are one of those things you have to spend a lot of money on to get one that will actually be effective at testing. The basic cheap ones only really test voltages and not current. So if you’re having a current problem then voltages can all test ok. I find a better tester is just having a spare known good power supply
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Right, hardcore hardware nerds: If you're pretty sure you've isolated a PSU failure on a modern PC, do you even bother with the PSU-testing part?
Or do you just order a new PSU?
I figure it's a bit like a water pump on a car. By the time you've got the thing apart enough to test the potential failure point, even if it turns out it's still maybe ok, why not just... put a new one in there.
(like I might get a PSU AND a PSU tester, best case, I end up with a spare PSU? hrm)
@glassbottommeg Depends on the PSU.
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Right, hardcore hardware nerds: If you're pretty sure you've isolated a PSU failure on a modern PC, do you even bother with the PSU-testing part?
Or do you just order a new PSU?
I figure it's a bit like a water pump on a car. By the time you've got the thing apart enough to test the potential failure point, even if it turns out it's still maybe ok, why not just... put a new one in there.
(like I might get a PSU AND a PSU tester, best case, I end up with a spare PSU? hrm)
@glassbottommeg Exorcism?
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It's that "somehow it registers the power button press, but doesn't do anything about it, for like 20 minutes" thing that has me skeeved out. I can't reason through a mode of failure that'd cause that behavior in a bad PSU other than uh, PSU overheat?
It's also POSSIBLE that it would have restarted on its own had I simply touched nothing for 20 minutes but, come on, even getting it to do this takes days cus it's just a random event, doesn't relate to loading at all, so that test ain't happening
@glassbottommeg powering up happens when the PSU senses a closed circuit on some pins so it seems pretty reasonable that failure in the PSU control circuitry (either a protection circuit or just the magic smoke escaped from something) would cause that as well. I would just replace the PSU and go from there if it doesn't fix the problem.
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@glassbottommeg PSU testers are one of those things you have to spend a lot of money on to get one that will actually be effective at testing. The basic cheap ones only really test voltages and not current. So if you’re having a current problem then voltages can all test ok. I find a better tester is just having a spare known good power supply
@scavello ah, damn, I was wondering about that
ah well, new PSU on order, so, hooray!
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It's that "somehow it registers the power button press, but doesn't do anything about it, for like 20 minutes" thing that has me skeeved out. I can't reason through a mode of failure that'd cause that behavior in a bad PSU other than uh, PSU overheat?
It's also POSSIBLE that it would have restarted on its own had I simply touched nothing for 20 minutes but, come on, even getting it to do this takes days cus it's just a random event, doesn't relate to loading at all, so that test ain't happening
@glassbottommeg the 20 minute thing makes it sound like a purposeful thermal cut off to me. Like it's not just a circuit that's glitched and caused a power loss, it's literally waiting for the sensor to have cooled down again?
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What sucks is it's one of those situations where process of elimination says it, probably, has to be the PSU... unless it's the motherboard itself.
What happens is that the PC will randomly just shut off, completely, like a lightbulb. Then if you go to press the power button, nothing happens? But if you wait 20 minutes, THEN it'll restart, and be totally normal and fine for days.
Also, if you then hardpower again, power button works exactly as expected, nothing weird, it kinda gaslights you.
@glassbottommeg this doesn't sound entirely unlike what happened to my last PSU before it ultimately failed entirely. If you can dig up your receipt for it you might be able to get a free replacement, since they have 10 year warranties.
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@glassbottommeg Oh, my actual personal real answer is "grab a PSU from one of my old, retired PCs to confirm, then order appropriate replacement(s)". Maybe someone local has an old/spare PSU you can use for bench testing?
@glassbottommeg Oh, a reminder for anyone dealing a similar situation and a modular power supply unit: the end of the cable that goes into motherboard/GPU/drives is standardized.
THE END OF THE CABLE THAT GOES INTO THE POWER SUPPLY UNIT IS NOT STANDARDIZED AND IF YOU USE AN OLD CABLE WITH A NEW PSU YOU RISK DAMAGING GOOD COMPONENTS. ALWAYS USE THE NEW CABLES THAT COME WITH A MODULAR POWER SUPPLY UNIT. EVEN IF THE REPLACEMENT IS FROM THE SAME BRAND.
(I hope & expect you already know this, @glassbottommeg. It's just a callout to anyone who is thinking about PSUs and replacing one)
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@glassbottommeg Oh, a reminder for anyone dealing a similar situation and a modular power supply unit: the end of the cable that goes into motherboard/GPU/drives is standardized.
THE END OF THE CABLE THAT GOES INTO THE POWER SUPPLY UNIT IS NOT STANDARDIZED AND IF YOU USE AN OLD CABLE WITH A NEW PSU YOU RISK DAMAGING GOOD COMPONENTS. ALWAYS USE THE NEW CABLES THAT COME WITH A MODULAR POWER SUPPLY UNIT. EVEN IF THE REPLACEMENT IS FROM THE SAME BRAND.
(I hope & expect you already know this, @glassbottommeg. It's just a callout to anyone who is thinking about PSUs and replacing one)
@drsbaitso I was actually wondering about that precise thing, so THANK YOU for potentially saving me a really unfortunate outcome
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@drsbaitso I was actually wondering about that precise thing, so THANK YOU for potentially saving me a really unfortunate outcome
@glassbottommeg It's a stupid problem that's easily foreseen and avoided, but we have to keep learning the same lessons over and over again.
Standardize modular cables so you can replace them with color-coordinated ones? Nope.
Ensure proprietary cables are keyed in such a way they can only be used on an appropriate PSU? As if.
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