PSU keeps blowing up

[marcuspayne]

Don't forget the surge protection is for voltage spikes, whereas breakers are for overcurrent. If you have had a failure of a component and its sparked up, then the psu will be drawing more current.

Oddly surge protectors degrade over time and do need replacing, might be worth swapping it out anyway for belt n braces.

Does seem odd that's you have popped 2 psu's though, most tend to last years

Hi, it's actually a fairly new surge protector, and I am pretty sure it's working as the green light (indicating protection) is on, as opposed to the red (not grounded light), but as recommended I will order a new one.

 

[Grumpywurzel]

Yeah..... in 1948 they were for voltage spikes

We are WAYYY past that with current consumer units/circuit breakers. We use residual current devices now.... RCD.

Yeah I know that mate...

Hi, it's actually a fairly new surge protector, and I am pretty sure it's working as the green light (indicating protection) is on, as opposed to the red (not grounded light), but as recommended I will order a new one.

Take advice from others mate, don't take my word

 

[Scott]

Yeah I know that mate...

Sorry, I was just trying to be funny..... I didn't meant to come across like I was undermining your point (which was quite correct).

To the op:

Basically, there are cheap surge protectors that will monitor for voltage spikes and due to the nature of current power delivery be VERY unlikely to trip. Then there are higher end models that will work in a similar fashion to modern day consumer units with built in RCDs. These will protect not only a malfunctioning device, but other devices connected to the same circuit (normally connected to the same extension).

When you are attaching 1000s of £s worth of kit to a socket, it's often worthwhile having another line of decent defence. Believe it or not, your PSU popping is actually saving every other part of the system

 

[marcuspayne]

Sorry, I was just trying to be funny..... I didn't meant to come across like I was undermining your point (which was quite correct).

To the op:

Basically, there are cheap surge protectors that will monitor for voltage spikes and due to the nature of current power delivery be VERY unlikely to trip. Then there are higher end models that will work in a similar fashion to modern day consumer units with built in RCDs. These will protect not only a malfunctioning device, but other devices connected to the same circuit (normally connected to the same extension).

When you are attaching 1000s of £s worth of kit to a socket, it's often worthwhile having another line of decent defence. Believe it or not, your PSU popping is actually saving every other part of the system

I take your point about surge protection, mine is probably on the cheaper side, so I will order a higher end device, but even so, we've never had any issues with the electrics tripping up until I bought the new PC, so I'm fully convinced that there's something at fault with the PC.

 

[Scott]

I take your point about surge protection, mine is probably on the cheaper side, so I will order a higher end device, but even so, we've never had any issues with the electrics tripping up until I bought the new PC, so I'm fully convinced that there's something at fault with the PC.

Like I said, I think it's a side note more than anything. i'm convinced that the problem lies with a short (or near short) in your system.

The only consideration regarding the surge protector is the level of protection. It's not the surge protector causing the issue, not a chance given the circumstances.

 

[marcuspayne]

Thank You, I really appreciate your advice.

 

[ubuysa]

I would get a competent and properly qualified and certified electrician to come and do a check of your home electrical system. What you're describing sounds strange and that fact that it's destroyed two PSUs is worrying. It may be something in the PC (and I would ensure that PCS know this is the second PSU that's blown) and it's wise to scrap that surge protector too.

However, an electrical fault could kill you or others and even though it's always the PC that blows up you have to query the home supply. Please get an electrician to check it out for you. It will be money well spent.

 

[marcuspayne]

I would get a competent and properly qualified and certified electrician to come and do a check of your home electrical system. What you're describing sounds strange and that fact that it's destroyed two PSUs is worrying. It may be something in the PC (and I would ensure that PCS know this is the second PSU that's blown) and it's wise to scrap that surge protector too.

However, an electrical fault could kill you or others and even though it's always the PC that blows up you have to query the home supply. Please get an electrician to check it out for you. It will be money well spent.

Thank You for the advice but I've lived here for almost 5 years and haven't had any issues previous to this owning the PC, no other devices in the house have ever been effected and my neighbours haven't had any issues, it's a rented military house and they do regular checks so I doubt that's the problem here.

If anything I'd prefer to pay a 'competent and properly qualified and certified' technical to find out whats wrong with the PC.

 

[ubuysa]

Thank You for the advice but I've lived here for almost 5 years and haven't had any issues previous to this owning the PC, no other devices in the house have ever been effected and my neighbours haven't had any issues, it's a rented military house and they do regular checks so I doubt that's the problem here.

If anything I'd prefer to pay a 'competent and properly qualified and certified' technical to find out whats wrong with the PC.

Fair enough. At least I've covered PCS by suggesting that you get your electrical system checked.

 

[kam67]

Thank You for the advice but I've lived here for almost 5 years and haven't had any issues previous to this owning the PC, no other devices in the house have ever been effected and my neighbours haven't had any issues, it's a rented military house and they do regular checks so I doubt that's the problem here.

If anything I'd prefer to pay a 'competent and properly qualified and certified' technical to find out whats wrong with the PC.

Fair enough. At least I've covered PCS by suggesting that you get your electrical system checked.

I think the problem is your PSU and very little to do with your electrics. I’ve got dodgy electrics and fuses always tripping, never had an issue with any of my computers or peripherals. Sometimes it feels like to me that some people are more interested in putting the blame on the end user or external factors rather than the quality of the components or the build (and thus absolving PCS).

 

[ubuysa]

I think the problem is your PSU and very little to do with your electrics. I’ve got dodgy electrics and fuses always tripping, never had an issue with any of my computers or peripherals. Sometimes it feels like to me that some people are more interested in putting the blame on the end user or external factors (and thus absolving PCS) rather than the quality of the components or the build.

Not at all. It was a serious suggestion.

Mains electricity is dangerous stuff and we as a collective would be irresponsible if we didn't include a proper check of the OP's home electrical system as one of the many troubleshooting suggestions, given the symptoms the OP is reporting.

 

[SpyderTracks]

What would any of us have to gain by that though? Apart from Mooseh (and maybe the odd other person who admins this forum) none of us are employed by PCS....nor do we get paid by PCS or get any benefit from advising on these forums (beyond helping people).

If you read enough of the forum, you would see that plenty of times it is recommended by someone here to get PCS to replace something as it's faulty. If we think it's a fault, we post that...if we think it's an external source (and sometimes it can be both external and a faulty part as the above may very well be) we post that.

And also, we'd already said that it's possible there's a short somewhere in the build and to stress to PCS that this is the third PSU, so we've already stated there's likely an issue with the build.

Changing the Surge protector is because it didn't trip, and it certainly should have so suggests it's faulty.

Advising having internal electrics checked is just safe advice in this kind of situation.

 

[ubuysa]

I suspect @kam67 picked up on the sentence where I said....

At least I've covered PCS by suggesting that you get your electrical system checked.

I wrote that because I think it's important in the litigious age in which we live, where any problem has to be somebody else's fault and where no-win-no-fee lawyers will try to blame anyone and everyone, to ensure that we give the fullest advice we can. No matter how unlikely it is that the OP's home electrics are faulty, by advising him to get them properly checked I have ensured that PCS cannot be later dragged into a no-win-no-fee action for failing to give proper advice should someone be electrocuted at the OP's home.

 

[marcuspayne]

I suspect @kam67 picked up on the sentence where I said....



I wrote that because I think it's important in the litigious age in which we live, where any problem has to be somebody else's fault and where no-win-no-fee lawyers will try to blame anyone and everyone, to ensure that we give the fullest advice we can. No matter how unlikely it is that the OP's home electrics are faulty, by advising him to get them properly checked I have ensured that PCS cannot be later dragged into a no-win-no-fee action for failing to give proper advice should someone be electrocuted at the OP's home.

I am not interested in payouts or even a refund for the PC. All I want is a reliable PC I can use for gaming and work that I can use without being fearful for my life.

 

[ubuysa]

I am not interested in payouts or even a refund for the PC. All I want is a reliable PC I can use for gaming and work that I can use without being fearful for my life.

And I understand that. I'm just covering all the bases.

 

[marcuspayne]

I think the problem is your PSU and very little to do with your electrics. I’ve got dodgy electrics and fuses always tripping, never had an issue with any of my computers or peripherals. Sometimes it feels like to me that some people are more interested in putting the blame on the end user or external factors rather than the quality of the components or the build (and thus absolving PCS).

I could understand 1 PSU blowing but for 2 to go within a matter of weeks seems very unlikely. Anyways it's been back with PCS for about 2 weeks now so I'll leave to them to figure out the problem, they'll probably just put a new PSU in again which will probably last another week, which reminds me I'd better update my life insurance.

 

[marcuspayne]

And I understand that. I'm just covering all the bases.

And I appreciate your concern for me

 

[ubuysa]

And I appreciate your concern for me

My advise was principally out of concern for you. But you already knew that.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Just to give you some idea, issues like this can relate to where something (usually on the motherboard) is causing a short that brings a huge surge into the PSU causing an issue like this.

This can sometimes be where the motherboard standoffs are not correctly placed or forgotten as an example, or faulty wiring.

Now in this day and age, resultant blow up of the PSU or damage to the motherboard is quite rare, because they have protections in place that will normally disconnect the power before any damage arises, and the TXm series PSU you have is no slouch, it's a very good quality PSU. Further to that, the surge protector would normally trip, further avoiding any damage to the rig.

 

[marcuspayne]

Just to give you some idea, issues like this can relate to where something (usually on the motherboard) is causing a short that brings a huge surge into the PSU causing an issue like this.

This can sometimes be where the motherboard standoffs are not correctly placed or forgotten as an example, or faulty wiring.

Now in this day and age, resultant blow up of the PSU or damage to the motherboard is quite rare, because they have protections in place that will normally disconnect the power before any damage arises, and the TXm series PSU you have is no slouch, it's a very good quality PSU. Further to that, the surge protector would normally trip, further avoiding any damage to the rig.

Would these be a fairly straightforward repair? The standoffs sound like a simple fix but how would you usually diagnose a faulty motherboard or faulty wiring?