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Thread: Power Problems

  1. #1

    Power Problems

    Hi.

    So anyway, I'm building my own pc from scratch, right? I have the mainboard, the CPU and heatsink, and the power supply installed, and I do my first boot test, to make sure the heatsink fan is running. The LED light on the mainboard comes on, but alas, nothing else. I quickly shut it off to avoid frying my CPU, and check my wiring. Everything appears to be okay. After several instances like this, I give up, and take it to the local PC guys. They plug it into their workstation with their own power cord, and it works completely on the first try, making me look like an idiot in the process. So I take it back home, plug it in again... and it doesn't work! I tried every outlet in the house, and I tested it with the power cable from my mom's PC as well. Nothing works! I don't know that much about household wattage. The Power Supply I'm using for my PC is 450W. Is that too powerful for your average AC outlet, or is it that the two power cables I've used simply not compatible with the power supply?

  2. #2
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    They plug it into their workstation with their own power cord, and it works completely on the first try, making me look like an idiot in the process
    What exactly do you mean by that? what did they "plug in" the motherboard and CPU assembly?

    Try both cables on your mother's PC

    You say that you have checked your wiring. I also presume that you have checked that the PSU is approved for your MoBo/Processor?

    If that is the case then your PSU seems to be faulty?


  3. #3
    I mean that before I could could hand him the power cable (the cable that connects the power supply to the wall), he used his own, plugged it in, and it worked perfectly.

    Both the motherboard and the CPU are compatible; 478 socket intel p4.

  4. #4
    AFLAAACKKK!!
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    Did he use his own PSU or yours? And are you turning on the power supply? The switch is usually on the back of the PSU...
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  5. #5
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    This is so strange, it has to be something simple?

    I don't know that much about household wattage
    Neither do I, but I don't know where you live either so this is a pure guess.

    You live in a domestic dwelling...........house/apartment? The repair shop is in an industrial/commercial area?

    In some parts of the World there are two power supplies: 110/115 volt and 220/230 volt AC (OK you might also have 415v triple phase, but not in your home!)

    At the back of the PSU there is a switch, usually with a white on red window display for 110/220 volts. What is the voltage of your domestic supply? and what is the PSU set to.

    It is normally set to the highest voltage (220/230), so if your supply is 110/115 volts that may well be enough to fire up the LED, but not much else.

    Please take a look at the back of your mother's PC and see what that is set to.

    I honestly do not see how it can be your power supply in your home, you would have trouble with TVs, washing machines, microwaves, refrigerators and the like, if it were.


  6. #6
    AFLAAACKKK!!
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    It is normally set to the highest voltage (220/230), so if your supply is 110/115 volts that may well be enough to fire up the LED, but not much else.
    Only set it to 230 if you live in europe... Otherwise, if you live in the U.S. make sure it's set to 115!!
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  7. #7
    The Doctor Und3ertak3r's Avatar
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    Hmm me thinks a image of the back of the PSU if at all possible may help..

    Assuming that nothing change between tech desk and your home, that is nothing more added.. btw.. In the USofA isnt it so that you can have Both 230 and 120V outlets in a building.. so if in the USofA it is possible that the tech tested on 240v you went home and plugged into 120v..

    the light on the mobo is the only anomally in the theory of supply voltage.. why?.. Many PSU's will not start below a given voltage, that is not able to generate ANY of the outputs (besides If one and not the others are available it is a fault in the PSU not supply voltage..for all the switching PSU's would be for linear..but you would have a lot of trouble carring around a 400w linear PSU).
    "Consumer technology now exceeds the average persons ability to comprehend how to use it..give up hope of them being able to understand how it works." - Me http://www.cybercrypt.co.nr

  8. #8
    I have never taken it off of 115v, but I remember the other setting in the neighborhood of 250v. However, I can't fathom the tech guy changing the voltage setting before even trying it out, working perfectly, then changing it back to 115v without telling me.

    I'll get an image when I can, but I'm out of town right now.

    And we've only used my power supply, we just changed the power cable.

  9. #9
    AFLAAACKKK!!
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    Now, I'm no expert in commercial building power needs, but I know for a fact that all houses in the usa use 120V outlets. Well, technically we get 240, but it's split in half or something... so it's 120v. So you should keep the PSU set at 115v if your in the USA. We are given the ability to switch between 230 and 115 so the PSU can be used in both europe and usa. I guess they do that so the PSU companies don't have to create 2 different PSU's...
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  10. #10
    Howdy.

    Are you sure that the power cables were actually connected properly? Have you tried using a different set of power leads?

    f2B

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