Power Supply help, making noises?

plowexvii · 06-29-2005, 01:11 AM

Hey Guys,

I connected everything correctly, then plugged in the power supply and it started making noises. Then... sparks flew and ruined it. I just bought another, had my friend double check everything... and when we turn it started to make the noise again. I quickly turned it off, and we are unsure what the problem could be. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance. Any comments are greatly appreciated!!

Phillip

Bunchofstuff · 06-29-2005, 02:41 AM

umm...just make sure nothing is shorting out, like the mobo touching the case...and make sure that the voltage on the PSU is set rite, usually it comes set at 115volts , so make sure thats set rite for your power outlet..

**DCIScouts** · 06-29-2005, 02:50 AM

Yeah, I agree, make sure that it's not a feedback coming from the mobo...

CBizzle · 06-29-2005, 06:39 AM

If your motherboard is touching your case, you just fried your motherboard instantly. If that is the case then your PSU will make a very high pitched "squeel". Atleast mine did when I built my first computer.

Quote:

it started making noises. Then... sparks flew

Sparks flew from PSU or motherboard? If from PSU, then I would agree with what everyone else is sayin and its something with the voltage.

**Archangel** · 06-29-2005, 08:08 PM

what voltage do you have at home?

plowexvii · 06-30-2005, 02:38 AM

well the power supply makes the noises. after i blew the first one, i took it out of the case and hooked up another power supply to it, and it worked fine (booted up). Then i put that power supply in the case, and it made the strange high pitched sound again. However, before anything happened again, i turned it off. I take it its the motherboard touching the case then? What should i put in between them? thanks!

Phillip

CBizzle · 06-30-2005, 05:48 AM

Well if your motherboard is touching the case even the slightest bit, it would be instantly fried, meaning you wouldn't boot up at all. What goes between the motherboard and case are little bronze standoffs. On the bottom end of these is the screw that goes into your case, and on the top end are threads to screw your motherboard to. Bronze doesn't conduct electricity (I guess) and that is why you use these standoffs. Without them, your motherboard is ground itself out on your case... The high pitch "squeel" is all the current flowing through your motherboard and having nowhere to go (I think). This is all just from what I have picked up reading some, so maybe some one could back me up on this or correct me?

plowexvii · 06-30-2005, 02:45 PM

yeah, thats weird because i was able to boot up after the first power supply went out... outside of the case. the only sparks were those from the power supply, and that was fried. thanks for the advice cbizzle, i'll see what i can do

phil

Scrat · 06-30-2005, 03:45 PM

Actually bronze is a metal and as such would conduct electricity.

You should normally get a packet of screw & spacers provided with your motherboard. Some of the spacers will be the bronze/metal type and some will be plastic clip-in types.

On the underside of your MB were the fastening holes are, you should see a silver coloured metal surface around some of them....these are grounding points and should not cause a problem if attached to the case using a metal spacer & screw.

If the hole doesnt have that metal area around it then either use a plastic spacer or use none at all.

**apj101** · 06-30-2005, 05:25 PM

bronze is an alloy of mainly copper and tin, and copper is one of the most conductive metals around, hence its use in all wiring and pcb tracks. (except the fancy gold ones)

The screw holes of most motherboards are self insulting so the screws will not touch the copper tracks. You may even get a plactic washer to place under the screws just for good measure. In that way the standoff are not touching the board. Unless you have something else metal wedged back there

06-29-2005, 01:11 AM	#1 (permalink)
plowexvii Silver Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chicago Age: 21 Posts: 101	Power Supply help, making noises? Hey Guys, I connected everything correctly, then plugged in the power supply and it started making noises. Then... sparks flew and ruined it. I just bought another, had my friend double check everything... and when we turn it started to make the noise again. I quickly turned it off, and we are unsure what the problem could be. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance. Any comments are greatly appreciated!! Phillip

06-29-2005, 08:08 PM	#5 (permalink)
Archangel Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Netherlands Age: 21 Posts: 7,885	what voltage do you have at home? __________________ Newton is dead, Einstein is dead, I don't feel very well either Xfire - Mirrari Intel Q6600 ( @3.6GHz) Asus Triton 79 Amazing 549/3200 4x 1Gb Corsair XMS2 DDR800 ( @ 960MHz ) Asus Maximus Formula Asus & Sapphire HD3870 512Mb Corsair HX620W PSU

06-30-2005, 05:48 AM	#7 (permalink)
CBizzle Bronze Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati Age: 19 Posts: 70	Well if your motherboard is touching the case even the slightest bit, it would be instantly fried, meaning you wouldn't boot up at all. What goes between the motherboard and case are little bronze standoffs. On the bottom end of these is the screw that goes into your case, and on the top end are threads to screw your motherboard to. Bronze doesn't conduct electricity (I guess) and that is why you use these standoffs. Without them, your motherboard is ground itself out on your case... The high pitch "squeel" is all the current flowing through your motherboard and having nowhere to go (I think). This is all just from what I have picked up reading some, so maybe some one could back me up on this or correct me? __________________ AMD Athlon 64 3500+ ClawHammer ABIT AV8 (K8T800 Pro) 1 gig Kingston valure RAM (2x512) ATI Xtasy 9600 256MB SB Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro 80 GB Seagate HDD X-Dreamer II case Zalman 7700-Cu 120mm CPU fan

06-30-2005, 03:45 PM	#9 (permalink)
Scrat Platinum Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Sydney, Australia Age: 27 Posts: 630	Actually bronze is a metal and as such would conduct electricity. You should normally get a packet of screw & spacers provided with your motherboard. Some of the spacers will be the bronze/metal type and some will be plastic clip-in types. On the underside of your MB were the fastening holes are, you should see a silver coloured metal surface around some of them....these are grounding points and should not cause a problem if attached to the case using a metal spacer & screw. If the hole doesnt have that metal area around it then either use a plastic spacer or use none at all. __________________ AMD Athlon 64 3500+, GigaByte GA-K8NS Ultra-939 Ltd Ed. ATI Radeon GeCube 256Mb 9600XT, Compro DVB-T300 Dig/Analog TV Card 2x 1GB, 2x 512Mb DDR CL3 400Mhz PC3200 - Dual Channel WD 120Gb SATA 7200rpm 8MB, WD 80Gb SATA 7200rpm 8MB Excel 108Mb Wireless PCI, WinXP Prof. Samsung CD-R/RW 52-32-52, Samsung DVD 16x reader, LG DVD MultiBurner Benq 17" FP71E 12ms LCD, Logitech LX700 K&M, Logitech G25 Racing Wheel, Logitech Z-5400 FOLDING FOR THE GOOD OF MANKIND!! Team 44358

06-30-2005, 05:25 PM	#10 (permalink)
apj101 Administrator Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: London Age: 26 Posts: 9,145	bronze is an alloy of mainly copper and tin, and copper is one of the most conductive metals around, hence its use in all wiring and pcb tracks. (except the fancy gold ones) The screw holes of most motherboards are self insulting so the screws will not touch the copper tracks. You may even get a plactic washer to place under the screws just for good measure. In that way the standoff are not touching the board. Unless you have something else metal wedged back there __________________ What did one snow man say to the other? can you smell carrot? The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights. How you do anything, is how you do everything!

06-29-2005, 02:41 AM	#2 (permalink)
Bunchofstuff banned Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: USA , Georgia Age: 19 Posts: 491	umm...just make sure nothing is shorting out, like the mobo touching the case...and make sure that the voltage on the PSU is set rite, usually it comes set at 115volts , so make sure thats set rite for your power outlet..

06-29-2005, 02:50 AM	#3 (permalink)
DCIScouts Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA Age: 25 Posts: 5,049	Yeah, I agree, make sure that it's not a feedback coming from the mobo...

06-30-2005, 02:38 AM	#6 (permalink)
plowexvii Silver Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chicago Age: 21 Posts: 101	well the power supply makes the noises. after i blew the first one, i took it out of the case and hooked up another power supply to it, and it worked fine (booted up). Then i put that power supply in the case, and it made the strange high pitched sound again. However, before anything happened again, i turned it off. I take it its the motherboard touching the case then? What should i put in between them? thanks! Phillip

06-30-2005, 02:45 PM	#8 (permalink)
plowexvii Silver Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chicago Age: 21 Posts: 101	yeah, thats weird because i was able to boot up after the first power supply went out... outside of the case. the only sparks were those from the power supply, and that was fried. thanks for the advice cbizzle, i'll see what i can do phil

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