pop fizzle crack

BIGBC · 7 Nov 2010 at 18:40

Just got back and turned my PC on. Took a couple of seconds longer before the POST check dialogue usually pops up and then it makes a horrible noise - a pop fizzle crack noise.

I quickly jumped at the wall socket and turned it off just after the noise seemed to have subsided.

Moment of panic.

No obvious smoke or burning smells coming from the machine so I took the side panel off, there is a noticeable smell inside the machine, a sort of burning plastic smell.

At first the seemed to be coming from around the CPU area but now its aired for a few minutes it only seems to be lingering around the PSU.

Now, what should I do? lol
I would obviously like to avoid causing any further damage so dont want to just turn it on again.

Assuming it is the power supply should I just trade it out and give that ago?
Im going to strip it down and look for any burn/scorch/oxidised marks.

stulid · 7 Nov 2010 at 18:43

name and shame that psu?

BIGBC · 7 Nov 2010 at 18:57

Oh i thought it was in my sig lol.

Corsair HX750W, theres still 6 years on the warranty :s

stulid · 7 Nov 2010 at 18:58

BIGBC said:
Oh i thought it was in my sig lol.

Corsair HX750W, theres still 6 years on the warranty :s

wouldnt have expected that to be honest.

do you have access to another to try?

RJC · 7 Nov 2010 at 19:01

Could link the pins out (13 & 14 I think) on the main ATX connector with just a fan connected to a molex to see what happens.

My Enermax went with a bang a few years back, madebme jump!

BIGBC · 7 Nov 2010 at 19:05

Ive got 2 other PSUs with me that I can test with.

If its not this Im in for a real headache of a week.

VFM Addict · 7 Nov 2010 at 19:08

Sounds like the psu to me. I've personally never known a cpu commit Hari kiri in a noisy fashion like that.

lcg · 7 Nov 2010 at 19:24

Replace the PSU and boot up the computer to make sure all the components are still fully working. It's more than likely an issue with your PSU, so I think everything should be okay.
Test your Corsair HX750W by shorting pin 13 (black) and pin 14 (green) with a paper clip. If it works, take readings from the 12V and 5V rails with a multimeter, if you have one.

BIGBC · 7 Nov 2010 at 20:06

Ok, well ive checked over the PCBs and all seems fine. No visible marks to the CPU either.

Im not sure that I am testing the PSU right, but if i am then it is completely dead :s
Im connecting pins which would be 15 and 16 on the diagram on this page http://www.smpspowersupply.com/connectors-pinouts.html and nothing is happening.

EDIT: just realised the right hand side of that diagram makes them 13/14 lol. guess its time to check with a different PSU and then file an RMA - oh joy :/

stulid · 7 Nov 2010 at 20:08

you using the same kettle lead? checked the fuse?

if and when you try another psu in your build and it powers up as normal, then its dead Corsair PSU, luckily you are supported by a brilliant warranty.

rush_syndrome · 7 Nov 2010 at 20:13

Power supplies - they don't make em like they used to

BIGBC · 7 Nov 2010 at 20:21

Yep, checked with different kettle lead and from different wall sockets - nothing at all.

Gonna check running the system off a different PSU now, really hope nothing else is damaged.

Werewolf · 7 Nov 2010 at 20:40

If the PSU is of a decent quality (and I suspect corsair are given the warrenty/cost), the chances are it won't have damaged anything even if it died.

One of the advantages of better PSU's is that they tend to have much better protection for the connected devices in event of a failure in the PSU (one of the reasons they cost more is the extra/better hardware on the internal "output" side of the PSU).

When my old Antec PSU went *pop fizzle* and let the magic smoke out, it didn't hurt anything connected despite how bad it looked and sounded at the time (I was back up and running within 4 hours as I went straight out to a local place for a temporary replacement).

alistair55 · 7 Nov 2010 at 20:42

if its your main rig it will be a shame if it has damaged something

welshdragon · 7 Nov 2010 at 20:59

Corsair rma is pretty good. My 650 went in the first 2 months from new and didn't take long to get a shiney new one back through overclockers.

BIGBC · 7 Nov 2010 at 21:34

Doesnt look good.

popped everything back together with a known working PSU and not much is happening.
Press the power button and there is about a quarter of a second of fan motors spinning up then they stop. In that time the top GPU cycles through some lights that u can see behind the SLI connector.

Gonna try with a single GPU now.

Hope OcUK are in a useful RMAing mood tomorrow.

BIGBC · 7 Nov 2010 at 21:43

Yep, new GPU in and its booted up fine

EDIT: things are acting very oddly now im in the OS, Im hoping its just as its running GTX280 drivers on a GTS250.

Liampope · 7 Nov 2010 at 22:55

Could try a clear CMOS - the initial shutdown could have corrupted something?

BIGBC · 7 Nov 2010 at 23:11

Running some more tests but just seems to be the PSU and GPU that have gone. hopefully the RMA process isnt gonna be a horrific one this time around.

May have to buy some replacements to keep me running in the mean time.

scrlk · 8 Nov 2010 at 07:18

BIGBC said:
Running some more tests but just seems to be the PSU and GPU that have gone. hopefully the RMA process isnt gonna be a horrific one this time around.

May have to buy some replacements to keep me running in the mean time.

Corsair RMA is one of the better ones out there, but not as good as Logitech for sheer awesomeness.

*pop fizzle crack*

pop fizzle crack