A lesson to share.

pipestrangler · 18 Apr 2009 at 17:00

Hi guys, this might come in handy one day.

Bought a new computer , put it all together but it kept crashing when trying to play games. Was about to send the whole thing back to OcUk, when my woman made a suggestion. Try a different power socket. I did and it worked fine. Must have a dodgy plug socket. It now works great.

Would never have thought it was the socket. PSU and Graphics card went for testing and they found no problems. Now i know why.

New my woman would come in handy one day.

icey_haj · 18 Apr 2009 at 17:10

Lol. Nice bit of advice.

Ninja Please! · 18 Apr 2009 at 17:13

Is your woman computer literate? Mine only knows that I can build "good ones".

mjones1 · 18 Apr 2009 at 17:16

Is this really worthy of a whole thread?

icey_haj · 18 Apr 2009 at 17:21

mjones1 said:
Is this really worthy of a whole thread?

Yes.

icey_haj · 18 Apr 2009 at 17:22

Unless of course you prefer half a thread?

mjones1 · 18 Apr 2009 at 17:27

Let me rephrase that then, i think this thread is pointless.

J.B · 18 Apr 2009 at 17:28

mjones1 said:
Is this really worthy of a whole thread?

Was that really worthy of a post.

mmmm Spammy

Never heard of anything like this before, does the socket work for other devices?

Grimley · 18 Apr 2009 at 17:29

Its the sort of mistake we could all make at one point, so yes. We all think why isn't this PC working when its down to the fact that the power source is kaput (which is something a lot of us would never think to check at the time).

pipestrangler · 18 Apr 2009 at 17:32

my woman knows nothing about computers or electrics. The socket works fine for everything else, but i have had a few blown fuses on things ive plugged in, but nothing serious.

I just thought i would share this with you. It was the easiest thing to check, but something i would never have thought of. Maybe next time somebody has a problem that seems impossibal to fix, it might be wise to check the socket, it only takes two minutes. I just ran an extension from a notherroom.

Crixus00 · 18 Apr 2009 at 18:14

nothing wrong with a common sense thread, it doesn't hurt.

Kennysevenfold · 18 Apr 2009 at 18:50

mjones1 said:
Let me rephrase that then, i think this thread is pointless.

Then i think you are pointless

millsy888 · 18 Apr 2009 at 19:25

mjones1 said:
Let me rephrase that then, i think this thread is pointless.

A little bit rude and very unnecessary tbh

@ OP good to know all is sorted, i wonder how many people with similar problems will try and change sockets now

Paul11 · 18 Apr 2009 at 19:36

can an electrician please explain how this is possible...

as its interesting to know what could cause this.

diverse180 · 18 Apr 2009 at 19:47

mjones1 said:
Let me rephrase that then, i think this thread is pointless.

Sharing a piece of advice (however small) in the hope that it may help someone out is hardly pointless.

...some people huh

JonJ678 · 18 Apr 2009 at 22:36

Appreciate this thread, cheers. That's something I'd never think to check.

I'd guess a dodgy internal connection leading to fluctuating power output. Would explain blown fuses. Computers need clean power, a kettle doesn't care. Unfortunately beyond that I can't be specific, if you get around to taking the socket off to have a look I'd be curious to know where the blackened areas are

pipestrangler · 18 Apr 2009 at 22:37

I think that maybe, if only some of the strands of the wire are in the back of the socket, then you will not be able to draw the full amount of current. When i used the computer for normall work it was fine. But when i started to play a game, the current required from the socket would increase, then the computer would crash. I thnk there was not enough current.

I have also heard of problems, if wires are to close to each other, or close to copper pipes, but i do not know much about electric. Not the AC kind anyway.

P.S. Just wanted to say thanks for all the advice i had from the members of this forum when i had problems ( 2 faulty graphics cards and then the computer crashing). Its places like this that make computing life that little bit easier. Thankyou.

fobose · 18 Apr 2009 at 23:26

A friend of mine had me install a new GPU for him, which worked fine at my house but would constantly crash at his. After he had given it back to me a few times I told him to use the surge protector I was using to connect it to the wall socket, to which it worked fine and he replaced his old extension lead!