PSU stopped working after a day.

warren_1979 · 3 Feb 2021 at 17:29

Hi.

I bought a Cougar 500w VTE from another seller. I installed it yesterday and today after installing windows on another drive I turned off the PC to connect my other Linux SSD and the PC would not turn on.

My system is:
Athlon X4 845.
Biostar MOBO.
8GB DDR3.
AMD 5850.
2 X SSD
Only one rear fan.

The PSU can output 37.5 amps on a single rail and I have read that the 5850 requires 40amps. Is this 40 amps only required when the card is extremely stressed or all the time? I only play Quakelive with the card - nothing demanding.

I have tried the screwdriver over the motherboard jumpers and nothing.

Previously the system was fine in another case and a different PSU. I thought the PSU would be OK for the 5850 if I don't stress the system. The thing is there was no spark or noise. I just turned it off and it would not turn on.

Is it the PSU?

warren_1979 · 3 Feb 2021 at 17:53

Hi.

I've tried a new power cable and I have checked the switch on the rear of the PSU. No joy.

Could it be something touching the case causing a short? Strange that it worked for 24 hours then stopped.

I have heard about the 24 pin jump start but I am a bit wary about putting paperclips inside electrical things - I'll probably electrocute myself! I may build up the courage to do it.

I still have my original PSU I could try tomorrow.

warren_1979 · 3 Feb 2021 at 18:03

Yeah. Are they are reliable authority or was that a bit of sarcasm @Quartz ??

I know Cougar are low tier but they are not as low as CIT or Aerocool. I bought a Cougar from OCUK 3 years ago and I sold it in a system and it seemed fine the time I was using it but it was the STX model not the VTX.

I will do the jump start sometime this evening and then I know most definitely what is what.

warren_1979 · 3 Feb 2021 at 18:35

Thanks for that!

warren_1979 · 4 Feb 2021 at 10:28

The PSU started when I bridged the pins on the 24 pin block.

Now I'm confused.

warren_1979 · 4 Feb 2021 at 11:00

I have put it back inside the pc but it won't turn on with the button.

warren_1979 · 4 Feb 2021 at 12:00

I put my original bitfenix psu inside the build and nothing. Tried a different GPU still the same. So it's either the case or the mono / cpu has failed.

The new case is thermaltake versa h15.

Putting everything back in my old phantek p300 to see if that makes a difference.

warren_1979 · 4 Feb 2021 at 12:12

All working in the p300.

Could it be a shorting issue on the versa h15 or the power button is broke?

warren_1979 · 4 Feb 2021 at 13:19

Hi Jay.

There are no other standoffs. I screwed them all in myself.

About the + and - on the mobo pins for power I thought it didn't matter about polarity? The only polarity in the mobo manual is for HD LED and Power LED. Anyway it worked for a day so it must have been in correctly.

I tried to short to pin yesterday when the issue first arose but nothing happened? So does that indicate a short in the case?

warren_1979 · 6 Feb 2021 at 12:28

I found the issue. It was a bust USB 3 port on the front of the case. One of the pins is bent touching the socket. As soon as you connect the front USB 3 connector to the MOBO is does not boot.

Two Thermaltake Versa H15 cases with QC issues in a row. The first one had a crinkled side panel where the screws go through meaning that the side panel would not close properly.