PC Power supply trouble. :S?

Question

I recently bought a new PC (AMD Phenom Processor) and whilst editing some photos on Photoshop, the computer suddenly cut out. I investigated and it wasn't a power cut, nor was it the fuse in the power cable. The PC now refuses to turn on at all. The green light indicating a power supply is on I reconnect the power cable into the back of the computer but I soon as I touch the "on" button, the green light goes out and refuses to turn on.

What's wrong with my computer?

Answer 1

Definitely power supply trouble! This is a classic diagnoses example. I assure you the power supply has dropped a voltage rail, and changing it out to one that works, will get your computer up, and running. The green light on the mobo indicates the mobo,(Motherboard), is receiving power. It is! However when it's time for the processor to get power, the computer shuts off. This is because the processor uses the most power. (Other than some dedicated graphics cards. Some draw more power than a Cpu!) Cooling fans will spin,(Computer case, power supply, Processor heatsink fan), and the harddrive will start to spin up. When BIOS is done with the memory count, and activates the processor, it's all over.

More than likely the power supply has some bad capacitors in it. These are electrolytic capacitors, and have electrolytic paste inside the little 'cans'. When they go bad, a gas develops inside, and the paste is oozed out of the X on top, and/or around the top and bottom edges of the plastic sleeve on the capacitor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_p...

(Everything you always DIDN'T want to know, huh? lol!)

DO NOT open the power supply to see! With the computer unplugged, you can take the Psu,(Power Supply Unit), out and look through the ventilation holes with a flashlight. See the big tall 'cans'? They have a plastic sleeve around them, and are about an inch and a half tall, 3/4's of an inch in diameter. These capacitors hold a charge for weeks, even months! You open the power supply, and get your little fingers in there,YOU could be the recipient of this charge! There are other capacitors that could have gone bad, but the ones above, are a nasty shock waiting to happen.

Power supply's aren't that expensive. However don't go for a REAL cheap one, or you may be the victim of bad capacitors, cheap components, and cheap circuitry,(Wiring)

Suggestion?

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/...

Technical review:

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/3...

A computer will only use as many watts of power as it needs. You could have a million watt power supply, but if the computer only needs 100 watts to surf the 'net, it only uses 100 watts.

I don't know if this Thermaltake 430 is large enough for your computer resources, but it depends on the graphics card,(If you're using a dedicated graphics card, and not the Integrated graphics that comes with the motherboard). I know it will power an AMD Phenom, and other related hardware.