Power supply burn out

[Alejandro]

Hello. I've bought a supposedly new 300w PS (AT) and since day one the BIOS turned on the voltage alarm for the 12V sensor.
The machine worked normal anyway for 2 weeks. Now, the other day, i've went away for a while. When came back, the computer was powered off. Since i suspected that this has to do with the new PS, i've began testing the devices separately with another PS, and found that one cdrom was burnt out (i SAW and SMELT smoke) and the CDRW is detected but doesn't work neither.
All the other stuff appears to work. The two CDROM units where sharing the PS connector with a splitter (Y cable). Now, my question is, could it be that the power problem began on the burned CDROM, and then caused a problem in the PS? Or even be a m/b problem, as told from the PS vendor? Or, as i really suspect, it was a straight PS problem that damaged my devices? Note that with the original PS that came with the machine it had som problems (the PS cooler stopped sometimes) but NEVER came up the BIOS voltage alarm, as with the "new" one.
Hope you can help

[YODA74]

Sounds like a cheap PSU and the vender is rolling $#^! down hill. But you will Never know what caused the problem to begin with.That is almost impossable to determine, but if things were working fine before you changed PSU's then all things point to it.What I would be concerned about now is how much dammage has been done to the mobo and processor, it may be running fine now! But be rest assured that it may take a little while for things to compltetly go down hill from here, But it will.Kind of like a delayed action or Government Trickle down effect.

Sounds to me like your going to be starting all over again with all new parts. Sorry!

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PUSH TO TEST. RELEASE TO DETONATE.
[Closed captioned for the thinking impaired.]

[Alejandro]

You seem to think like me. The devices WHERE working nice before the PS change. As you say, the rest of the parts SEEM to work fine, but i only tested them for a little while. I'm afraid that when i put all together again i'll begin having memory problems, unexplainable shut downs, lost sectors on HD's, and so on.
I really think this f******** vendor is trying to catch me up with a stupid argument in order to wash responsibility from his hands. When i told him the BIOS was reporting voltage problems, he told me to rest importance to it. He doesn't even think in repairing my damaged devices, which would be the right thing to do if it was a serious vendor.
I'll see what i can do.
Thanks a lot-

[YODA74]

In all fairness to the vender,HE/She/they, may have or may not have known about the problem? Ya I know it's easy to lay blame But were dealing with computers nothing is guarenteed.(too many factors come into play)if there is a recource or an avenue by all means go for it. Sometimes venders don't know until it's to late themselve's. Now that i've said that, I hope you nail their butt!

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PUSH TO TEST. RELEASE TO DETONATE.
[Closed captioned for the thinking impaired.]

[ranchdog]

I say this in a whisper mode...

Y-splitters will cause this for you
now and again.



http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif

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I spent a lot of money on women... liquor... motorcycles.
The rest I just wasted.

[old_kid]

Hi Alej:

Recalling my electricity 101 - no easy task with these tired old brain cells - each device will draw a certain wattage - Voltage X current = Watts - and some devices will pull more current if voltage is low to draw the watts needed and some just will not work.

Now you say that you got a 12V alarm right away but ran for 2 weeks - apparently forcing entire system to draw excess current through various devices - probably not a problem for some of them but would be for others -Mother board maybe - definately CPU etc

CDROM - on the other hand may have been - coincidently - on it's way out - and could have affected and/or caused 12V reading to be low - thus creating same problem above

Also - as pointed out - using a splitter - is kind of like putting a multiple socket in a wall outlet forcing that line to draw current that wires may/may not be designed to handle - again causing excess current flow especially if CDROM was faulty and or connections poor and/or defective wires etc

It's easy - in hindsight - to say that you should have not ignored voltage alarm - but you don't have a time machine to go back and correct that - so you can hope for the best insofar as other components are concerned.

At least - if you start experiencing problems down the road - you will have an idea as to their source.



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Good Judgement comes from Experience - Experience comes from Bad Judgement - but bad judgement is more fun!!

[Alejandro]

Ok, i guess it was a combination of a bad power supply and the splitter...absolutely it was not the cdrom itself. I've switched cdroms and the alarm kept on. With my older power supply the alarm didn't show up.
I've been forced to use a splitter since this PS had only 3 power wires (and also i have 2 HD). However, now i'll have only one cdrom as much if the new also has 3 power wires (assuming the rest of my computer works). I don't think (at least i hope!) that the m/b is damaged, neither the CPU. The machines boots as normal with only memory and a video card, and complains about the missing system disk. I'm just waiting for the replacement case with a new PS in order to get all together again and begin adding part by part, maybe tomorrow i'll get it.
I'll tell you if i had luck
Thanks to all