Computer Start-up Problems, Too much for my psu?

M

Mike B

Geek Trainee
Hi, I have for a long time had problems in switching on my computer, it gives a Ch1 code error which is supposed to be a Memory
error but I don’t believe it is and I think now that it may be a power problem.
The PSU cam with my case (ATX) (yes i know its not likely to be very good)
and it has a chassis fan and CPU fan, it was running a maxtor 80gb hard drive which read on it..
+5v 670mA
+12v 960mA

and another 20gb hard drive (not sure of the power req.)

PSU
Vac~ INPUT Voltage 115v 230v CURRENT 8A 4A FREQUENCY 50-60Hz
Vbc +3.3V +5V +12V -12V -5V +5Vsb BLK GRY GRN
MAX DC 32A 35A 22A 0.8A 0.3A 2.0A PG P-ON COM
OUTPUT
PEAK OUTPUT TOTAL 210W 25A 0.8A 0.3A 2.5A RTRN RMTE POK
MAX 380W 20W 400W
(sorry if that comes out really bad)

Also I have a Ge-force Nvidia Graphics card 128mb, not sure what that requires in terms of power.
A DVD drive and a CD+RW drive, Floppy disc drive.


The problem meant I had to press the ON button and hit the reset button in a certain fashion to get the system to boot. Don’t ask me why it works like that!

Now I have just installed a new Hard Drive to replace the 20GB one.
I replaced it with a 200GB Maxtor Hard Drive which needs the following power..

+5v 740mA
+12v 1500mA

Now when I try to boot up the system with the hard drive attached it will not let me no matter how I try. The moment you press the on button it tries to fire up but sounds like it misfires and turns off.

Does this sound like a PSU issue?

It has been annoying me for over a year, so long I can’t remember, so any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you.

Mike B
:ff:
 
What CPU?
What video card? Nvidia makes a lot of video card chips. The amount of RAM on the card isn't a reliable indicator of the performance or power requirements.

Is the hard drive SATA or IDE?
 
Well, without the info B asked for I would have to think PSU. The adding of a larger, more power-consuming, HDD making it stop sounds like PSU.
 
Big B said:
What CPU?
What video card? Nvidia makes a lot of video card chips. The amount of RAM on the card isn't a reliable indicator of the performance or power requirements.

Is the hard drive SATA or IDE?
Click to expand...

The hard drive is an IDE drive, functioning as a slave to the other, both are set accordingly.

The graphics card is a NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti4200 AGP8X

It is a AMD DURON 2500+

If that PSU isnt handling it what do you think I require?

The PSU came with my tower and is 20pin
 
I would say 350-400 watts on a GOOD QUALITY PSU, good quality being the key words. Antec, Tagan, Fortron, FSP, Sparkle, Hiper, and Enermax are all good brands. The Antec Treupower series is really good so I would probably recommend it.
 
Yea that PSU that came with the tower will proberbly be some cheap generic crap, although looking at your specs, i dont see the PSU been too much of a problem, i mean i ran a pentium 4 3GHZ, ATi Radeon 9600NP, 1GB ram and DFI 865PE Infinity off a 500W cheapo Jeantech PSU fine, But getting a Decent PSU is better than risking getting fried motherboard :) so i went and spend 70 quid on a hiper :P
 
So you guys agree that it is most likely a PSU issue?

I cant even find a make on it, that has to be a bad sign! lol

The PSU says it is designed for a pentium 4, do AMD's suck that much mroe power?

Thanks for the advice.
 
no pentium 4's usualy suck more power than AMD 64's and other AMD cpu's.
I cant really say that its the PSU, i am not sure, but one thing is sure, its best to get a new PSU, i dont understand why they stick PSU's in cases, there nearly all crap.

Good cpu brands include Hiper, Enermax, antec, ocz, other members will be able to reccomend other brands, i have a Hiper Type-R, really good looking, good power, nice amps on the dual12v rails, 18A/20A, its done good, it cant take anyhting i throw at it, but depends what you want, i doubt your going for looks on a psu :p, and your Computer dont seem that demanding, i would look around for a decent 450W psu from some of the decent brands.

I suggest looking on Overclockers.co.uk there prices are preety cheap.
 
This may sound like a stupid question (and my show that I have very little PSU knowledge) but how come the fans on some of the PSU's are at an angel so that it doesnt point out the back of the unit?where is that fan directed to?

Sorry for the stupid question!
 
umm i dunno, i have never noticed that the fans are at an angle :s, what do you mean were are the fans directed to?, the one at the back on some PSU's sucks out, and there is one inside that sucks in, preety wierd, i would of thought that the fans on the psu would suck in from outside and blow all the hor air into the case for a case fan to suck out.
 
Think it is just cos of this mesh thing.

Not sure if the fan sucks in or blows on it tho! Not to worry! Im sure it works lol!

Cheers
 
hehe, on my PSU i had to change the grill on the front of the fan around as my PSU wouldent screw properly.
 
Willz said:
hehe, on my PSU i had to change the grill on the front of the fan around as my PSU wouldent screw properly.
Click to expand...

so u must av voided the warranty by opening it up. waz it ur type r. anyway most of the time if ur psu is gonna screw up, it either will blow up the first time it is turned on or the first few days if its faulty but if a good units been running for quite some time, thn there is less chance
 
yea it was my type r, i wont of voided the warranty, if i did need it repairing, there not going to know it was opened if i put the fan grill back the right way.
 
No, the PSU generally exhausts because PSUs can generally handle large amounts of heat where CPUs cannot. Cold air comes in front of case, is heated at the CPU, rises to the top of the case, and is exhausted by the PSU. Blowing hot air on the CPU is generally considered a bad idea.
 
I think thats pathetic tbh, the PSU may be able to take mroe heat than a CPU, but dont mean it cant be kept as cool as possible, heat shortens the life of any component, really, i think that at the rear of the case, on the top, there should be a grill, and the fan should be at the top of the psu, so ait is either sucking in by the 120mm fan in a psu, and sucked out of the 80mm fan at the back, or the other way around.
 
Willz said:
I think thats pathetic tbh, the PSU may be able to take mroe heat than a CPU, but dont mean it cant be kept as cool as possible, heat shortens the life of any component, really, i think that at the rear of the case, on the top, there should be a grill, and the fan should be at the top of the psu, so ait is either sucking in by the 120mm fan in a psu, and sucked out of the 80mm fan at the back, or the other way around.
Click to expand...

yeah thats the way it shud be. ive got only an 80mm fan and was planning on cutting an 80mm hole on the top of the case, putting an 80mm fan and making a sort of duct to push airflow and direct it into the psu to be extracted by the original fan which will keep it cooler. just a matter of doing it really
 
Oh, i see, and at the front is there some vents? if so, start the ducting there, and got up, hell a bit of plastic drain pipe or somthing with a bend in it would work.
 
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