I purchased a computer in November of '07 from newegg. The manufacturer is Cyberpowerpc and it's a gaming rig. I've been using the computer for about 4 months now and just recently there's been a strange noise coming from the computer. I narrowed it down to the PSU. Every now and then (maybe every other hour) it would start making this weird grinding noise, as if it was hitting something while it's spinning. I opened up the computer and took a look with a flashlight into the PSU to see if there was anything that would cause the noise - didn't see anything. Do you think the PSU is already starting to die, after only 4 months? Does anyone know much about Cyberpowerpc and if they use cheap parts? Let me know what you guys think Thanks
i remember CyberPower, basically, avoid them like the plague, but, i can't find where i read it, but, when reading various online reviews you soon understand their crap, personally, my PSU is an Antec True Power Trio 550W and i've no complaints about it BTW: my spec is on the left, click "My Computer" you probably need a new decent PSU, take a look at Big B's PSU Sticky for a list of decent PSUs i would replace the poor quality parts as they present themselves / appear
Yeah I'm reading about all of that stuff now, wish I saw it before. So I should replace the PSU definitely? The only problem is I have no idea how to install a new one on my own.
It's not all that difficult. Basically, you pop off the side of the case, unplug all the power connections from the motherboard, drives and maybe the video card and/or fans. You may need to snip some zip-ties, depending on the routing. After that, remove the 4 screws on the back of the case that hold the power supply and toss it. Reverse said process for installation.
I probably won't remember where all the stuff was plugged in, and don't certain PSUs have certain plugs? I wouldnt know what to look for in a new PSU
You'll have an ATX power supply. There are others, but pretty much all the units you'll look at are ATX. Secondly, the power connectors are designed to go in one way only, so while you can screw it up, it's going to be very difficult to do so. They look different and have different pin layouts, so by looking at them, you will be able to tell they're all different. You basically have the following: 24-pin ATX power connector: 2x12 This is the main connection on the motherboard. You must plug this in to get anywhere. 4-pin Auxillary +12V connector: 2x2 This provides a feed to the CPU to ensure stable power. While not always required, most motherboards will not power up without this being plugged in besides the main 24-pin connector. 4-pin Molex: 1x4 These are the utilitarian device power connections. Fans, CD/DVD drives, hard drives, fanbuses, internal lighting make use of this. 7-pin SATA: 1x7 This is for SATA hard drives only. If you have a SATA hard drive with both a SATA power connection and a molex, use one or the other or you can damage your hard drive. This was put in place to ease the transition to SATA early on. 6-pin PCI Express (PCIe): 2x3 Some mid-range, but pretty much all high-end cards require at least 1 of these connections. The GeForce 8800GTX and Ultra require 2 of these connectors. Except for some very, very basic power supplies, most of them will have at least 1 PCIe power connection if not 2.
Wow, thank you for that very detailed explanation Very much appreciated. edit: Also if it isn't too much trouble do you think you could possibly recommend a good PSU for me or just a good company to buy from? I also noticed that in my NVIDIA Monitor the fan speeds are: CPU: 132 RPM nForce: 224 RPM Aux2: 30467 RPM is that normal? lol
generally , if you use SATA HDDs, you need an ATX 2.2 or newer PSU, if you don't use SATA HDDs you'll probably be ok with an ATX 2.0 PSU, as i've already said i have an Antec TP Trio 550W, which i've found to be an excellent PSU (obviously depending on your spec, my spec is not high, as you can see in "My Computer" on the left) Edit: Antec Trio range, but, look at Bs PSU Sticky for a list of recommended PSUs
