Is my PSU/mb fried or what? Computer smells burnt during normal use session....

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Thread: Is my PSU/mb fried or what? Computer smells burnt during normal use session....

  1. 02-14-2006, 12:23 AM #1
    tarentinos
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    Is my PSU/mb fried or what? Computer smells burnt during normal use session....

    So my dad plugged a zip drive into the P4 system. P4P800-VM motherboard I believe with a "Hirpo" 250w PSU. Screen goes black and shuts down. I can smell a slight burnt smell at the back of the computer. The PSU power light blinks or stays green but the system won't boot--no fans turn on either.

    Just to check the PSU I put an Asus Smartpower 300w in the computer to see if it would boot. No luck. Just a quick flash of a light inside the case and then nothing.

    Is my motherboard fried?

    BTW: My area has frequent power surges and the PC didn't have a protector... so I think that's the problem. Anyway to accurately test and see which part of my system is messed up?
    Last edited by tarentinos; 02-14-2006 at 12:59 AM.
    I used to own a nice tower, but then it was too expensive to upgrade consistently. And I only play Age of Empires 2: The Conquerors DEATHMATCH. And that doesn't need a lot of power (PM me if you want to get in some games). So now I own a MacBook, but I like to think of myself as a well-informed Apple convert who still uses Windows sometimes.
    I like the internet. So I have this www.tarentinos.com for wallpapers that I make since it is a strange obsession of mine. How wonderful.
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  2. 02-14-2006, 08:17 AM #2
    Steve R Jones
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    Pop the hood and look around for a long time and you might find a burn mark on either the mobo or something else.
    "Vegetarians live up to nine years longer than the rest of us...Nine horrible, worthless, baconless years."
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  3. 02-14-2006, 12:09 PM #3
    tarentinos
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    Thanks... I haven't found any specific burn marks. Is there a process I can go through to determine if the problem is the motherboard? What should I do to determine the source of my problem?
    I used to own a nice tower, but then it was too expensive to upgrade consistently. And I only play Age of Empires 2: The Conquerors DEATHMATCH. And that doesn't need a lot of power (PM me if you want to get in some games). So now I own a MacBook, but I like to think of myself as a well-informed Apple convert who still uses Windows sometimes.
    I like the internet. So I have this www.tarentinos.com for wallpapers that I make since it is a strange obsession of mine. How wonderful.
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  4. 02-14-2006, 12:23 PM #4
    Steve R Jones
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    It's a process of elimination.
    If you have spare ram sticks, video card etc, try them first.
    "Vegetarians live up to nine years longer than the rest of us...Nine horrible, worthless, baconless years."
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  6. 02-14-2006, 07:52 PM #5
    sgtgto
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    Hi:

    Rule #1. never, never plug anything into a running computer except usb. If that is what he did, and the ps checks out, it more than likely blew the mb. Strip it down to the basics. MB, one stick of ram, vid card, ps, and cpu. See if it posts. If it doesn't I would bank on the mb being blown.

    GAry
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  7. 02-14-2006, 08:02 PM #6
    v8villain
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    Quote Originally Posted by tarentinos
    BTW: My area has frequent power surges and the PC didn't have a protector... so I think that's the problem. Anyway to accurately test and see which part of my system is messed up?
    Skip the surge protector and get a UPS with voltage regulator. Worth the money if surges are blowing up your BOX.

    Also take out the MOBO battery and try
    turning it on. Some MOBO won't work with a dead battery.
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  8. 02-15-2006, 12:59 AM #7
    tarentinos
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    Thanks for the help. I tried booting again... this time I got smoke near the PCI slots. No motherboard light. I think it's definately the motherboard.

    At this point I don't think it's worth removing the battery, but where would I find the battery in order to remove it?
    I used to own a nice tower, but then it was too expensive to upgrade consistently. And I only play Age of Empires 2: The Conquerors DEATHMATCH. And that doesn't need a lot of power (PM me if you want to get in some games). So now I own a MacBook, but I like to think of myself as a well-informed Apple convert who still uses Windows sometimes.
    I like the internet. So I have this www.tarentinos.com for wallpapers that I make since it is a strange obsession of mine. How wonderful.
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  9. 02-15-2006, 04:09 AM #8
    v8villain
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    Quote Originally Posted by tarentinos
    Thanks for the help. I tried booting again... this time I got smoke near the PCI slots. No motherboard light. I think it's definately the motherboard.

    At this point I don't think it's worth removing the battery, but where would I find the battery in order to remove it?
    That smoke from a MOBO is'nt to healthy. Get a new mobo. Not sure what video card and cpu u got but perhaps it's time to upgrade
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