Is It The Power Supply? Help I broke my computer while buildin it.

[masugidsk8r 0]

Okay, this is the second time building a computer on my own. The motherboard had a 24-pin socket but I didn't notice that the power supply had a 20-pin connector with an extra 4-pin to go with the 20-pin one. So what I did without knowing the proper connection, I connected the 20-pin to the 240pin socket on the motherboard and the extra 4-pin to the 4-pin socket across from the motherboard. The correct 4-pin was left hanging and wasn't used.So after all these things were done and I connected the power cable to the PSU and switched it on, I heard some popping sounds and then the computer shut down and I smelled something got burnt. At first I thought it was the motherboard but it turned out it was still working. Now I'm thinking that it might be the power supply that might be broke. I haven't taken it out yet from the computer tower so I'll go to a local computer shop to get this checked out.If you guys know what happened can you guys tell me?NOTE: I checked the CPU also but there seems to be nothing burnt there.

[OmArEmAd 0]

If there is a smell then it is the power supply because the mother board don't give out a smell as i know...so try getting a new one with 24-PIN and take care while plugging it to the mother board...if the computer is not responding to your press on the power button then maybe the mother board or the processor is damaged

[Saint_Michael 3]

Its your motherboard, and although your board maybe working your burnt something else best thing to do is take it apart and smell around and you will find it. My board was working as well when I fried the RAM slots last weekend, and as for the power supply you will see more smoke then smell. Hmmm makes me wonder about something I will have to look into when I get my new motherboard this week, I wouldn't doubt you gave your motherboard a electric shock either so make sure you have something to discharged the static electricity from your body when working on the hardware.

[masugidsk8r 0]

Suppose I burnt the processor, I should see a burnt spot on it right? I'd hate to find out it's the chip. So is there a chance it might be the power supply? I haven't taken it out yet but tonight I will with my uncle cuz he knows all that hardware stuff cuz he used to build them. Is there a chance it might be the RAM that gave out the smell or the optical drives or hard drive? Cuz I asked my uncle and he said those should be fine because they're harder to get burnt.

[truefusion 3]

Anything faulty plugged should be the problem. I'm assuming whatever you plugged the 4-pin into is what popped. I'm guessing since it was in the wrong spot, the power supply gave it too much to handle, therefore making a popping sound. I'm expecting that part of the motherboard to not work while the PSU still works, but i could be wrong.

 

I doubt it's the RAM, for i doubt that much, if any, power even managed to reach it. Likewise with your drives.

[BuffaloHelp 24]

Try using the questionable power supply with a "known" motherboard. A "known" motherboard would be a motherboard that fits PSU and known to be in working condition. This will tell you if the power supply is bad. Or you can get really cheap PSU tester on the net these days (gawd, I paid over $200 back in the day).Once you eliminate PSU problem, then move on to CPU, RAM then MB etc.

[odomike 0]

The burning smell you percieved would most likely be because one thing or the other went bad in there. there might have been some sort of short circuiting in your computer that caused the short circuiting and made one of your components to sstop working.

If you are using an AMD microprocessor, and there is any over heating in there, the possibility of your processor being able to withstand the heat is on the lower side, but if you are using an Intel processor, you have a better chance that it aint your processor that went bad.

If there is a smell then it is the power supply because the mother board don't give out a smell as i know...

if any of the numerous components on the motherbaord gets burnt, it would still give out the same burning smell as any other burnt electrical device. it is wrong of you to say that.

I would suggest that you check your processor, motherboard and memory to know whether they are bad or not.

Put on your motherboard; with the ram and the CPU removed and listen for beeps. If you hear them, then most likely your mobo is good. Put in the ram and listen for beeps again. If no beeps this time, I think your mobo is good. Put in your processor now with a PSU you confirmed to be good and working fine and try to power your PC again. Remember to remove the heatsinnk from the processor and feel its top. If you feel any heat emanating from the processor, the probability is that your processor is still good. This does not mean though that you mobo is good if the procesor produces heat. This simply means that the mobo was able to supply power to the CPU that made it produce the heat.

Then for the memory. check them to know the chips are heating up abnormally or whether they are just warming up. If excessive heat is felt, go and buy another memory module. If this is not the case, your rams are likely still good.

Then consider changing your PSU as this is most likely what got burnt. You can check whether your PSU is still good by shorting the green and the black connector in the PSU. It has to be the black connector immediately next to the green one. If the fan turns on, then the PSU is ok.

Try these troubleshooting techniques and you would most likely not spend your money on calling a system techie.

[dre 0]

If you are using an AMD microprocessor, and there is any over heating in there, the possibility of your processor being able to withstand the heat is on the lower side, but if you are using an Intel processor, you have a better chance that it aint your processor that went bad.

From what I've read, AMD's handle more heat. The magazine said something like Intel's should go over 125 F and AMD's shouldn't be over 140 F.

[masugidsk8r 0]

Thank you all for the help and suggestions. It turns out that the PSU was the one that got burnt. I took it to a local computer shop and they tested it and they told me it was dead. So I just got a new one (450w) for only $25 at the same store.

[masugidsk8r 0]

OOOOHHHHkaaay!

Now I'm pretty pissed. So I replaced the power supply and now I can turn it on finally. But when I booted it up it says that my hard drive and my optical drive (DVD-ROM) cannot be found.

IDE0: none /*hard drive*/IDE1: none /*dvd-rom*/
IDE2: none
IDE3: none

I went to the same local store but couldn't bring the tower so he briefly just said that it might be just the cable. Now I'm worried that the PSU might've blew out both these drives on the very first boot attempt (when the original PSU broke). I hope not and that it's just the cable.

Now the IDE cable is new. It came with the motherboard replacement. So what's going on here!!?

[Saint_Michael 3]

I would check the cables first and although its not rare for this to happen; static electricity, power surge, usually a loose cable would be the only problem. So recheck your connections and make sure your power supply is connected to the hard drive, and that your hard drive is connected to the motherboard, and like wise with the DVD Rom Drive. Also when you booted the computer did you here a series of Beeps before receiving that message? If so reboot the computer and listen to how the beeps sound and then use this site to determine what the beeps are about. By the sound of it you did what I did when I first built my computer I messed around with the hardware so much that I fried the RAM slots (wasn't wearing that ESD bracelet).

[masugidsk8r 0]

really? The last time I checked I heard only one beep when I boot it up. I don't have the bracelet but I've never felt the static shock. So would bad memory result in my 2 drives not being detected? And if it is, would I have to change the RAM or the whole motherboard AGAIN... :XD:

==EDIT==

Okay, I looked up a different site. I went directly to my MB's site forum and found this:

Basic Beep Codes for ABIT AWARD BIOS Motherboards
1.) No beep at all - this means your motherboard is dead, either due to a defective or underpowered power supply, poorly seated CPU or RAM, or a dead-on-arrival board

2.) One beep - board is working fine

3.) One long beep then machine shuts down - faulty, improperly installed or missing CPU

4.) 1 short(Beep) System booting is normally

5.) 2 short(Beep) CMOS setting error

6.) 1 long - 1 short(Beep) DRAM ERROR

7.) 1 long - 2 short(Beep) Display card or monitor connected error

8.) 1 long - 3 short(Beep) Keyboard Error

9.) 1 long - 9 short(Beep) ROM Error

10.) Long(Beep) continuous DRAM isn't inserted correctly

11.) Short(Beep) continuous POWER supply has a problem

12.) A two-tone siren, generally caused by overheating or out of specification voltages

13.) Four beeps then machine shuts down. This is because this version of the BIOS will shut down your machine if no fan tachometer signal is detected on the fan header. Make sure you attach a fan to the FAN1 or FAN4 header or clear CMOS to reset to default (no checking).

Please feel free to add ones I might have missed or correct me on ones that are wrong.

Goli

I hear one beep. --meaning that "all is well" ...?
Edited September 2, 2007 by masugidsk8r (see edit history)

[habbo 0]

ahh yes i've been thereyour hard drive has lost driversthe easist way is only avaible if you have a hard drivei always have one because things go perfect but seem to never always stay the samethen you go to a friend with the same system as you (needs to be windows on both) and floppy driveget him to make you a MS Start up Disk you can search how on google orInsert DiskRight Click A Drive under My COmputerFormat Disketteadd Make MS Start up disk optionit will then make a floppy disk to insert before you start your computerthis diskette has drivers to all the hardware then you should be able topick options to start windowsi'd also recomend that if you havent installed a system yet it could be the problemby using this diskette you can get it to read a system install disc you may havesuch as windows i hope i have help'd your problem as much as possible as i have a samsung 300gb harddrive i bought and went through the same problem with it and my Helepackard DVD Room DriveAnswer to Second Question:i dont wear a braclet at all and my pcs run correctly as long as you werent working around say acatcarpetsocks on cloth glovesor anything clothive installed many memory upgrades without a bracelet it is only a luxuryif it is just keep ur arm rested on the case and it will provide all the non static you needAnd Yes all is well with one beep however i've had one beep once then reboot over and overive also had one go to welcome screen and freeze in result of a infected by virus hard driveyou never know at some times

Edited September 2, 2007 by habbo (see edit history)

[masugidsk8r 0]

Oooh.. Well, I just decided to drop it off my local computer shop and have them take a look at it. School is starting this week and I just don't want another thing to worry about. I'll get back on this thread and we'll see how it goes

[megabytemb 0]

its the mother board because you haveput to much power into it and the circuitry broke if it is working now it will stop soon