exploding PSU

[Shard92]

Has anyone else been having a lot of PSU exploding on them ( blowing capacitors ) I use to see this on occasion but lately we can't keep enough PSU's in stock. All are ATX and I THINK we are using have way decent ones ourselves.. though I've had a few of those go as well. ARe ATX power supplies just under that much more stress or is there a design flaw or what? Or are companies just going cheap on them?

Bad batch maybe?

Just wondering about others experiences.

GLSmith

[freddy]

had about 6 machines in with blown/spiked PSUs in the last month.

had a "brand new" p4 here last week to load some s/ware on ,,,,i put it on the bench plugged a vid lead + mouse+k/board in and as i went round the back to plug the power lead in "BANG" and flames in my face.

the PSU took the m/board vid+s/card+cpu with it.

I had unplugged the machine from owners house and put it on seat of car 5mile jurney.

explane that to customer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


freddy

[tk421]

no bangs or flames, but we have been replacing quite a few psu's, as well as motherboards. I don't know what's up. I thought maybe it had to do with the energy crisis... lots of power fluxes maybe.

[kato]

I think the demand by the OEM market for cheap cases (under $30) with power supplies is causing this. Crappy PSU is the rule now and not the exception. I try to stick with enermax as much as I can. it's a little more expensive, but I can get cases without supplies pretty cheap and still make a little bit by charging $80 for an enclosure and enermax supply.

[freddy]

if Ruslans reading this he might just come in and give us the link to the article regarding PSUs he did.

after reading his topic I stripped my own PSU down and replaced two capacitors (with ones of higher value/voltage) I also put a surge adaptor on the imput and fitted a thermal probe (plus cutting outlet hole and fitting grille)

I didided to do this as even though the PSU met the 300w formula , i was getting a little bit of "ripple" = whilst running asus probe prog (voltages).

freddy

[Shard92]

Yeah I've been seeing a lot of them lately this is the first to actually go up in my "face" ( not quite litterally )!! I had just started it and had moved to the other machine I was working on ( yes I multitask all the time!! ) and BANG... Flames out the back. It's also the first one of ours that I know of that didn't get an obvious surge before going like that. I agree it's probably the cheap case thing... but not much can be done when a lot of our calls like this are not our PSU's but other companies!

Well At least I'm not the only one to have noticed this! Any other thoughts/comments welcome!

GLSMith

[Cygnus]

I wanna know what types of PSU you guys have been getting so I can avoid em at all cost. I have had only 2 PSUs come back to me in the last year, and want to keep it that way if I can.

[Shard92]

Cygnus like I said it's mostly ones that others are using that I keep getting but you bring up a good point. I will start logging what I get back in just to see what's up!!!

[freddy]

OK u guys in the states ,,,,,,,,,look at the back of your machine "now" and the voltage selector switch ,,,,,whats it say 110/220v am i right?

UK voltage is 240v ......so "we" get the same PSUs as u ,,,,,,before they became "throw away" ,,,and were Mfgd in "our own contry" they were 240 ,,,,NOT 220v ,,,,,,

so anyway ,,,,,no matter what u buy ,,,,$10 ,,,$300 ,,,we are being *ucked about with

[MacGyver]

My thoughts on this subject are that the need for large power supplies (300W+) are totally overblown. My office HP Kayak P2/450 has a 170W PSU, and a recent HP Vectra P3/800 has a 200W PSU! The problem is the proliferation of cheesy components in most PSU's, cheaper components mean a cheaper product. However companies like HP know their customers depend on their computers, if they put crap PSU's in their PC's it would mean thousands of unneeded support calls (costing them money under warranty) and visits, and tarnishing of the company name. Some mass manufacturer in Taiwan doens't give two hoots if his PSU is crap, because he knows that people are cheap and won't spend the big bucks for a quality one, nor do they understand the importance of quality. His PSU is going to a mom 'n pop computer shop, after that it's not his problem anymore. So because PSU's are of lower quality, people need to buy bigger ones than they would really need to compensate for quality issues.

I had horrible problems with PSU's in my office when all we had were 486 and Pentium class clones. The PSU's would die constantly and I would usually replace one a month in an office of 8 computers. Now that we upgraded to all brand name PC's, I haven't had a single issue with a power supply in the last three years. Not even a dead fan!

[MacGyver]

[quote]Originally posted by freddy:
<strong>UK voltage is 240v ......so "we" get the same PSUs as u ,,,,,,before they became "throw away" ,,,and were Mfgd in "our own contry" they were 240 ,,,,NOT 220v ,,,,,,</strong><hr></blockquote>

I think the 220v is a nominal number. In North America, when somebody is talking about voltage, 110, 115, and 120 are used interchangeably. As long as the voltage is somewhere in that range, your electrical item will work.

[freddy]

[quote]Originally posted by MacGyver:
<strong>My thoughts on this subject are that the need for large power supplies (300W+) are totally overblown. My office HP Kayak P2/450 has a 170W PSU, and a recent HP Vectra P3/800 has a 200W PSU! The problem is the proliferation of cheesy components in most PSU's, cheaper components mean a cheaper product. However companies like HP know their customers depend on their computers, if they put crap PSU's in their PC's it would mean thousands of unneeded support calls (costing them money under warranty) and visits, and tarnishing of the company name. Some mass manufacturer in Taiwan doens't give two hoots if his PSU is crap, because he knows that people are cheap and won't spend the big bucks for a quality one, nor do they understand the importance of quality. His PSU is going to a mom 'n pop computer shop, after that it's not his problem anymore. So because PSU's are of lower quality, people need to buy bigger ones than they would really need to compensate for quality issues.

I had horrible problems with PSU's in my office when all we had were 486 and Pentium class clones. The PSU's would die constantly and I would usually replace one a month in an office of 8 computers. Now that we upgraded to all brand name PC's, I haven't had a single issue with a power supply in the last three years. Not even a dead fan!</strong><hr></blockquote>


so you were replying Mac ,,,so i waited.

I AGREE with u on the above ,,,I also wish Ruslan could give the other people on this thread a look at his findings,

As i said I read Ruslans article and acted upon it ,,,,it WORKED ,

Also worth noting with "Quality PCs" and i,m gonna have to wash my mouth out here ,,,,

Look at "packard bell" cough ,,,cough ,,,,a lot of there machines use a big "block" h/sinks on the CPU with ducting ,, running to an extractor fan on the case.

I have seen many of those with "cobwebs" on the fans ,,,,but still running.


PS : ive still got a "compaq" 80w PSU here (flat with no fan) ,,,,and still use it occassionally.


freddy

[Shard92]

I understand what you guys are saying but my problem is, it's not just bench built systems.... though they seem to be on the rise with PSU problems. I seen " tons " of HP/Compaq/Acer/Packard Bell computers with dead power supplies far more than any others until very recently. Maybe name branders are learning and the others are skimping but hey I don't want to start an argument. I will start keeping better track of failures but it doesn't "seem" to have any real patern. And Yes I'd like to see Ruslan's Article.

[freddy]

[quote]Originally posted by Shard92:
<strong>I understand what you guys are saying but my problem is, it's not just bench built systems.... though they seem to be on the rise with PSU problems. I seen " tons " of HP/Compaq/Acer/Packard Bell computers with dead power supplies far more than any others until very recently. Maybe name branders are learning and the others are skimping but hey I don't want to start an argument. I will start keeping better track of failures but it doesn't "seem" to have any real patern. And Yes I'd like to see Ruslan's Article.</strong><hr></blockquote>

will PM him and ask him to put link on this page ,,,,,OK


freddy

[Shard92]

Thanks Freddy!!