Power Supply Help

gooms9 · 12-03-2005, 08:58 PM

Hey, I just got these 3 parts for my computer today.

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...anufacture=AMD
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...nufacture=ASUS
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...nufacture=eVGA

Set them all up, also have a gig of ram, 120 gig SATA HDD, and a DVD burner hooked up. Problem is, whenever I turn my computer on it shuts itself down a couple seconds later. I'm guessing this is a power supply problem, but i'm not sure. Dont really know much about my PSU other then the fact that it's an 'ATX?' and it's 400w. I dont think this is enough is it. What is the cheapest PSU that i'd be able to get away with?

**oldmn** · 12-03-2005, 09:21 PM

The power supply is the last thing you want to get cheap on.
Power supply calculator (add 30%)http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply/

ATX Power Supplies - Brands from A to Z

*** RATED BY QUALITY ***

Key
H = High Quality (Good Solid Reliable Brand)
L = Low Quality (Cheap Generic)
M = Medium Quality (In-between)
U = Unknown

A-Power................L
A-Top..................L
A+GPB..................L
AcBel..................L
AC Ryan (Ryanpower)....L
Aerocool...............U
AG.....................L
Ahanix.................L
Akasa..................L
Allied.................L
Antec..................M/H
AOpen..................L
APC....................L
Apex Allied............L
Aspire.................L/M
Astec..................L
Athena.................L
BFG....................L
Broadway Gaming........U
Channel Well...........L
CHAS...................L
Chenbro................U
Chieftec...............L
Coba...................L
Codegen................L
Conrad.................M
CoolerMaster...........H
CoolMax................M
Crystal................L
Deer.................L
Dell...................L
Delta..................L
Diablo.................L
Eagle..................L
Echo Star..............L
Enermax................H
Engleking..............M
Enlight................M
Epson..................L
FDK....................L
Fortron (FSP)..........H
Gateway................L
Gazelle Multimedia.....L
Global Marketing.......L
GPower.................L
Guardian...............L
Herolchi...............M
Hipro..................L
HP/Compaq..............L
HPC International......L
Huntkey................L
I-Star.................L
IBM Redundant..........U (expensive)
Intel Redundant........U (expensive)
In Win.................L
Jaguar.................U
Kensington.............L
Kingwin................L
L&C....................L
Leadman................L
Levicom................L
LiteOn.................U
Logisys................U
Mad Dog................L/M
Maxtron................L
MGE....................L
MGE Vortec.............M
MorningStar............L
NEC....................L
Newton.................L
Nexus..................L
Noise Magic............L
NorthQ.................M
Nspire.................L
OCZ....................H
Omega..................L
Packard Bell...........L
PC Power & Cooling.....H
PC-World (PCW).........L
PCMCIS.................U
Power..................L
PowerStream............L
PowerTek...............L
PowerUp................L
PowMax.................L
PowMax XPower..........L
Premium................L
Pyramid................L
Q-Tec..................L
Q-Technology...........L
RaidMax................U
Real Power.............L
Rosewill...............L
SCS....................L
SeaSonic...............H
Shuttle................L
Silent Purepower.......U
SilenX.................L
Silverstone............H
Sky Hawk (Eagle Tech)..L
Sparkle................H
Star Micronics.........L
StarTech...............L
Sun....................L
SuperFlower............L
Supermicro.............L
Tagan..................H
Task...................L
ThermalTake............M
Topower................L
Tri-Mag................L
TSP....................L
Tyan Tiger.............L
TTGI...................L
Ultra-Power Computer...L
Ultra..................M
Ultra X-Connect........L
Vantec.................H
Verax..................H
Vigor..................U
Xion...................L
xPCgear................L
Zalman.................H
Zippy..................L

Thanks Whodat / for the link !! (Updated 11/25/05)

Sli certified PSU
http://www.slizone.com/object/slizon..._powersupplies

Tumbleweed36 · 12-03-2005, 09:32 PM

Hi,

Tell you what, let's take the first things first. Yes, a power supply can cause that, but it almost sounds like something else to me. Sounds more like a short, but it could be the power supply. What I would do:

Check to make sure you have the 12 volt square molex plugged into the motherboard in addition to the ATX connector. If that does not get it to fire up, then:

Remove the motherboard from the case and set it up beside the case on a non-conductive surface or a piece of cardboard. Put only the CPU, Heatsink and heatsink fan connected to the motherboard, the atx connector, the 12 volt square molex plug, the speaker wire and the two wire off/on switch wires, one stick of ram (check in your manual for one stick to see which slot you use for only one stick), the video card, the keyboard, mouse and that is all....no drives, no pci cards (except the video card in the pci-e slot), .........nothing else, nada, zip, zap, no wires not mentioned or anything.

Fire it up and if it works, add something else. If you can get it to work that way, then add something else....you get the picture. If it does not work, then take the video card away and see if it still shuts down....same type picture....troubleshooting that way.

If it works when you get a few items in, then CHECK VERY CAREFULLY for the following:

1) you have the exact motherboard posts put in only the supplied holes in the motherboard. ( so easy to get one too many in there or one the wrong place)

2) Make sure you don't have the motherboard touching the case.

3) Make sure you don't have the I/O plate shortint out or the PCI standoff place holders.

Put the board back in and start adding back.

If it still shuts down inside of the case, then you may have to put washers between the motherboard posts and the board.

Just for our information, look on your power supply and see what brand name it is along with listing the wattage.

Post back when you have had a chance to check those items.

Addendum: Darn, that oldmn types so darn fast, I can't get mine done in time. Anyhow, good advice he gave you. Please don't order any power supply until you chat with one of us and get a recommendation on what is best for your unit.

Addendum #2: Darn, I can't seem to get this right....last revision I hope.

gooms9 · 12-03-2005, 09:43 PM

Thanks for that calculator, but it doesn't have my video card in it -_-

Anyways. Should a 400w PSU be enough? I read here that it requires a minimum of a 350w PSU.

Edit: Just saw the post above me. Going to go try that now, i'll get back to you with the brand name etc. shortly.

Tumbleweed36 · 12-03-2005, 09:47 PM

Hi,

I had to make a couple of revisions in my post, so re-read it if you get a chance. It is getting late, so I am out of here for the evening.

gooms9 · 12-03-2005, 10:32 PM

POWMAX ATX switching power supply

Model No. LP-8800D DC output: 400w Max
-------------------------------------------

Input: 100-127v ~ 10A 50/60 Hz
200-127v ~ 6A 50/60 Hz

Output: +5v/30A Max. +12v/25A Max
-12V/0.8A Max. +3.3V/28A Max
-5v/0.3A Max. +5Vsb/2.0A Max

Didn't get a chance to try what you suggested yet, but what I did try was turning the computer on, exactly how it is now, only without the video card installed, and it ran fine. Put the video card back in and it started shutting down every couple seconds once again. -_- I'm guessing this means my PSU can't handle the video card? Or should I still try your suggestion. Thanks.

**oldmn** · 12-03-2005, 11:04 PM

Your video card came with an y cable to plug in two molex to a 6 pin plug that goes to the front edge of the video card. You have this attached?
Also that power supply, Has a low rating Which means it has a high fail rate will not run at the design specifications.
We usually recommend using Antec Or Enermax Both have High ratings. They can be pricey but you get what you pay for.

gooms9 · 12-03-2005, 11:17 PM

Yea, i have that cable plugged in. I'd like to get it working with this power supply if it's at all possible. Even if it does have a low rating.

Edit: Just tried what tumbleweed suggested and it still didn't boot up. -_-

Guessing it's time for a new PSU?

Tumbleweed36 · 12-04-2005, 05:26 AM

Hi,

It sure does sound like a lack of power. If it stays running without the video card, most likely either the video card or the power supply. Go through this list to make sure:

ATX plug 24 connector plugged in. (If you used a 20, check orientation to make sure you have it in the correct side)

12 volt square molex plugged in.

You can also connect an auxillary 12 volt plug in very near the CPU, for more power (usually required for sli operation), but worth a try even if single operation).

Power connector to video card

video card in sli slot #1 or as you look at the motherboard from the back the left side slot.

The plastic sli bridge is in your box and not connected to the single video card.

Keep us posted.

Addendum: Check NewEgg.com and ZipZoomFly.com for great prices on the Enermax and Antec power supplies. They have been running some specials and they are great companies to deal with IMO.

gooms9 · 12-04-2005, 06:21 PM

Okay, bit the bullet and bought a new power supply. Got this one here.

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...re=THERMALTAKE

It works great. Stays on as long as I want it to, but now... my keyboard wont work. It says "Press DEL to enter setup" so I press it and absolutely nothing happens. I tried plugging it in using a USB to PS/2 connector... doesn't work. Tried plugging it into one of the built in USB ports, nothing works... tried plugging it into one of the USB ports that came on a seperate card with the motherboard, still nothing works. Tried it with 2 different keyboards, still nothing works. I'm about to lose my mind here. >_<

Any suggestions?

**oldmn** · 12-04-2005, 06:33 PM

Check the keybord power jumper located just behind the PS2 port make sure it is there. Check your manual for the correct location.

gooms9 · 12-04-2005, 07:05 PM

Okay, new info. The keyboard works on the 4 USB ports on the back of the motherboard for about 20-30 seconds, then they stop working again.

As for the PS/2 jumper, there is deffinitely no jumper located behind any part of the back panel. And i've read the manual over and over again and there is no mention of one either.

Is it possible that my old PSU gibbled up the motherboard?

**oldmn** · 12-04-2005, 07:18 PM

You might try clearing you cmos and see what happens. The instructions are in your manual.

gooms9 · 12-04-2005, 07:26 PM

Yea, I tried that. Same deal.

gooms9 · 12-05-2005, 06:57 PM

Okay, figured it out. I had one extra screw in the bottom of the case that I shouldn't have put in and it was causing a short in the motherboard. Thanks for the help guys. Installing windows now, i'm sure i'll be back with more questions :P

Tumbleweed36 · 12-05-2005, 07:09 PM

Hi,

So glad you figured that one out. Sure did sound like a short, but heck, one never knows with these machines. Hope it goes well for you.

12-03-2005, 08:58 PM	#1 (permalink)
gooms9 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 12 OS: Windows XP	Power Supply Help Hey, I just got these 3 parts for my computer today. http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...anufacture=AMD http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...nufacture=ASUS http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...nufacture=eVGA Set them all up, also have a gig of ram, 120 gig SATA HDD, and a DVD burner hooked up. Problem is, whenever I turn my computer on it shuts itself down a couple seconds later. I'm guessing this is a power supply problem, but i'm not sure. Dont really know much about my PSU other then the fact that it's an 'ATX?' and it's 400w. I dont think this is enough is it. What is the cheapest PSU that i'd be able to get away with?

12-03-2005, 09:21 PM	#2 (permalink)
oldmn TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Gig Harbor Wa Posts: 2,150 OS: XP Pro SP3 X 3 My System	The power supply is the last thing you want to get cheap on. Power supply calculator (add 30%)http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply/ ATX Power Supplies - Brands from A to Z * RATED BY QUALITY * Key H = High Quality (Good Solid Reliable Brand) L = Low Quality (Cheap Generic) M = Medium Quality (In-between) U = Unknown A-Power................L A-Top..................L A+GPB..................L AcBel..................L AC Ryan (Ryanpower)....L Aerocool...............U AG.....................L Ahanix.................L Akasa..................L Allied.................L Antec..................M/H AOpen..................L APC....................L Apex Allied............L Aspire.................L/M Astec..................L Athena.................L BFG....................L Broadway Gaming........U Channel Well...........L CHAS...................L Chenbro................U Chieftec...............L Coba...................L Codegen................L Conrad.................M CoolerMaster...........H CoolMax................M Crystal................L Deer.................L Dell...................L Delta..................L Diablo.................L Eagle..................L Echo Star..............L Enermax................H Engleking..............M Enlight................M Epson..................L FDK....................L Fortron (FSP)..........H Gateway................L Gazelle Multimedia.....L Global Marketing.......L GPower.................L Guardian...............L Herolchi...............M Hipro..................L HP/Compaq..............L HPC International......L Huntkey................L I-Star.................L IBM Redundant..........U (expensive) Intel Redundant........U (expensive) In Win.................L Jaguar.................U Kensington.............L Kingwin................L L&C....................L Leadman................L Levicom................L LiteOn.................U Logisys................U Mad Dog................L/M Maxtron................L MGE....................L MGE Vortec.............M MorningStar............L NEC....................L Newton.................L Nexus..................L Noise Magic............L NorthQ.................M Nspire.................L OCZ....................H Omega..................L Packard Bell...........L PC Power & Cooling.....H PC-World (PCW).........L PCMCIS.................U Power..................L PowerStream............L PowerTek...............L PowerUp................L PowMax.................L PowMax XPower..........L Premium................L Pyramid................L Q-Tec..................L Q-Technology...........L RaidMax................U Real Power.............L Rosewill...............L SCS....................L SeaSonic...............H Shuttle................L Silent Purepower.......U SilenX.................L Silverstone............H Sky Hawk (Eagle Tech)..L Sparkle................H Star Micronics.........L StarTech...............L Sun....................L SuperFlower............L Supermicro.............L Tagan..................H Task...................L ThermalTake............M Topower................L Tri-Mag................L TSP....................L Tyan Tiger.............L TTGI...................L Ultra-Power Computer...L Ultra..................M Ultra X-Connect........L Vantec.................H Verax..................H Vigor..................U Xion...................L xPCgear................L Zalman.................H Zippy..................L Thanks Whodat / for the link !! (Updated 11/25/05) Sli certified PSU http://www.slizone.com/object/slizon..._powersupplies __________________ AVG \| MEMTEST86 \| Zone Alarm \| XXCLONE \| Adaware \| Beyond Compare \| Everest If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Sorry no PM's for problems.[/center]

12-03-2005, 09:32 PM	#3 (permalink)
Tumbleweed36 Asst Manager Hardware Join Date: May 2005 Location: USA Posts: 19,642 OS: XP Professional	Hi, Tell you what, let's take the first things first. Yes, a power supply can cause that, but it almost sounds like something else to me. Sounds more like a short, but it could be the power supply. What I would do: Check to make sure you have the 12 volt square molex plugged into the motherboard in addition to the ATX connector. If that does not get it to fire up, then: Remove the motherboard from the case and set it up beside the case on a non-conductive surface or a piece of cardboard. Put only the CPU, Heatsink and heatsink fan connected to the motherboard, the atx connector, the 12 volt square molex plug, the speaker wire and the two wire off/on switch wires, one stick of ram (check in your manual for one stick to see which slot you use for only one stick), the video card, the keyboard, mouse and that is all....no drives, no pci cards (except the video card in the pci-e slot), .........nothing else, nada, zip, zap, no wires not mentioned or anything. Fire it up and if it works, add something else. If you can get it to work that way, then add something else....you get the picture. If it does not work, then take the video card away and see if it still shuts down....same type picture....troubleshooting that way. If it works when you get a few items in, then CHECK VERY CAREFULLY for the following: 1) you have the exact motherboard posts put in only the supplied holes in the motherboard. ( so easy to get one too many in there or one the wrong place) 2) Make sure you don't have the motherboard touching the case. 3) Make sure you don't have the I/O plate shortint out or the PCI standoff place holders. Put the board back in and start adding back. If it still shuts down inside of the case, then you may have to put washers between the motherboard posts and the board. Just for our information, look on your power supply and see what brand name it is along with listing the wattage. Post back when you have had a chance to check those items. Addendum: Darn, that oldmn types so darn fast, I can't get mine done in time. Anyhow, good advice he gave you. Please don't order any power supply until you chat with one of us and get a recommendation on what is best for your unit. Addendum #2: Darn, I can't seem to get this right....last revision I hope. __________________ ---------- I don't receive email notifications of replies to subscribed threads. (Internet provider policy) Therefore, if I don't respond to your post within 24 hours, please send me a reminder PM and include the link to your thread. Last edited by Tumbleweed36; 12-03-2005 at 09:38 PM.

12-03-2005, 09:43 PM	#4 (permalink)
gooms9 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 12 OS: Windows XP	Thanks for that calculator, but it doesn't have my video card in it -_- Anyways. Should a 400w PSU be enough? I read here that it requires a minimum of a 350w PSU. Edit: Just saw the post above me. Going to go try that now, i'll get back to you with the brand name etc. shortly. Last edited by gooms9; 12-03-2005 at 09:47 PM.

12-03-2005, 09:47 PM	#5 (permalink)
Tumbleweed36 Asst Manager Hardware Join Date: May 2005 Location: USA Posts: 19,642 OS: XP Professional	Hi, I had to make a couple of revisions in my post, so re-read it if you get a chance. It is getting late, so I am out of here for the evening. __________________ ---------- I don't receive email notifications of replies to subscribed threads. (Internet provider policy) Therefore, if I don't respond to your post within 24 hours, please send me a reminder PM and include the link to your thread.

12-03-2005, 10:32 PM	#6 (permalink)
gooms9 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 12 OS: Windows XP	POWMAX ATX switching power supply Model No. LP-8800D DC output: 400w Max ------------------------------------------- Input: 100-127v ~ 10A 50/60 Hz 200-127v ~ 6A 50/60 Hz Output: +5v/30A Max. +12v/25A Max -12V/0.8A Max. +3.3V/28A Max -5v/0.3A Max. +5Vsb/2.0A Max Didn't get a chance to try what you suggested yet, but what I did try was turning the computer on, exactly how it is now, only without the video card installed, and it ran fine. Put the video card back in and it started shutting down every couple seconds once again. -_- I'm guessing this means my PSU can't handle the video card? Or should I still try your suggestion. Thanks. Last edited by gooms9; 12-03-2005 at 10:41 PM.

12-03-2005, 11:04 PM	#7 (permalink)
oldmn TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Gig Harbor Wa Posts: 2,150 OS: XP Pro SP3 X 3 My System	Your video card came with an y cable to plug in two molex to a 6 pin plug that goes to the front edge of the video card. You have this attached? Also that power supply, Has a low rating Which means it has a high fail rate will not run at the design specifications. We usually recommend using Antec Or Enermax Both have High ratings. They can be pricey but you get what you pay for. __________________ AVG \| MEMTEST86 \| Zone Alarm \| XXCLONE \| Adaware \| Beyond Compare \| Everest If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Sorry no PM's for problems.[/center]

12-03-2005, 11:17 PM	#8 (permalink)
gooms9 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 12 OS: Windows XP	Yea, i have that cable plugged in. I'd like to get it working with this power supply if it's at all possible. Even if it does have a low rating. Edit: Just tried what tumbleweed suggested and it still didn't boot up. -_- Guessing it's time for a new PSU? Last edited by gooms9; 12-03-2005 at 11:31 PM.

12-04-2005, 05:26 AM	#9 (permalink)
Tumbleweed36 Asst Manager Hardware Join Date: May 2005 Location: USA Posts: 19,642 OS: XP Professional	Hi, It sure does sound like a lack of power. If it stays running without the video card, most likely either the video card or the power supply. Go through this list to make sure: ATX plug 24 connector plugged in. (If you used a 20, check orientation to make sure you have it in the correct side) 12 volt square molex plugged in. You can also connect an auxillary 12 volt plug in very near the CPU, for more power (usually required for sli operation), but worth a try even if single operation). Power connector to video card video card in sli slot #1 or as you look at the motherboard from the back the left side slot. The plastic sli bridge is in your box and not connected to the single video card. Keep us posted. Addendum: Check NewEgg.com and ZipZoomFly.com for great prices on the Enermax and Antec power supplies. They have been running some specials and they are great companies to deal with IMO. __________________ ---------- I don't receive email notifications of replies to subscribed threads. (Internet provider policy) Therefore, if I don't respond to your post within 24 hours, please send me a reminder PM and include the link to your thread. Last edited by Tumbleweed36; 12-04-2005 at 05:28 AM.

12-04-2005, 06:21 PM	#10 (permalink)
gooms9 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 12 OS: Windows XP	Okay, bit the bullet and bought a new power supply. Got this one here. http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...re=THERMALTAKE It works great. Stays on as long as I want it to, but now... my keyboard wont work. It says "Press DEL to enter setup" so I press it and absolutely nothing happens. I tried plugging it in using a USB to PS/2 connector... doesn't work. Tried plugging it into one of the built in USB ports, nothing works... tried plugging it into one of the USB ports that came on a seperate card with the motherboard, still nothing works. Tried it with 2 different keyboards, still nothing works. I'm about to lose my mind here. >_< Any suggestions?

12-04-2005, 06:33 PM	#11 (permalink)
oldmn TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Gig Harbor Wa Posts: 2,150 OS: XP Pro SP3 X 3 My System	Check the keybord power jumper located just behind the PS2 port make sure it is there. Check your manual for the correct location. __________________ AVG \| MEMTEST86 \| Zone Alarm \| XXCLONE \| Adaware \| Beyond Compare \| Everest If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Sorry no PM's for problems.[/center]

12-04-2005, 07:05 PM	#12 (permalink)
gooms9 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 12 OS: Windows XP	Okay, new info. The keyboard works on the 4 USB ports on the back of the motherboard for about 20-30 seconds, then they stop working again. As for the PS/2 jumper, there is deffinitely no jumper located behind any part of the back panel. And i've read the manual over and over again and there is no mention of one either. Is it possible that my old PSU gibbled up the motherboard? Last edited by gooms9; 12-04-2005 at 07:07 PM.

12-04-2005, 07:18 PM	#13 (permalink)
oldmn TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Gig Harbor Wa Posts: 2,150 OS: XP Pro SP3 X 3 My System	You might try clearing you cmos and see what happens. The instructions are in your manual. __________________ AVG \| MEMTEST86 \| Zone Alarm \| XXCLONE \| Adaware \| Beyond Compare \| Everest If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Sorry no PM's for problems.[/center]

12-04-2005, 07:26 PM	#14 (permalink)
gooms9 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 12 OS: Windows XP	Yea, I tried that. Same deal.

12-05-2005, 06:57 PM	#15 (permalink)
gooms9 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 12 OS: Windows XP	Okay, figured it out. I had one extra screw in the bottom of the case that I shouldn't have put in and it was causing a short in the motherboard. Thanks for the help guys. Installing windows now, i'm sure i'll be back with more questions :P

12-05-2005, 07:09 PM	#16 (permalink)
Tumbleweed36 Asst Manager Hardware Join Date: May 2005 Location: USA Posts: 19,642 OS: XP Professional	Hi, So glad you figured that one out. Sure did sound like a short, but heck, one never knows with these machines. Hope it goes well for you. __________________ ---------- I don't receive email notifications of replies to subscribed threads. (Internet provider policy) Therefore, if I don't respond to your post within 24 hours, please send me a reminder PM and include the link to your thread.