500w to 300w PS...to test

My box will not start...the motherboard has a blinking green light and that is it.

I want to see if it's the power supply and was considering trying to use a 300 w ps jsut as a test to get it to boot and see if the PS is the issue or not.

Will this 300 ps be enough to start it to confirm that it is the original 500 ps that is the issue.

It's a 9 yr old box AM processor (don't know what)...does have a Nvidia 8800GTS 640MB vid card.

Thanks

 

Don't what the power consumption of your video card is, but I think you might be pushing it...if you are able to use on board graphics take your GT8800 out and see if your PC will start before you change PSUs.

This webpage http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-8800-gts-512-mb,1743-13.html will give you some idea of how much power you will need (the graphs show total system consumption I think). This webpage is a discussion PSU needed to run a similar card...https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/373923/geforce-basics/8800-gts-power-consumption/

PSUs power output does fall over time. You can buy for about $20 a PSU testing device (or borrow one preferably) which will not test your PSUs under a large load but will tell you whether your PSUs give the correct voltages under a very small load and tell you whether they are basically OK.

Also try out the PSU calculator which can be found here - http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp. PSU manufacturers have them as well I think, more tailored to selling their on PSUs.

Dumb_Question
20.April.2015

 

300W is plenty big just to see if your system will boot. I would not run any benchmarking or stress testing programs, however. But booting to your Windows desktop will not stress a 300W supply.

 

Thanks for the replies.
So I tried the 300 ps and it squealed when I turned on the pc and it did not boot...wasn't any of the fans...it was a different kinda squeal.

Then had another friends 450 ps and it worked booted up...all good....telling me that I needed to replace the ps.

Today I get a new 500w ps and it is back to squeal mode...my first guess was take a hammer to it...hope others have a more sensible option

 

I suppose that you are using the appropriate number of pins on the main connector ? I doubt if would turn at all if you weren't though.

The squeal couldn't have been a beep by any stretch of the imagination ? How loud was it ? That the same symptom should occur with a 'brand new' 500W unit as with the old 500W is slightly puzzling to me hence my RFI below. Can you test any of the PSUs in a different computer ?

I'd like to know more about your computer and the power supplies you have used.

If running Windows, click on the start button, find My Computer or computer on the right hand panel, and right click; a drop down menu should appear (W7). Click on properties, and a window will open telling you about your computer. In W7 this includes manufacturer, model (series), CPU, O/S, and RAM. There should be something similar in XP

As for the PSUs, there should be a printed panel or label on one side giving the maximum rated currents at each voltage, etc, and the make and model of the unit. I have attached a picture in which this is shown - of an XPS-450W-SEW. Text is just legible

Maybe a screen shot and photos would be the best ways to convey this information but copying the text would be ok

Dumb_Qustion
21.April.2015

 

Are you 100% sure this supply was good before trying it here?

This isn't making sense. I wonder if this squeal isn't coming from fan or drive bearings?

 

I think the hard drive is suffering a physical failure. If you can, remove it and attach it to another PC. Listen for any noises and look if you can access the the files.

 

Good suggestion, Eldon, but it does not explain why the system works with 450W PSU. Poopers (the OP) could Listen for any noises and look if you can access the files under those circumstances [and create a backup if possible].

Dumb_Question
21.April.2015

 

UGH..ok...so here is how it went...I went and got the new 500w ps...the squeal was not a beep..it was constant until I hit the switch to turn it off....had to do that as it did not boot up...was not a fan either.

Frustrated I thought I might as well try switching the cables around...there were 3 that I could switch as there was 4 or 5 that had the same connectors...for a fan, HD and CD drive...there was nothing labelled telling me one should go here and not there...so I rearranged them...and bingo...no more squeal. pc is running fine...luck ...magic...??

For others that might come across this thread in the future..I'm sure my posts on this thread will be of little use...switch the connectors?????? how could that be a solution...maybe one was fubar?...I dunno...I'm thrilled it is running but can't really explain the "fix" for the squeal.

Thanks all for chiming in and posting...this place has helped me in the past many years ago and is the absolute best place to get answers regarding all things computer.

All the best
poopers

 

Are you sure one of the cables was not in the way of a spinning fan?

 

100% sure

 

Then it must be FM - for a certain type of magic.