Issue with PC startup, unsure if the problem lies with the power supply unit or another component.
Issue with PC startup, unsure if the problem lies with the power supply unit or another component.
Hi everyone,
I have been having this issue for a few weeks and decided to fix it but couldn't be sure as i am not an expert.Whenever a power outage happens (frequently in my neighborhood) or if the PSU's power button is switched to off at some point,the next time I try to turn on the computer fans spin,led lights get on etc. for literally 1 second then everything turns off for 5 seconds and finally PC actually starts running again.DVD player makes a very loud mechanical sound at the final boot(doesn't do that normally) and there are some weird electrical noises coming from PSU that could be heard from the case.I suspect PSU but can't be sure. What i am afraid is if it is PSU then it could pretty much destroy the computer if not replaced but I don't want to buy a new one without being certain since electronic stuff is very expensive in where i live due to insane exchange rate so i need to be sure.I don't have the chance to test the PSU on another computer.
Here is a short video showing it :
View: https://youtu.be/EFtnwexFSgs
I wanted to make sure other parts are working fine so did some testing.
Things I Have Tested:
1)
Inspected the case,motherboard and other parts to see if there is any damage to components, circuits and cables but everything seems fine.I don't know if motherboard could be faulty since couldn't test it.
2)
PSU:Tested PSU's wall cable with a multimeter to check voltage and it was fine.Did the paperclip test to check voltages of 24 pin connector's pins and they were also fine.
3)
CPU/GPU:I did stress tests on them to see how they perform under load and no issues at all.Voltages were at ideal range under heavy load too.Pretty low temps when idle.
4)
RAM:I had some unused RAM's so changed them with the ones I currently use.They are all fine.
5)
SSD:It is working fine since tested it with 4 programs all showing it is in perfect health but around the time this power issue started i also started getting some CRC errors(not much a few in a day).I don't know if that's a coincidence(maybe some power issue?).I don't think it is sata cable since i never got this error when i had hdd.
6)
Removed CMOS battery.Nothing happened.
Some Additional Info:This PC is from 2011 so it's pretty old but hasn't been used that much.The only component got broken was the HDD(replaced it with an SSD).OS is fresh installed no issues at all.Same goes for BIOS.Booting is fine no delays.Running pretty good and windows event collector doesn't find issues at all.
If the PSU is from 2011, you should swap it out, as it has devalued your funds.
Do you believe there could be other causes besides the PSU? It's just that I don't want to purchase a PSU; let's consider if the motherboard might be faulty, as that would mean I'd need a new PC and still end up paying for a new, unused PSU (which isn't affordable in my area).
It is a 400W(460 Peak) High Power(Sirtec) PSU with model AE-A460-V1. I may be mistaken, but it seems to be providing accurate voltages that multimeters and PC software can detect, even when the computer is off, idle, or under heavy load. I don't know the amperage values, but the PC remains stable during stress tests with significant power usage. The issue might be something else.
They certainly don't last forever, but 12 years is quite a long time. It would be a real disappointment if it failed and caused damage to your motherboard or CPU.
I understand that a 12-year lifespan is excellent for a PSU, but I don't need one if the system is still functioning well. My Seagate Barracuda HDD failed this year, which was the only part I had to replace (after upgrading my RAM about 10 years ago). This might be because I haven't used the PC much since then, and a 12-year-old HDD should definitely be impressive.
RAM seems unlikely to be the main problem, as I've already replaced them—I had some unused but working RAMs tested with memtest, and they're different models. Turning off the DVD player doesn't affect the issue during normal startup.
get a suitable PSU tester
Amazon.co.uk
i would personally replace it—it's a duel rail PSU, and its real voltage combined on the 12 rail is only 360W. The rest on other voltages are for components like RAM/fans/hard drives. Over time, the PSU loses about 20 percent of its capacity, which means roughly 72 watts are lost every 5 years on the 12V rail. Other possibilities include a faulty capacitor on the board; check for bulging capacitors. I suspect the issue is that the PSU can't supply enough power indefinitely. Where are you from?