Short circuiting
Short circuiting
I experienced a problem where my fans failed to spin or light up despite the PC booting normally. Previously it worked with a standard outlet, but after moving the PC into the living room and using a power strip, the fans stopped working. I used a Thermaltake Commander fan hub with a display, which had a missing pin on its 6-pin adapter. After troubleshooting, I connected the hub to a SATA port on the PSU, but a burning smell appeared, and the system failed to boot. When I replaced the RAM, it didn’t help. Someone, could you suggest other components that might have shorted out?
You likely disrupted the power source. The intense burning odor suggests a component failure—possibly a chip or overheating part inside the power supply. A Molex 6-pin adapter can be missing a pin; its wires are intended for 5V, ground, and 12V, while fans only draw 12V. Often, adapters designed for Molex connectors omit the 5V wire. It’s best to test each part individually. Unplug the power supply completely. Use a metal clip or wire to simulate a connection between the PS_ON pin and any COM/GROUND pin, forcing the PSU to activate. You should hear the fans spin (unless overheating prevents it). With a multimeter, check the outputs for voltage. If the PSU functions, remove the motherboard, inspect visually for damage or smoke, disconnect panel cables, take out the video card, and clear any potential interference. Keep only the CPU, cooler, and RAM connected—plug in the CPU power cable and 24-pin connector. Connect the front panel header to the ON pin with a flathead screwdriver, or link the case’s power button to that header. Observe if LEDs illuminate or the CPU fan starts. If you have a small speaker, connect it to the header to hear beeps. If the fan spins and you hear a beep through the speaker, the board likely works. Add the video card and repeat. If it fails, check SATA cables, front panel header, or audio connections—see where the issue lies.