The PC fails to power on?
The PC fails to power on?
Higher quality ATX power supplies often include a power relay at the AC line input (120V or 230V connection) to skip around a Negative Temperature Coefficient thermistor, which helps lower the initial current surge. This mechanism activates after a short delay, enhancing PSU performance and reducing unnecessary heat in the NTC thermistor. It contributes an additional 0.5% to the overall efficiency score. Every small improvement aids in combating global warming!
What you might hear is a slight click from the relay shortly after the PSU powers up. You'll also notice the same sound when shutting down the unit, though the pause may be longer (10 to 30 seconds) as the capacitor slowly discharges until the relay turns off.
The diagram below illustrates the bypass relay (black) and the NTC thermistor (green disc).
I don’t worry too much about waiting two months for a Gold-rated PSU. While some insist on purchasing the highest quality unit, the Bronze models in your selection are reasonably priced and average in performance, unlike the cheapest units that cost around IR 2000, lack active power factor correction, and aren’t guaranteed to run continuously at 100V to 240V AC.
The decision comes down to choosing between a Bronze PSU with a 5-year warranty or waiting two months for a Gold-rated one with a 10-year warranty. You could opt for two Bronze units every five years or one Gold unit (hoping it lasts ten years) for the same cost. Gold remains the superior choice, but the final decision is yours and your budget.
As previously noted, dimmer LEDs may stem from a weak +12V rail. If you can’t find a good-quality PSU to replace it, I’d likely choose a Bronze unit now—especially if your PSU tester indicates a low +12V rail on the existing unit.
Unfortunately, I can’t exclude the chance that a fault in the CPU (which relies on the +12V rail) or the RX Vega 64 GPU could be causing the issue. A serious malfunction in either part might reduce the voltage supply, though the PSU’s overcurrent protection may activate to prevent damage.
It has been suggested you try borrowing components and swapping them out until the problem is resolved or you decide to move on.
Recommended replacement steps:
1) PSU
2) GPU – any inexpensive PCIe graphics card will suffice temporarily
3) RAM – easily replaceable with compatible options
4) CPU – no need for another 3700X (see note)
5) Motherboard – only as a last resort
Note: The MSI website lists 100 compatible processors for the B450. If you can borrow any CPU from the list that matches your BIOS version, it will indicate if your 3700X is faulty. If another CPU doesn’t work, consider changing the motherboard.
https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B450-GAM...upport#cpu
Thanks for the clarification on the tick/ting sound. I've placed an order for the Cooler Master MWE 750 Bronze V2. It appears on the cult list as a Tier B Mid-Range model according to the cultist rankings.
I run Linux and my main activities involve coding, programming, browsing, searching, and watching YouTube videos in 1080p and 4K resolutions. I don’t play much gaming. If the GPU fails, do you think these GPUs would be suitable for my tasks?
Here are the links to the products I’m considering:
- https://www.amazon.in/FRONTECH-Graphics-...B0CPYL3H9D
- https://www.amazon.in/GIGABYTE-GeForce-d...B01IEO05NU
- https://www.amazon.in/MSI-GeForce-ddr3_s...B09TZZHTTL
I prefer AMD because of better driver support on Linux, but I haven’t found the lower-end models there.
MOBO has a wide selection for CPU options. Thanks for the link. If I need a new CPU, I’d consider a Ryzen 5 5600. However, I think the PSU might be the issue. I’ll keep an eye on when the Cooler Master product arrives.
I truly wish your 8GB Radeon RX Vega 64 remains intact, as it seems to be a significantly more capable unit compared to the GT 710, GT 730, and GT 740.
Visiting a GPU comparison platform will reveal the distinctions clearly. The referenced page highlights the Radeon Vega 64 as "incredibly faster" than the previous GT 630 model.
https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nv...2582vs3933
Thank you for your budget considerations; you'll likely observe a substantial performance decrease if you upgrade to a GT 700-series chip, particularly when using applications that rely on Open CL or Open GL. Furthermore, you’ll be reducing your memory capacity from 8GB on the Vega down to 4GB or even 2GB on the 700-series models. This change could pose challenges depending on your needs.
I’m uncertain whether the 700-series cards are compatible with the 4K H.265 HEVC codec. During testing, I played holiday 4K GoPro footage from Shimshal Valley on a friend’s system equipped with an older GT 630. The GPU remained idle while all four cores of his Phenom 965 operated at full capacity. The GT 630 lacked the required H.265 decoding hardware or driver support, leaving the workload to the CPU.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sCuNgqSBXg
Note: I tested this on an open-top Willis Jeep rather than a bike, so the footage isn’t mine. It was still entertaining to watch!
I own several 2GB GT630/710 units in older systems that offer basic Windows 10 support (though you’re using Linux). For any models beyond that, drivers for Windows 10 are unavailable.
I decided to purchase a second-hand 8GB RX 580 on eBay for the cost of an IR 6000, to evaluate video editing tools on an older machine. Luckily, it arrived securely packaged and in an anti-static bag. The card performed well and passed several Furmark stress tests.
https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nv...2582vs3923
Regarding your local second-hand market, there’s a risk of acquiring a heavily overclocked or even a Bitcoin mining card—though it’s one option for getting a faster unit at a similar price to a new 700.
I recently assembled a new PC for my mother two years ago, equipped with a 5600X. It’s a solid choice; the performance gap between this model and the 5600 is minimal, and it’s likely more affordable depending on your location.
Best of luck when the new power supply arrives. May it resolve any lingering issues.
I received the Cooler Master MWE 750 Bronze V2 and MOBO, which lit up immediately when I pressed the button. The PSU was dead, which was good, but it wasn’t so great since it wouldn’t POST and there was no speaker beep either. The monitor showed no display. Here’s what I observed:
The MOBO had four LEDs: CPU, DRAM, VGA, and BOOT. According to the manual, if any LED turns red, it indicates a failure or detection issue. The BOOT LED was always glowing red during booting. I looked up instructions and cleared the CMOS as directed (shortening some pins on the MOBO). After that, the machine started booting normally and the graphics card fans were running. The monitor still reported no display.
The Vega RX64 has two display ports; I tried the second one too but it didn’t work. Sometimes, the BOOT LED glows red about once every ten times, except for nine out of ten times when everything was fine. I removed the MOBO from the case and placed it on cardboard to ensure it wasn’t touching the case, but the problem persisted. I searched online and found many people with similar issues. I tried various solutions like removing the reset switch from the MOBO pins, checking if the CPU had power, verifying that the graphics card’s power slots had power from two PCIe power connectors, but nothing worked.
Now I have a functioning machine but still no display. How can I figure out what’s wrong?
Solving Problems When a PC Fails to Power On: Checking PSU, Board, or Chipset Issues
Fixing a Non-Boot PC: Examining Power Supply, Motherboard, or Processor Problems
It mentions that if your PC fails to start or produces unusual sounds such as clicking, the power supply unit could be faulty.
Your recently purchased PSU emits a clicking noise similar to a dead one, yet another model activates properly.
The issue has been addressed. I followed the guidance from a previous discussion: https://forums.