11 replies to this topic

[Nvyseal]

Just a heads up on what could happen to you.

The evening was late. I had just gone to bed when i heard a strange noise in the house. It actually sounded like my air conditioner kicking on, or a surge of electricity. I laid in bed wondering if i should get up and check out what was going on, finally i did get up and started going through the house. I noticed a flicker of light coming from my computer room, not the usual steady lights i normally see from the fans entering the room i defenitely see flames from the back of one of my systems a pop was heard from my surge protector i turned on the lights only to be greeted by lots of smoke.

The fire was contained in the PSU box, the cord leading to the PSU had burned badly. Luckily nothing else caught fire inside or outside the computer. When the PSU blew, i shut power to the rest of the system, so nothing else fried from a surge of electricity.

Anyways, keep an eye on your systems, and if your one of those 24/7 guys please keep an eye open all the time. I had just used this system an hour before it blew, and it gave me no indication of a power supply going bad.

[m.oreilly]

i wonder if there was a flaw in the power cord dave, as there are less insulated leads inside the psu, which when shorted, would have made the smoke/flames and vaporized the contact areas. weird how an insulated cable outside the unit would have taken a hit like that...

[WFO]

It could have been an anomaly. S__T happens. Cheap PSU? It looks more like a faulty cord from the pics. Still...double smoke detectors in the computer room. Good catch!

[Camaro]

that makes a great argument for not getting a cheap psu?
Also get one thats rated higher then you will use, lessens the chance of overloading an catching fire.

[m.oreilly]

Camaro, on Jan 3 2007, 07:30 PM, said:

that makes a great argument for not getting a cheap psu?
Also get one thats rated higher then you will use, lessens the chance of overloading an catching fire.

[WFO]

Camaro, on Jan 3 2007, 07:30 PM, said:

that makes a great argument for not getting a cheap psu?
Also get one thats rated higher then you will use, lessens the chance of overloading an catching fire.

Agreed except he still hasn't said which PSU it was did he? Do we know if it's a cheap one yet.

[m.oreilly]

WFO, on Jan 3 2007, 08:14 PM, said:

Agreed except he still hasn't said which PSU it was did he? Do we know if it's a cheap one yet.

he said it was some unit he picked up at compusa (nvy can be somewhat, um, "thrifty"... )

[Nvyseal]

FSP Group?, its about 3 years old 430 watt. I think i paid around 70 bucks twin fans lots of hookups, no lights

[m.oreilly]

that is a good psu...hummm

fortron, and i believe antech are the badged models of yours. i toasted my 430 antech, but no fire and smoke,
just a whimper...

[banj0]

Maybe I'm missing something here but his PSU actually had flames coming out of it (lol) and no damage to the components. Sds like it did its job to me! My cheapo on the internet box took out my mobo when it blew a while back.

[Sphere]

Same here when my PSU blew, after it, the system worked fine, but mine didn't just blow, it spitted fire out of the 12V M/B connector (which I didn't use then)

But well, for some reason, the motherboard can survive such a thing...

Advise:
Get a decent 600+ PSU!