Does a Power Supply go all out at once?

Does a power supply go out all at once or gradually? Fans start up but no video

Either, depends how it fails. There are parts that can fail catastrophically, and there are parts that can fail causing moderately irregular current.

You want to strip the system down to most basic components required to post, and see if you can get a post out of it.

If you think its the power supply, you could test the rails but not everone has the tools for that.

either or...

No Post

I.M.O.G. said:

Either, depends how it fails. There are parts that can fail catastrophically, and there are parts that can fail causing moderately irregular current.

You want to strip the system down to most basic components required to post, and see if you can get a post out of it.

If you think its the power supply, you could test the rails but not everone has the tools for that.

Click to expand...

The fans come and the HD comes on the cooler fan for the CPU comes on but no video.

I have stripped the system down to the basics still no video.

scornduffer said:

The fans come and the HD comes on the cooler fan for the CPU comes on but no video.

I have stripped the system down to the basics still no video.

Click to expand...

Any lights on the keyboard? Monitor?

Get a meter and start probing. If the reading is more than 5% off spec, the PSU is probably toast. You should check 3.3v, 5v, and 12v.

Next I'd reseat all power cables, data cables, RAM, video card, and monitor cable. Yes check the monitor cable, a loose cable can look like something died.

If the voltages is very close to normal and you don't see number fluctuating, and reseating everything doesn't help, it could be something else. That would leave the possibility of bad mobo, bad CPU, and bad video card. Can you hear any error beeps (if speaker is plugged in on mobo)?

I would suggest you get a POST diagnostic card to read the number and see if it reaches all the way to FF for normal boot or if it stops somewhere indicating hardware problem.

If it is a stock power supply I.E. it came with the case and or computer, it's probably junk especaily if it is an E-machines unit.
I recently replaced the mobo on an Emachines because the power supply didn't have enough juice to run it..the spec's for the mobo says 350watt supply needed, but the Emachines unit only had a 300watt supply so both mobo and supply were taxed to the limit and both failed, badly.
The power supply is the 1st thing I suspect, and the 1st thing I replace, as most stock units barely have the power to start the system, let alone having any stability.
IMHO, as far as power suplies go, overkill is not overkill.
The only reason I went with a 700 watt supply for my rig is I couldn't afford anything bigger.

Some PSU will go out at once. Powmax did have a tendency to go POW to the MAX, and before Newegg removed Jpac 500w PSU, there were quite a number of report of them going up in smoke and flame.

Cheap PSU with fruity or animal-y names can also blow up or start a fire when you least expect it.