Is this a PSU problem?

[zexmarquies01]

ok, about a week ago, my computer started acting weird...

I would just be browsing the forums, nothing that uses alot of power, or RAM, or HDD usage. And suddenly my monitor goes blank, tells me there's no video. and the PC locks up.

When this happens, it sounds like the fans in my PC suddenly get louder. like they are suddenly spinning faster.

I don't think its my video card. i'v been playing ALOT of games on it, running it pretty hard, and have yet to ever have a problem.

BUT, that video card is only like...2 weeks old i'd guess. its a 6800se. Which requires a 4 pin molex to be plugged into it. Unlike my old Video card, which didn't need the extra power.

So i unplug a couple extra fans i have ( that do nothing more than blow cool air onto the HDD's, and then suck that air out of the case. ). and since i unplugged them, i havn't had this problem happen to me since.

on motherboard monitor 5, its showing my +12 volt rail at running 11.67 to 11.80 volts.

is that voltage to low?

does this sound like a PSU problem? just wondering. since this doesn't seem like a HDD, RAM, or Motherboard problem. And i don't think its the video card itself. If anything, the new video card thats added to my system is drawing more power than the PSU can handle.

its an Orion, rated at 420 watts.

17 Amps on the +12 volt line, +36Amps on the +5 volt line.

I have 2 regular IDE HDD's installed, a SATA drive installed and a DVD/CD burner. DFI Lanparty B motherboard, 6800se video card, a 120mm fan on my SI-97 H/S.

I am no longer overclocking my processor or ram. My Video card is slightly overclocked. to 400/1000. with no volt mod.

If anyone needs any more information, i'll gladly reply in hopes of figuring this annoying problem out.

 

[Adragontattoo]

how old is your PSU, what size is your PSU, etc..

it sounds like you are overtaxing your PSU but without a reference of size and age I am not sure..

 

[zexmarquies01]

what do you mean by " size"? if by size, do you mean the wattage? If thats what you means, its a 420 watt PSU.

Its probably...2 years old. It came with this really sweet looking case i bought about 2 years ago ( sadly, i junked the case, because it was HORRIBLE for cooling ). But the PSU came with the case. so i know the PSU probably isn't the best one out there.

 

[Adragontattoo]

Umm replace that PSU, a brand new one from that company is 23.50USD. I am by no means a modding god but a 580w PSU for 23.50 and its not on sale??? The PSU you have now is quite possibly feather light due to really cheap parts in it.

I jsut picked up a Fortron AX500-A from Newegg for 84USD. Looking at your sig, you really out to pay for a good PSU instead using some PSU out of a case that you no longer have.

 

[Adragontattoo]

HEC used to make good power supplies, but now they make both good and bad, and this particular product is among the bad, as this picture of a 485W Orion indicates. Compared to other power supplies of comparable ratings, some of the components are unusually small: the high voltage filter capacitors (2 cylinders on right, can cause voltage to drop excessively under heavy load or during brownouts), the heatsink on the left (will cause its diodes to run hotter), and the donut coil to the left of it (runs hotter, could burn up the insulation on its wiring). And then there's the matter of the missing components in the lower left of the circuit board. They're for the EMI filter, and without it there will be a lot more interference on AM radio and lower broadcast TV channels. In comparison, look at this power supply and notice how there's definitely an EMI filter (green coils and blue things along the bottom), the other parts are bigger, and it's generally more crowded inside. Considering that this power supply is rated for just 300W, that should tell you just how cheaply made the 485W Orion is.

Spend $35-40 on a 350-400W Fortron-Source. It will be able to put out more actual power than the so-called 585W HEC Orion.

taken from http://www.fatwallet.com/t/18/585275

that answer your question?

 

[zexmarquies01]

yeah, i have always ment to replace this PSU. but i have never had any problems with it in the past. but i guess upgrading video cards is taxing the PSU quite a bit.

that will probalby be my next computer purchase.

But, does it still sound like my PSU's is being taxed to much? just wondering. wanting to make sure i know what the problem is, before i go dumping money into my pc.

nothing worse than spending money on a problem, come to find out that it was a different problem, and you just blew the money on a problem that you didn't fix.