If the regular Diablotek warranty has expired but you paid with a credit card, look into the card company's extended warranty. Mastercard won't cover it if the original warranty was for more than 1 year, but Visa and sometimes Discover extend 3-year manufacturer warranties, while American Express extends even 5-year warranties. Amex is really good for this, Visa seems to be almost as good, Mastercard is infamously bad, and I don't know about Discover. Some debit cards also provide extended coverage, but it seems to depend on the individual issuing bank.
It's normal for PSUs to make a slight visible and audible spark when plugged in, even when the rear power switch isn't turned on, because there are some RF interference filter capacitors wired across the AC lines -- a small one (little blue disk) from each of the two lines to ground, a larger one across both lines (yellow plastic boxy thing). The latter is big enough to require a resistor across it to discharge it when it's unplugged, but I don't see such a resistor in HardOCP's review of a 650W Diablotek (
link). The resistor is usually on the small circuit board attached to the AC socket, but I don't see it on the main circuit board, either. The lack of it could explain the big spark, but so could a shorted component, like a capacitor or diode in the high voltage section. And considering Diablotek quality, I wouldn't rule out sloppy soldering or the circuit board shorting to the case.
If you can't get warranty coverage from Diablotek or your card company, consider unplugging the AC cord overnight and then opening up the PSU to look for burnt or cracked components, but don't touch anything, not even the big heatsinks, because they may retain high voltage on them. If possible, post clear, well-lit photos for the experts here.
Wolfdawg said:
Fans spin for a second and then quit, no boot no post
unplugging the 4pin for the CPU makes the fans run and HDD and DVDD boot but no post of course.
POST has to complete successfully for the HDD or DVDD to boot, but if the HDD and DVDD spin and the DVDD's tray opens or closes when you press the button, then the PSU is putting out fairly decent +5V and +12V. That leaves the +3.3V in question, and I think it has to be tested with a voltage meter, something those digital ones from Harbor Freight can do well (normally $7, but often $3 w/ coupon). OTOH if the PSU shuts down fast with the 4-pin CPU power socket connected, then there may be a short in the voltage regulator feeding the CPU, maybe because the regulator has a blown MOSFET and capacitor. Amazingly, the CPU usually survives that.
I'm not sure I'd trust a Diablotek PSU with anything valuable because it doesn't seem to have UL or CSA approval, which is a really bad sign, and HardOCP's review of the 650W model showed it couldn't even put out 75% of its rated power, at least not for more than a minute.
