Power Supply problem

[bradhig]

Recently my machine just started dying on me. I know power management is turned off. When the machine dies I can't restart it for several minutes and the Power supply in the back feels hot. Any ideas.

[Jay Snellen]

Sounds like a bad fan somewhere in the system that is causing it to overheat. It's probably either a bad power supply fan, which would cause the power supply itself to overheat, or a bad CPU fan, which would cause the power supply to get hot because of all the excess heat inside the case that the power supply is trying to dissipate. What I would do is open up the computer and switch it on, then watch both fans to see if any one of them is failing. The CPU fan should be easy to replace, but if it's the power supply fan, I'd recommend just replacing the power supply. Most modern power supplies don't have user-replaceable fans (unless you have a soldering kit), and the high voltages inside the power supply even when it's switched off make it very dangerous to service anyway.

Hope that helps.

[bradhig]

I opened it up and cleaned the dust out of the machine and put the vacum on the power supply vent. It seems to be working fine now , the case is still open.

[Jay Snellen]

Glad to hear it's working! Sometimes blowing out the dust is enough to clean out the fans, but other times (if there is too much dust or if the fan has actually melted from the heat) it's necessary to replace it. In either case, cleaning out the inside of the PC is usually a good idea; I try do do mine about once every six months.

[bradhig]

A few hours after I put the case back on it shut down. I think the PS overheats with the case on but I am not sure.

[Anonymous]

Does your case include mounts for ventilation fans? That might help.

[bradhig]

Not that I can see.

[Jay Snellen]

If the machine works with the cover off but not on, it's almost certainly a ventilation issue. At this point I would leave the case off and watch the interior of the PC as it runs, and if any of the fans (power supply or CPU) stop running at any time as damaged or worn-out fans tend to do, you've pinpointed the problem. I would also recommend picking up a new CPU fan whether the old one seems to be working or not, since dust can sometimes cause a fan to run too slowly. What type of CPU does your machine use?

[bradhig]

My cpu is a Celeron 700. I cleaned some dust off the fan and heat sink but there still is some there. THe power supply fan has been making a lot of noise.

[bradhig]

I cleaned the fan in the power supply and it feels warm to me. THe fan stopped making noise awhile back but the heat concerns me.

[Shane R. Monroe]

Power supplies will feel warm. That's normal. As long as the intended ventilation is flowing, its probably operating at normal parameters.