scary reviews say that an external power supply can damage a computer

[protain]

Eh? Why would you use spacers between the motherboard and case? You know that prevents the motherboard from grounding properly, right?

Maybe yotano211 meant the standoffs which stop any other parts of the mobo coming in contact with the case?

 

[TheLostSwede]

Maybe yotano211 meant the standoffs which stop any other parts of the mobo coming in contact with the case?

Right, but how do you mount the motherboard without them?
Also, some cases don't have them.

 

[micropage7]

This sure happened to me. I have built many many mining computers some years ago. I just upgraded my nephews desktop to something much better including a B550 motherboard, I fried the motherboard because I didnt put spacers between the motherboard and the case, so the mobo was fried. It was a $200 lesson.

yeah, that is the cost
but next you gonna build it better than before

Right, but how do you mount the motherboard without them?
Also, some cases don't have them.

maybe using longer screws and especially low end cases many has no standoffs, you just tight it into the bumps

 

[protain]

Right, but how do you mount the motherboard without them?
Also, some cases don't have them.

You can guarantee that if someone is going to do something wrong they'll find a way!!!
That's not an accusation that they did, just an observation on humanity

 

[TheLostSwede]

You can guarantee that if someone is going to do something wrong they'll find a way!!!
That's not an accusation that they did, just an observation on humanity

Sod's law, innit?

 

[Hattu]

You can guarantee that if someone is going to do something wrong they'll find a way!!!
That's not an accusation that they did, just an observation on humanity

Well, i'm some sort of electrician. As a hobby from age 12, i think. Then schools and actual work with electricity. Fixed trams for over 17 years. Using dataloggers and what not. Designed a few upgrades to replace old electronic devices or components. Some may say i'm a pro.

Then, about two years ago, i made new PSU cables for my MB and GPU, as the supplied ones were too short or too long. I carefully examined original cables and drawed the connections to paper. Obviously, it went wrong.

Nothing fried, but the GPU cable wires were connected wrong way. It wouldn't start at all. They made a short circuit. Lucky me. Such a pro.

 

[NoJuan999]

Maybe yotano211 meant the standoffs which stop any other parts of the mobo coming in contact with the case?

Exactly.
Letting the underside of the motherboard touch the case is a good way to short it out.
The only cases I have ever used that didn't require standoffs were OEM cases that had the standoffs (raised sections were the MB screws went) built in.
Like this one:

Motherboard Standoffs/Risers Help!?

Hey, sorry to bug you just I'm having an assembly issue right now, and idk who else to turn to but the geniuses of TPU :respect: So here's the thing, I have an AeroCool Jetmaster Jr. Case. and as you can see from the pictures below there are bumps in it. These bumps are where the risers...

www.techpowerup.com

 

[hurakura]

The internet also says that black computers are faster

 

[X71200]

Pretty sure there are PSUs still where you can plug the modular cables in the wrong way, but yeah, they change the plastic plug end order to prevent that from happening. There should be short circuit protections to prevent against such things happening, so I presume the SCP didn't work at the time.

As for building, always check stuff many times before boot. Little things can get in line, such as a tiny cable getting stuck in a fan after you turn the chassis around. The whole process can be tiring, so nearing the end you're more bound to human error.

 

[Athlonite]

Yeah, it shouldn't have been, but apparently it was. I won't be making that mistake again for sure.


Eh? Why would you use spacers between the motherboard and case? You know that prevents the motherboard from grounding properly, right?
I think something else went wrong in this case, as those spacers haven't been in use for like forever.

I think he means the stand offs that the mobo are screwed down to you know these little dohickeys

 

[yotano211]

yeah, that is the cost
but next you gonna build it better than before


maybe using longer screws and especially low end cases many has no standoffs, you just tight it into the bumps

Next time, i'll just get him a laptop. I know how to work on those.

Exactly.
Letting the underside of the motherboard touch the case is a good way to short it out.
The only cases I have ever used that didn't require standoffs were OEM cases that had the standoffs (raised sections were the MB screws went) built in.
Like this one:

Motherboard Standoffs/Risers Help!?

Hey, sorry to bug you just I'm having an assembly issue right now, and idk who else to turn to but the geniuses of TPU :respect: So here's the thing, I have an AeroCool Jetmaster Jr. Case. and as you can see from the pictures below there are bumps in it. These bumps are where the risers...

www.techpowerup.com

Maybe it was the stand offs. The forgot what the computer shop said.
When I built mining machines some years ago, it was all open air machines. I did not even build 1 with case, all open air.

 

[TheLostSwede]

I think he means the stand offs that the mobo are screwed down to you know these little dohickeys

Yeah, I know what those are...

What a lot of people still seems to use are these. Don't use those.

 

[Athlonite]

Oh hell no never use fiber washers that's just a silly idea

 

[user112]

it's not unusual for a PSU to take other parts with it when it dies. especially if your using a low-end PSU with no overvoltage protection during a thunderstorm.

 

[ArdWar]

Hold on! Let's resolve some of the confusion here.

What do you mean with external power supply?

If it's one (and ONLY one) power supply that's just placed outside of the case and wired normally to the boards/cards/whatever in the case then it should be fine. Just use standard normal PSU. However, don't forget to ground your case! Use something like this grounding cable (or crimp/jury rig your own cable) to connect your PSU case to your PC case. Most PSU have dedicated binding post for grounding wire. If there's none, use the mounting hole nearest the mains inlet as binding post.

If by external power supply you means there are two different power supply then NO! DO NOT PARALLEL TWO (OR MORE) POWER SUPPLY which aren't specifically designed for parallel operation (unless you know exactly what you're doing). Paralleling simply doesn't work with regulated power supply**. In worst case it can lead to instabilities for both PSU, and instead of adding up they will engage in current tug of war! There might be some situation where it's fine, like when the two power planes are never joined (for example, externally powering detached peripherals, using external VRM, etc.). But for most common applications, it simply not worth the hassle and potential catastrophe.

** yes, paralleling can be just fine if the two PSU have matched voltage output (by matched, I mean matched to the actual measured millivolts, not just "both are 12V" matched) and matched load impedance. Any slight imbalance in voltage output or load impedance (caused by cable size/length difference, or because the two are connected to different receptacles) will lead to one PSU taking significantly more load than the other and leave the other idling. Depends on how the two are regulated, they might be able to self-balance. For example, if both PSU can droop their output voltage by a couple hundreds of millivolts when heavily loaded, then the two will able to self balance. But don't rely on that behavior, because a PSU that droop its output voltage when heavily loaded would be considered as bad PSU by most PC consumer/reviewer. The worst case is when both PSU are actually very tightly regulated but slightly different, and neither "willing to backs down". There would be current flowing between the two PSU, only limited by their internal resistance and cable resistance...

 

[Concerned]

The second power supply will be outside the computer, six pin connection wire fed into it to connect to the top of the GEFORCE GTX 1650 Super graphics board. And i ordered https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0781SKPRZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 so not afraid of any surges from thunderstorms. I always turn off my computer when the weather gets bad also. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DTMXD83/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 is the power source I ordered after it was recommended by someone in this thread.

 

[micropage7]

Yeah, I know what those are...

What a lot of people still seems to use are these. Don't use those.

and that's why the devil is in the detail, coz of something small can ruin your expensive hardware

 

[kayjay010101]

The second power supply will be outside the computer, six pin connection wire fed into it to connect to the top of the GEFORCE GTX 1650 Super graphics board. And i ordered https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0781SKPRZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 so not afraid of any surges from thunderstorms. I always turn off my computer when the weather gets bad also. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DTMXD83/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 is the power source I ordered after it was recommended by someone in this thread.

Wait, wait, wait, second power supply? As has been mentioned, you need only one. Why are you using two?

 

[Concerned]

My graphics board doesn't have enough power to it from my Dell computer. I had this problem many years ago, and having a second power supply outside the computer to hook to the graphics card worked out fine.

 

[ArdWar]

My graphics board doesn't have enough power to it from my Dell computer. I had this problem many years ago, and having a second power supply outside the computer to hook to the graphics card worked out fine.

Well, now I know why the "scary reviews" are there. Heck, I'm amazed why there aren't more of them...

Well, if it works for you then... it works. Just keep the two PSU as far as possible from each other. For example, if a GPU had 2x6pin power connector, then connect both connector to the same PSU, do not split. Also make sure both PSU are turned on/off at the exact same moment. Most modern GPU put the 75W PCIe power to their own VRM section, or join the rail through sensing resistor and/or MOSFET switch, so I guess that's why the magic smoke didn't get released more often...

Personally, I still won't test my luck doing that tho...

I wonder if the Dell PSU is ATX compliant. If yes, then just replace the PSU altogether. Less hassle, less chance of magic smoke! probably better noise/efficiency/regulation too...

 

[R0H1T]

You don't need two, just get one decent one!

 

[TheLostSwede]

and that's why the devil is in the detail, coz of something small can ruin your expensive hardware

Like that screw you dropped and couldn't find...

 

[kayjay010101]

I would also advice OP to get a single, good PSU instead of two bad ones, but I'm pretty sure Dell uses proprietary 12VO for their prebuilts. If OP wanted to use a regular PSU for their entire system I'm pretty sure they'd have to swap out the mobo as well.
Also, the PSUs are typically proprietary sizes so ATX PSUs might not physically fit. Mobo is definitely proprietary so standoffs wouldn't line up to any regular mobo. So either modding is required, or a new case/mobo is required.
I can see why dual PSU is a more enticing option considering the money/hassle saved, although I'm personally uncomfortable taking the risks involved.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Well, now I know why the "scary reviews" are there. Heck, I'm amazed why there aren't more of them...

Well, if it works for you then... it works. Just keep the two PSU as far as possible from each other. For example, if a GPU had 2x6pin power connector, then connect both connector to the same PSU, do not split. Also make sure both PSU are turned on/off at the exact same moment. Most modern GPU put the 75W PCIe power to their own VRM section, or join the rail through sensing resistor and/or MOSFET switch, so I guess that's why the magic smoke didn't get released more often...

Personally, I still won't test my luck doing that tho...

I wonder if the Dell PSU is ATX compliant. If yes, then just replace the PSU altogether. Less hassle, less chance of magic smoke! probably better noise/efficiency/regulation too...

Dell PSUs are not following the ATX standard.

At one point in time, these were a thing.

Techware Labs - Reviews - FSP Group BoosterX 5 450W Plus GPU Power Suply

Techware Labs - Latest reviews of computer hardware, guides, and industry news.

www.techwarelabs.com

 

[Rei]

The second power supply will be outside the computer, six pin connection wire fed into it to connect to the top of the GEFORCE GTX 1650 Super graphics board. And i ordered https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0781SKPRZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 so not afraid of any surges from thunderstorms. I always turn off my computer when the weather gets bad also. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DTMXD83/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 is the power source I ordered after it was recommended by someone in this thread.

Why would you need to turn off your computer if you've got a surge protector or vice versa? If you've got a quality surge protector, then it'll get the job done. Better yet, get a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) with AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulation) which should also do a surge protector's job well.
While you could use two PSU but that is wildly redundant method if you have a quality PSU. Not only that, using two PSU would also cost more on units as well as electric bill.