Bad psu ruined motherboard?

[maxfly]

Your Corsair was a far superior unit to the thermaltake psu. It would also be wise to switch back to the stock Corsair cables. There's a good chance your cable mods are damaged.

 

[Lei]

Is there any way I can look at the components and tell if they are bad lol

you can check if your PSU is fine by doing this:

works on every psu.
I tested with rm650x, just connect pin 3 and 4.

 

[AM4isGOD]

you can check if your PSU is fine by doing this:

works on every psu.
I tested with rm650x, just connect pin 3 and 4.

3-G 4-PS/on 5-G So 3/4 or 4/5 will work fine.

 

[Lei]

I turned on the PSU and hit the power button and heard a pop and then the lights went out on the PC. I tried to turn it on again and the lights flickered off and then nothing.

You definitely damaged more than just the PSU. your ThermalTake might still be fully functional though.

I tried the old psu and nothing as well, I am writing here looking for reassurance moreless.

did you hear a pop again here. Probably your Corsair is fine and will pass the paperclip test.

Hey guys I have already ordered another psu and a motherboard before posting here but just wanted some clarity..

you should have asked us first.

 

[Bill_Bright]

See? this is why regular non-modular squid PSUs are better.

Well I don't know about "better" but it sure demonstrates the big problem/complaint with modular PSUs. Sadly, there is no industry standard for the PSU end of modular cables. This means they are NOT interchangeable with other PSUs. To make matters even worse, even within the same brand of PSUs, they are not interchangeable. This is because PSU brands often use different OEM suppliers.

Of course the component ends are standardized but that is of little help.

you can check if your PSU is fine by doing this:

Not really. All the paper clip method does is verify if the PSU will power up (come out of standby) or not. It does not verify all 3 of the main voltages (+3.3VDC, +5VDC and +12VDC) are present. It does not verify if the voltages are within the allowed tolerances. It places no load on the supply nor does it test for power anomalies either. The paper clip method is great to power up a PSU to test fans, RGB lighting and hard drive motors, but that's about it.

The only true, conclusive way for "normal" users to test a PSU is to swap in a known good one (swapping cables too) to see what happens.

Multimeters typically are not good enough either. The problem with using a multimeter to conclusively test a PSU is testing must be done with the power supply put under a variety of realistic loads. This is a challenge even for pros. Also, most meters cannot test for ripple and other anomalies that affect computer stability. So "conclusive" testing is done by a qualified technician using an oscilloscope or a dedicated power supply “analyzer” - sophisticated (and expensive!) electronic test equipment requiring special training to operate, and a basic knowledge of electronics theory to understand the results. Therefore, conclusively testing a power supply is done in properly equipped electronics repair facilities.

While also not ideal, I keep a PSU Tester in the tool bag in my truck for house calls. The advantage of a tester over a multimeter is it at least has a small, internal "dummy" load, while a multimeter has none. The advantage of this type tester is that it has a LCD readout of the voltages. With an actual voltage readout, you have a better chance of detecting a "failing" PSU, or one barely within (or not) the allowed ±5% tolerances (at least with the tester’s internal load).

Acceptable Tolerances:

12VDC ±5% = 11.4 to 12.6VDC​

5VDC ±5% = 4.75 to 5.25VDC​

3.3VDC ±5% = 3.14 to 3.47VDC​

However, none of these testers test for ripple either and they only provide one small load, not a variety of "realistic" loads. So while better than nothing, using one of these testers is not a conclusive test either. They can certainly tell you if a PSU is bad when a voltage is absent or way out of tolerance. But they cannot conclusively tell you if a PSU is good. So, again, for the normal user (and many pros too), swapping in a known good spare is typically the best, and often only conclusive test.

 

[Lei]

@Bill_Bright
Thanks for the info

I think based on his scenario, the corsair psu can be just fine.
And if nothing happened (no pop in the psu), then if the psu fan doesn't turn at all either, we can say the motherboard is surely dead at least.

 

[Bill_Bright]

I think based on his scenario, the corsair psu can be just fine.

Since everything inside the computer case depends on good, clean, stable power, I personally never assume power is good.

 

[Lei]

Since everything inside the computer case depends on good, clean, stable power, I personally never assume power is good.

See, the psu was working in a healthy machine.
Then it was swapped for another psu. And disaster...
Put the first psu back, nothing happens.

It's like you're connecting the psu, but as if it is not getting connected to anything.
So I think the first psu is left without damage.

 

[AM4isGOD]

You need a known working setup to test each part in, CPU, GPU, Ram, then keep the working parts. To test the motherboard, a known working PSU and tested working CPU and Ram.

 

[R0H1T]

Ok, just to complete the circle you could also try the 850x with Thermaltake cables!

Spoiler

Bummer, what was the reason for swapping out the RM850X? It was likely a better psu.

It was definitely better. Though I guess age could've been a factor.

You could also try something like this ~

https://www.amazon.com/Computer-PC-Tester-Connectors-Enclosure/dp/B076CLNPPK

I've never really needed them but it could come in handy, just be sure to check for reviews & alternatives before buying.

 

[caroline!]

To add furthermore I did have cable mod cables hooked up to the cables that go into the psu. Wouldn't that have saved my components kind of absorbing the shock?

No that's not how electricity works, even worse if it was cablemod alloy crap, they don't even use copper and dare to ask +$100 for a kit, ROFL

I can't stretch this enough: please use the cables included with the PSU, avoid extensions, third party cables (unless properly done by yourself?) or adapters. It goes for everyone.

 

[dirtymike]

@Bill_Bright
Thanks for the info

I think based on his scenario, the corsair psu can be just fine.
And if nothing happened (no pop in the psu), then if the psu fan doesn't turn at all either, we can say the motherboard is surely dead at least.

There was a pop I just dont know where it came from. The old psu does work.

 

[maxfly]

There was a pop I just dont know where it came from. The old psu does work.

How old is your rx850? It's a really high quality psu and if it isn't terribly old you can probably reuse it.

 

[TheLostSwede]

To make you feel a little bit better, I did something similar. I plugged in the SATA power cables into the PCIe holes on the PSU somehow, as the connectors were poorly keyed and fried two hard drives and two SSDs a few years ago...
The cables weren't even from a different PSU.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
The pin jumper all evga power supplies come with one in the box
They power sata and molex ports on the psu
We use them to power pumps which are either sata or molex powered so we can leak test on water cool systems.
Nothing else is powered up on the psu though.

 

[dirtymike]

Never Mobo and Psu arrived the mother board has a light that will dim out after awhile. But nothing is happening otherwise, my loss i guess.

 

[AM4isGOD]

Never Mobo and Psu arrived the mother board has a light that will dim out after awhile. But nothing is happening otherwise, my loss i guess.

Balls, guess it took out the CPU too? and ram?

 

[MarsM4N]

I didnt actually.. Man and I did not think that could be an issue lol

Lots of LOL's from someone who grilled his $1.100 rig. Has to be rich, lol.
But hey, it could be a lot worse.

Still amazing that the PSU connectors aren't standardized. There has to be loads of folks turning their rigs into toasters because such oversight.

 

[Mussels]

I didnt actually.. Man and I did not think that could be an issue lol

Oh no
Yeah, cables must be the originals. You can't mix and match.


Usually just one component will go boom, it's because the voltages can be mixed around - you can get 12V and -12V where it expects 5V and ground, and suddenly you're putting 24V through a 5V component

You'll have to test parts one by one with known good parts, but just remember a single initial test isn't final - dont go smashing a motherboard or CPU into pieces before you've tested each part seperately, as you may have more than one faulty part or even seperate issues (Ex: new motherboard might not like your RAM without a BIOS update, or a dirty contact on CPU, etc)

 

[MarsM4N]

You'll have to test parts one by one with known good parts, but just remember a single initial test isn't final - dont go smashing a motherboard or CPU into pieces before you've tested each part seperately, as you may have more than one faulty part or even seperate issues (Ex: new motherboard might not like your RAM without a BIOS update, or a dirty contact on CPU, etc)

Isn't there a risk of damaging the new parts when testing out the old broken parts?

I would just dump the old parts on eBay as "possible broken" & call it a day.

 

[AM4isGOD]

Never Mobo and Psu arrived the mother board has a light that will dim out after awhile. But nothing is happening otherwise, my loss i guess.

Seems he tested the CPU and ram? with a new motherboard and PSU, and still no post, so i would assume the ram and CPU are toast. As MarsM4n said ebay as possibly broken.

 

[theFOoL]

I'm going go out and ask... Why no one Asked if it's the PSU. Sounds like it

 

[The King]

I'm going go out and ask... Why no one Asked if it's the PSU. Sounds like it

What I have read from glancing through this thread is that the OP used Corsair cables on a Thermaltake PSU and fried his mobo possibily his CPU and everything else.

So that is not the PSU fault, if this is what happend.

 

[Mussels]

Isn't there a risk of damaging the new parts when testing out the old broken parts?

I would just dump the old parts on eBay as "possible broken" & call it a day.

Outside of the PSU, not really
Every part has so many safety features that it's extremely unlikely.

Burned traces or blown capacitors cant send power any more, so they cant do any damage

 

[Bill_Bright]

I agree. Yes, there is always a risk a faulty component takes out anything new you connect to it. But after the original fault occurs, the risk of further damage is minimal.

It should be noted that most often, when traces burn or components fail, they "open" - that is, there is a physical break or gap in the conducting materials. So like unplugging the power cord from the wall, or flipping a light switch to off, no more current flows and no further damage can occur.

"IF" collateral damage occurs, It is typically during the initial moments the original fault develops. This is often when a "short" (a sudden and dramatic drop in resistance) develops. Ohm's Law dictates when the voltage is constant and resistance goes down, current increase. It is that sudden increase in current that causes excessive heat that then burns (or blows) "open" the device or circuit.

Clear as mud, huh?