i rebooted my PC a few minutes ago, and got the blue screen of death.
thinking it was nothing, i rebooted. and the computer didn't come
back on. i opened up the case, and i swear some steam almost came
out, like an old car. the CPU/heatsink was warm to touch, but the
power supply was HOT. i could feel the heat leaning over my
computer.
it's never done this before, so naturally i'm feeling a little
surprised. what could cause a power supply to get so hot?
Is the fan in the power supply running when you power on? If this has failed
then the power supply would overheat.
Robert
<cbenkendorf@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1186891498.794120.97960@x40g2000prg.googlegro ups.com...
> hi all,
>
> i rebooted my PC a few minutes ago, and got the blue screen of death.
> thinking it was nothing, i rebooted. and the computer didn't come
> back on. i opened up the case, and i swear some steam almost came
> out, like an old car. the CPU/heatsink was warm to touch, but the
> power supply was HOT. i could feel the heat leaning over my
> computer.
>
> it's never done this before, so naturally i'm feeling a little
> surprised. what could cause a power supply to get so hot?
>
On Aug 11, 11:06 pm, "Robert McMillan" <rmcmil...@bigpond.com> wrote:
> Is the fan in the power supply running when you power on? If this has failed
> then the power supply would overheat.
>
> Robert
>
> <cbenkend...@gmail.com> wrote in message
wish i could tell you...computer wont turn on now, even after i've let
it cool off for 10 minutes or so. maybe it's fried? if it did,
that's weird that it would happen to die at start-up, instead of while
i was using it, unless computers get a huge power surge at start up...
i looked at it, and i don't smell burning, or like anything "fried".
> news:1186891498.794120.97960@x40g2000prg.googlegro ups.com...
>
> > hi all,
>
> > i rebooted my PC a few minutes ago, and got the blue screen of death.
> > thinking it was nothing, i rebooted. and the computer didn't come
> > back on. i opened up the case, and i swear some steam almost came
> > out, like an old car. the CPU/heatsink was warm to touch, but the
> > power supply was HOT. i could feel the heat leaning over my
> > computer.
>
> > it's never done this before, so naturally i'm feeling a little
> > surprised. what could cause a power supply to get so hot?
On Aug 12, 12:04 am, cbenkend...@gmail.com wrote:
> ...
> it's never done this before, so naturally i'm feeling a little
> surprised. what could cause a power supply to get so hot?
Numerous things - most of them inside the supply. Based upon what
was posted, few can post anything useful. First thing required for
better replies is the voltage on purple wire from power supply to
motherboard - the number from a 3.5 digit multimeter. That voltage
must exist even when computer is not running.
> it's never done this before, so naturally i'm feeling a little
> surprised. what could cause a power supply to get so hot?
Fan failure, serious overloading (although the fan should be able to cool
the power supply sufficiently even at full load) or a component that is
getting too hot and has significant surface area to release heat. Fan
failure is the most likely cause. These fans are by far and away the least
reliable item in almost any computer.
You'll probably find the fan is stuck (try turning it through the grille
with a wooden dowel or similar object) and that the supply has failed from
the overheating. The computer could still be OK. Please post back with a
model number if you want to repair it--some Dell systems have used standard
power supplies. Others did not and you could be in for a nasty surprise if
you have one that doesn't and attach a standard off-the-shelf supply to it.
you are correct William, the fan is stuck! The only thing I found for
a model number was CN-0F4284-71615-46E-IC0E...hm, but that's a little
long isn't it. there's a another one, REV A00.
so what causes the fan to stick? do the bearings melt?
On Aug 12, 1:03 am, "William R. Walsh"
<newsgrou...@idontwantjunqueemail.walshcomptech.co m> wrote:
> Hi!
>
> > it's never done this before, so naturally i'm feeling a little
> > surprised. what could cause a power supply to get so hot?
>
> Fan failure, serious overloading (although the fan should be able to cool
> the power supply sufficiently even at full load) or a component that is
> getting too hot and has significant surface area to release heat. Fan
> failure is the most likely cause. These fans are by far and away the least
> reliable item in almost any computer.
>
> You'll probably find the fan is stuck (try turning it through the grille
> with a wooden dowel or similar object) and that the supply has failed from
> the overheating. The computer could still be OK. Please post back with a
> model number if you want to repair it--some Dell systems have used standard
> power supplies. Others did not and you could be in for a nasty surprise if
> you have one that doesn't and attach a standard off-the-shelf supply to it.
>
> William
For the job they do, the electronics in a power supply are very reliable.
They can run for years--finding ones that still work after 10 or even 20
years is not too uncommon. The fans are another story.
I was actually thinking of the model of your computer instead of the power
supply...like maybe a Dimension L550r, 2100, 8300, or something along those
lines. With that, someone here should be able to tell you if you can get an
inexpensive generic power supply or if you'll have to find a Dell supply. At
this point, replacement is probably the best and safest option. The old
power supply may still work now that it has cooled down, but its components
have been heavily stressed by the heat buildup. That could lead to a violent
failure later on that damages your hardware.
> so what causes the fan to stick? do the bearings melt?
The bearings in most of those motors are cheap sleeve bearings, and they
aren't lubricated all that well. Over time, the oil wears away due to heat
and friction. When that happens, the fan may start to grumble or make
strange noises. It gets worse before it goes away entirely. That's about the
time the fan has stopped.
If caught in time, you might be able to fix the fan by taking it out and
putting some good oil into the bearings. I've saved more than one fan that
way, and nearly all of them have gone on to recover perfectly. Watch and
listen to your computer fans every now and then...if you find one that's
starting to have trouble, you can fix or replace it before it conks out.
Most computer fans have labels covering the bearings and some of them have a
removable rubber plug that must also come out. When you get in there, a few
drops of light machine or motor oil will usually do wonders. Run the fan
blades with your fingers to work the oil in before putting things back
together. Oh, and do be careful if you're working on a fan in a power
supply. A power supply that's been unplugged for more than a few minutes is
generally safe to work on...but don't work on one that is plugged in. If
you're worried, let the power supply sit unplugged (and installed in the
computer) overnight. Clean the fans regularly as well.
A interesting fact is that these fans don't have to be unreliable. I collect
and use IBM Personal System/2 computer systems. Some of them were built ~20
years ago. Not a one has ever lost a fan or needed service in that
department...so it can be done.
I see that you mentioned the system doesn't turn on at this point. It's very
likely that the heat buildup in the power supply simply overstressed one of
its components to the point of failure or blew its internal fuse. If you
want to see the damage, you may be able to find it by looking inside.
Some power supplies do have thermal cutouts if things get too hot. Some are
self-resetting and others must be replaced. Other supplies just die or blow
up spectacularly (and may take computer parts with them). Since your supply
just shut down and didn't give off any spectacular signs of failure, your
computer is probably still fine. New power supplies are generally
inexpensive...they cost about $30-$70 or so depending upon what you need.
It's not likely to be worthwhile to fix the old one unless the failure is
very obvious and you have a means of testing it outside of the computer. For
an overheated supply, I wouldn't bother. Too much damage could be lurking in
the shadows.
Yeah, I've been computing for 10+ years, and have heard of a lot of
things failing in a computer, but never the power supply (or its fan),
but i'm glad that's what went wrong...seems it's one of the least
intrusive things, like breaking a finger versus breaking an arm (or
back!).
My dell is 8400 Dimension, bought in mid 2004.
On Aug 12, 4:12 am, "William R. Walsh"
<newsgrou...@idontwantjunqueemail.walshcomptech.co m> wrote:
> I see that you mentioned the system doesn't turn on at this point. It's very
> likely that the heat buildup in the power supply simply overstressed one of
> its components to the point of failure or blew its internal fuse. If you
> want to see the damage, you may be able to find it by looking inside.
>
> Some power supplies do have thermal cutouts if things get too hot. Some are
> self-resetting and others must be replaced. Other supplies just die or blow
> up spectacularly (and may take computer parts with them). Since your supply
> just shut down and didn't give off any spectacular signs of failure, your
> computer is probably still fine. New power supplies are generally
> inexpensive...they cost about $30-$70 or so depending upon what you need.
> It's not likely to be worthwhile to fix the old one unless the failure is
> very obvious and you have a means of testing it outside of the computer. For
> an overheated supply, I wouldn't bother. Too much damage could be lurking in
> the shadows.
>
> William
FYI, that's a 350w power supply, and the replacement need not be Dell-branded.
But make sure it is of good quality, like Antec or PC Power & Cooling.
A fan will stick mostly due to accumulated dust and dirt, which cause the
bearings to bind and/or wear out. The bearing migh melt only under severe
termperatures inside the power supply... Ben Myers
>you are correct William, the fan is stuck! The only thing I found for
>a model number was CN-0F4284-71615-46E-IC0E...hm, but that's a little
>long isn't it. there's a another one, REV A00.
>
>so what causes the fan to stick? do the bearings melt?
>
>On Aug 12, 1:03 am, "William R. Walsh"
><newsgrou...@idontwantjunqueemail.walshcomptech.c om> wrote:
>> Hi!
>>
>> > it's never done this before, so naturally i'm feeling a little
>> > surprised. what could cause a power supply to get so hot?
>>
>> Fan failure, serious overloading (although the fan should be able to cool
>> the power supply sufficiently even at full load) or a component that is
>> getting too hot and has significant surface area to release heat. Fan
>> failure is the most likely cause. These fans are by far and away the least
>> reliable item in almost any computer.
>>
>> You'll probably find the fan is stuck (try turning it through the grille
>> with a wooden dowel or similar object) and that the supply has failed from
>> the overheating. The computer could still be OK. Please post back with a
>> model number if you want to repair it--some Dell systems have used standard
>> power supplies. Others did not and you could be in for a nasty surprise if
>> you have one that doesn't and attach a standard off-the-shelf supply to it.
>>
>> William
>
dell power supply HOT 
Linear Mode
