# PSU Trouble



## BRN (May 30, 2011)

So my 700W Thermaltake PSU did 'something'. While the cord was plugged in and power on, the red Power Supply Switch switched from 230V to 115V. Sparks flew. As far as I know this means about double the normal charge has been sent through my PC - what's the worst case scenario, and what can I do to minimise any damage?


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## Runefox (May 30, 2011)

Unplug it? I imagine the brunt of the damage has already been done. Hopefully it'll just have blown the power supply, but unfortunately, the power supply is what feeds power to everything else, so it really could have fried the whole shot. It's surprising to hear that there's even a 115/230 switch; Most power supplies sold today (at least, most quality power supplies) are auto-switching.

Anyway, the only thing you can really do is try to use another known-good power supply, switched to 230 if a switch is there, and see if everything else is still okay.


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## Irreverent (May 30, 2011)

Does the machine still power up when the switch is set back to the proper mains voltage?  If so, you're probably ok. 

Worst case, the psu should have taken the hit, the overvolt condition should have been handled by the psu and not passed onto the lower voltage buses.  So the first order of business would be a new power supply....preferably something auto-sensing.  Until you can confirm the PSU good, you really can't troubleshoot further.

BTW, how did the manual switch get moved from 240-110?

edit: "out foxed" again...


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## Runefox (May 30, 2011)

Irreverent said:


> BTW, how did the manual switch get moved from 240-110?


I'm thinking "harmless prank". At least, it would have been if it were the other way around. 



> edit: "out foxed" again...


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## AshleyAshes (May 30, 2011)

Yeah, seriously, how do you manage to change that switch, more over, how do you manage to change that switch while the box is running?  Those switches are designed to be hard to press, it'd be a small feat to do it by accident.


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## BRN (May 30, 2011)

The machine wouldn't boot. I reached around the back to see if I could pull the power cord out and inadvertently flipped it.

Beyond 'not booting' it won't start at all, now, naturally. Hopefully it's just the PSU that's taken the hit as there's no externally-visible damage to the components.


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## AshleyAshes (May 30, 2011)

SIX said:


> there's no externally-visible damage to the components.



That means about squat in this case.  Doesn't take much to burn out a transistor and you'll never see the damage from the outside.  Get a new PSU and start praying.  ...Maybe get a new PSU that is 'auto sensing' for which kind of power grid it's on, they don't have the manual switches and do it automatically.


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## Draconas (May 30, 2011)

Quoting SilentWulf from his forums: "I heard a chibi explosion" from his PSU, thought that would be a bit funny to quote


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## Ames (May 30, 2011)

SIX said:


> The machine wouldn't boot. I reached around the back to see if I could pull the power cord out and inadvertently flipped it.


 
Managing to flip a recessed switch while trying to pull the cord out?  Congrats on accomplishing such a difficult task.


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## Sai_Wolf (May 31, 2011)

Draconas said:


> Quoting SilentWulf from his forums: "I heard a chibi explosion" from his PSU, thought that would be a bit funny to quote


 
It wasn't. Funny, that is.



AshleyAshes said:


> That means about squat in this case.  Doesn't  take much to burn out a transistor and you'll never see the damage from  the outside.  Get a new PSU and start praying.  ...Maybe get a new PSU  that is 'auto sensing' for which kind of power grid it's on, they don't  have the manual switches and do it automatically.


 
Hopefully, his mobo is still in good condition. Hopefully.

Also, am I the only one who still wants a power supply that supports pig tails? Those were the shit back in the day


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## LizardKing (May 31, 2011)

SIX said:


> The machine wouldn't boot.



Sounds like you need more than just a new PSU :|

What PSU did you have? I want to avoid it like the plague; those switches should require real effort to change settings like that, if they're even present.


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## BRN (May 31, 2011)

LizardKing said:


> Sounds like you need more than just a new PSU :|
> 
> What PSU did you have? I want to avoid it like the plague; those switches should require real effort to change settings like that, if they're even present.


 
Thermaltake 700W.


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## LizardKing (May 31, 2011)

SIX said:


> Thermaltake 700W.


 
Which one? They have multiple 700W PSUs.

Just to check, are you sure it was the actual voltage selector you pressed, and not just the power switch?


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## BRN (May 31, 2011)

LizardKing said:


> Which one? They have multiple 700W PSUs.
> 
> Just to check, are you sure it was the actual voltage selector you pressed, and not just the power switch?


 
I wouldn't know. I'd have to find the order form :s

And, definitely the voltage selector.


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## Irreverent (May 31, 2011)

Sai_Wolf said:


> Also, am I the only one who still wants a power supply that supports pig tails? Those were the shit back in the day


 
I'm not familiar with pig-tails used in this context.  Are you talking about 48vDC?


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## Runefox (May 31, 2011)

Irreverent said:


> I'm not familiar with pig-tails used in this context.  Are you talking about 48vDC?


 I'm thinking this?






<3 monitor powered through AT PSU


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## Sai_Wolf (May 31, 2011)

Runefox said:


> I'm thinking this?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That'd be it.

Not only did you free up an outlet, you only had one power button to push.


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## Irreverent (May 31, 2011)

Runefox said:


> I'm thinking this?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Yegawds, didn't those go out of vogue with the creation of the EGA monitor card and massive 14" "colour" monitors? I've never heard one of those called a pigtail psu before.  I was thinking more along the lines of 48vDC nortel/cisco gear used in CO's.


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## Sai_Wolf (May 31, 2011)

Irreverent said:


> Yegawds, didn't those go out of vogue with the creation of the EGA monitor card and massive 14" "colour" monitors? I've never heard one of those called a pigtail psu before.  I was thinking more along the lines of 48vDC nortel/cisco gear used in CO's.


 
They were used in my middle school. Old 75Mhz and 150 Mhz "turbo" processor models. DOS and WFW 3.11, then Windows NT 4.0

I started VERY young.


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## Runefox (May 31, 2011)

Irreverent said:


> Yegawds, didn't those go out of vogue with the creation of the EGA monitor card and massive 14" "colour" monitors? I've never heard one of those called a pigtail psu before.  I was thinking more along the lines of 48vDC nortel/cisco gear used in CO's.


 My Pentium 166 had one of those, actually, and the monitor that came with the computer (KTX 15", actually manufactured in Australia by a company named Bridge (BM15V); How it got here, I'll never know) had a hard-wired male plug to fit that (which you could of course turn into a wall plug by plugging a regular old power cable into _that_ cable).

Actually, that monitor was really good for its day. It could do 1280x960 at 70Hz / 1280x1024 at 60Hz, and if I wanted to go interlaced, it did 1600x1200. Impressive stuff for a mid-90's 15" CRT. It lasted from then on to about 2005 when it died from what I suspect was a failed capacitor. Just wouldn't turn on anymore.


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## AshleyAshes (May 31, 2011)

Sai_Wolf said:


> That'd be it.
> 
> Not only did you free up an outlet, you only had one power button to push.



I have no shortage of outlets under my desk. 






And who needs to turn on monitors anyway?  They all sleep at like 1w when they get no signal anyway.


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## Runefox (May 31, 2011)

AshleyAshes said:


> And who needs to turn on monitors anyway?  They all sleep at like 1w when they get no signal anyway.


 I imagine the part where these monitors operated on what was basically an AT switch is where needing to turn on monitors comes from. Though my KTX had sleep (particularly during either mode-out-of-range or no signal, but also by video card's request) and a host of other advanced features for its day. It's a good idea to note, however, that it was also probably one of the early ones to do so.

Man, actually, now that I think of it, it had about the same features as the late-for-CRT's 17" Philips 107T66 I replaced it with, with the exception of what Philips called "LightFrame", which is marketese for "blinding and oversharpened". The 17" even had the same resolution support.


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## Irreverent (May 31, 2011)

Sai_Wolf said:


> They were used in my middle school. Old 75Mhz and 150 Mhz "turbo" processor models. DOS and WFW 3.11, then Windows NT 4.0
> 
> I started VERY young.


 
Heh.....I started young too.  Vic20's, C-64's, Atari 400/800 and _the_ machine to have was a 256kb IBM 5150 PC (4.77mHz, 8 bit) with a colour graphics adapter and a blistering fast 300baud Racal Vadic modem.  Running DOS 1.1, it was a screamer compared to my CPM 1.0 Osborn.  Your "old" 75mHz AT's were my wet dream.


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## Runefox (May 31, 2011)

Yeah, Irre's been around the block a few times when it comes to computers. X3


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