Windows 10: HG's PC upgrade

Then chances are that labeeman is correct. That will be cheap enough to fix. Thanks, Count. *Smile

 

It looks as though I'm not out of the woods yet. It's been running for 4 days since I changed the PSU and monitor, but was getting faults with the graphics driver failing but soon recovering using IE in 10 last night. I looked in Events, but it was not listed as critical, but a warning. I didn't think much of it being that it's a preview.

I got up this morning, it booted fine again in 10, fiddled with some configuration, and checked in on the forums while having my coffee. I even rebooted after installing the updates. I left it running to do its maintenance while going to have some breakfast. When I got back I saw it was sleeping with the usual blinking power switch light. I pressed a key to wake it and nothing. Moving the mouse did nothing. Pressed the power switch and nothing. Just kept blinking. I thought hmm, now what? I hard reset and it resumed to 10. I thought that was strange.

Was working with it for about another 45 minutes and it just all went blank. It simply just quit like a power failure. I pressed the power button of which lit up, but nothing else. If I hold the power switch like to hard reset the light goes off. I checked all the connections, memory strips, and touch-checked the CPU and graphics heat sinks for overheating. Pulled the Cmos battery thinking that maybe BIOS shut it down due to overheating. No burnt anything or smell on MoBo or components. Ugh! Nothing!

Any ideas? I'm thinking it's a faulty power switch?

 

Hippsie Gypsie Sounds like power supply. Did you try unplug the cord from pc and wall then hold down the start button for a min. then plug it back in. Good luck,

 

Hi Charlie. Thanks for answering.

Yes, I tried it all. I'm afraid you may be right. I am getting nothing at all now, not even the power switch LED. *Sad

 

Did you try removing the memory as one of them had a problem before.

 

Thanks for reminding me, labeeman. Initially I only took one out, but then I took both out, cleaned, put one back in, and nothing. With both, nothing.

I took the PSU to a little computer repair shop (a geek operating out of his house) who a
had a tester and it's toast. Sending it back for an exchange.

Thing is I have one out of an old box, but it's 20 pin and not 24. What are the other 4 pins for?

 

Just few extra 12v lines, most MBs can live without them.

 

Sorry HG I do not remember any more.

 

Thanks, guys.

I'll do more research, but it does use those 4 pins. I think the only 12v is another 4 pin connector on the top left of the MoBo for the switch, which I would guess to be an electromagnetic solenoid, yes? I'll check the outputs of the 24 pin connector.

A plus when something breaks is that I'm forced to learn something even though it's a PITA. *Smile

 

No, extra 4 pin you reffer to ("another 4 pin connector on the top left of the MoBo") is to supply power to VRM (Voltage Regulator Module) to CPU and RAM + plus some other stuff depending on MB. That one (usually referred as Pentium 4 connector) has to be connected. Most of the time it's placed on MB somewhere close to CPU. The extra 4 pin on 20 + 4 pin main connector usually doesn't have to be connected.

 

Here you go HG. PSU

 

Thanks again, guys. *Cool

 

Here are the pin outs of the 20 24 pin connectors. Yes you can use a 20 pin on a 24 pin connector in a pinch. I would have been happier if you had bought the Corsair PSU as no name brand PC PSU IMHO are usually bad quality and a bunch of instability is usually traced right back to them. Power supplies are probably the most important part of your computer delivering clean power to the system. Like good foundations on a building. Everything relies on it and I have seen no end of things fried by bad power supplies. It is really annoying when you buy a new PSU and you get even more issues. I use Enermax Power Supplies exclusively. Other good brands are Corsiar and Silverstone but look at Johhny Guru and he tells it like it is.

PSU - Test DC Output Voltage - Windows 7 Help Forums

Power Supply Information and Selection - Tech Support Forum

The Bargain Basement Power Supply Roundup Review

Yes power supplies are the most important device in the PC but so often overlooked.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post all that info, Indianatone. I understand what you're saying, especially about the importance of the PSU, but I made the decision not to spend a lot of money on an eight year old system. I initially thought that I might upgrade using the same case with new MoBo, CPU, etc., but decided to build all brand new this winter and keep this old system as a testing box. The way I see it is that the wear and tear on a PSU is the long durations that they run. The test box won't be running as much.

The original PSU in this Acer is a one Delta Electronics brand which ran for 8 years rigorously. Not on your list, but perhaps I should have considered that brand.

 

Found this on Amazon. Delta is an OEM brand, they build for other manufacturers under their names.
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...l_3idi5vnqy7_b