PSU comes back from the dead. Advice?

PrudentPrincess · Jul 13, 2008, 05:44 PM

Well, I got a new PSU in the mail, plugged in all of my cables, turned it on and it started smoking out of the molex connector (my PSU is modular). Not like a puff of smoke but a steady stream for about 10-20sec. I was a little freaked out. But being the dumbass that I am I plugged everything back in (except to that molex connector) and it looks like its running fine. Am I risking a lot here? It seems like it just shorted out that specific connector not the entire system, not like that makes me feel anybetter. I need advice please. (I should have gotten a pic, dammit)
-Prude
(PS I didn't post the PSU model because its irrelevant and I don't want comments like "That PSU is crap" etc. Its a generic full-sized ATX 720W modular power supply.)
(PSS I'm using it right now and I'm gonna run PRIME95 for about 5 hours)

p_o_s_pc · Jul 13, 2008, 05:51 PM

get it out. something isn't right with it your risking your rig and maybe even a fire

Ketxxx · Jul 13, 2008, 05:56 PM

Ditto.

Darknova · Jul 13, 2008, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by p_o_s_pc

get it out. something isn't right with it your risking your rig and maybe even a fire

What he said ^

I've got a PSU that's started making a high-pitched noise, and I've taken it out awaiting an RMA on it now. I'm not risking the rest of my PC on the off-chance it might be ok.

Replacing a PSU may be a hassle, but imagine replacing your entire PC?

Ketxxx · Jul 13, 2008, 06:05 PM

A high pitch noise just means a capacitor is on its way out. pop the hood off the PSU an ull likely be able to immediately identify the dodgy cap, jus unsolder it an put a new one in. Much quicker than waiting for an RMA

Darknova · Jul 13, 2008, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ketxxx

A high pitch noise just means a capacitor is on its way out. pop the hood off the PSU an ull likely be able to immediately identify the dodgy cap, jus unsolder it an put a new one in. Much quicker than waiting for an RMA

As great as my soldering skills are, I'd much much much rather go through RMA. If it was a £40 PSU I might do it, but it was £100 :P

Ketxxx · Jul 13, 2008, 06:17 PM

Put it down to me being impatient then

Well not just that.. I'd much rather know the PSU has been fixed properly, only way for that is if I do it myself. Untrusting? Maybe.. but the only good RMA experiences I have are with memory, HDDs and graphics. Anything else what I have got back has been worse than what I sent in for RMA.

Darknova · Jul 13, 2008, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ketxxx

Put it down to me being impatient then

Well not just that.. I'd much rather know the PSU has been fixed properly, only way for that is if I do it myself. Untrusting? Maybe.. but the only good RMA experiences I have are with memory, HDDs and graphics. Anything else what I have got back has been worse than what I sent in for RMA.

It's Tagan though mate, and trust me, I'm really impatient, I cant use my 4870 with my current PSU

PrudentPrincess · Jul 13, 2008, 06:29 PM

Hey guys I just emailed Newegg and told them the whole story and I hope they take pity on me, it really wasn't my fault. I don't feel like typing this up more fluently or explaining it much more because I'm using my old laptop and I'm quite distressed ATM.
This is the email I sent them.

Quote:

Hi I received this PSU and after a little computer cleanup I finally got it up and running last night. It worked great but when I plugged in my new SilenX fan the molex connector on the PSU began to smoke. I turned it off, took it out of my system and it continued to smoke. I thought this could be a fire inside the PSU and I was worried so I unscrewed the top and looked inside to find out where the smoke was coming from. I couldn't see any capacitors blown so I let it sit outside and once it stopped I took another look and put the top back on. I decided that I should return it instead of tinkering around with it but when I was packaging everything up I realized I had broken the seal on the side of the PSU. I've been a customer here for over a year so I decided to tell you the whole story instead of sending it back without a label/explanation. So obviously my question here is would you RMA it even though the seal is broken. I didn't tamper with anything inside. Get back to me please!
-S

Ketxxx · Jul 13, 2008, 06:34 PM

Erm.. you would be lucky if they RMA it tbh with the warrenty seal broken. GL.

p_o_s_pc · Jul 13, 2008, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ketxxx

Erm.. you would be lucky if they RMA it tbh with the warrenty seal broken. GL.

+1

now would you tell us what kind of PSU it is?

imperialreign · Jul 13, 2008, 06:43 PM

TBH - many a time it's better to just call the egg directly instead of going through their email routes;

breaking the warranty seal typically isn't a good thing, but it's better to mention it before hand than have them deny an RMA once they recieve the unit; if they know about it in advance, and the unit is new (like you just got it within a day or two), they're typically very helpful.

PrudentPrincess · Jul 13, 2008, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by imperialreign

TBH - many a time it's better to just call the egg directly instead of going through their email routes;

breaking the warranty seal typically isn't a good thing, but it's better to mention it before hand than have them deny an RMA once they recieve the unit; if they know about it in advance, and the unit is new (like you just got it within a day or two), they're typically very helpful.

Thanks. I've been a customer with them for a while, I'm sure they'll understand. It really wasn't my fault, I just didn't want it to catch on fire. I've been working on computers for about five years now and have never seen that much smoke.

Quote:

Originally Posted by p_o_s_pc

+1

now would you tell us what kind of PSU it is?

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrudentPrincess

(PS I didn't post the PSU model because its irrelevant and I don't want comments like "That PSU is crap" etc. Its a generic full-sized ATX 720W modular power supply.)

p_o_s_pc · Jul 13, 2008, 07:03 PM

well i just wanted to know what it was but ok... Good luck with getting that RMA

i looked on the egg i think it is the OCZ

PrudentPrincess · Jul 16, 2008, 02:33 AM

I just talked to them and they're accepting it! Justice has been served!
Now I feel like I should buy more OCZ products...time for some memory!

PrudentPrincess · Jul 28, 2008, 11:20 PM

Sorry for double posting, but I just wanted to let you all know that OCZ sent me this PSU for the RMA:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817341009
Which is awesome because I pretty much just got $110 free.
Thought I would post it here instead of starting a new thread.
Thanks OCZ!
You crazys.

WhiteLotus · Jul 28, 2008, 11:32 PM

good customer services win over product in most cases!

Jul 13, 2008, 05:44 PM	#1
PrudentPrincess Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Eugene Posts: 559 (0.26/day) Thanks: 24 Thanked 54 Times in 36 Posts System Specs	PSU comes back from the dead. Advice? Well, I got a new PSU in the mail, plugged in all of my cables, turned it on and it started smoking out of the molex connector (my PSU is modular). Not like a puff of smoke but a steady stream for about 10-20sec. I was a little freaked out. But being the dumbass that I am I plugged everything back in (except to that molex connector) and it looks like its running fine. Am I risking a lot here? It seems like it just shorted out that specific connector not the entire system, not like that makes me feel anybetter. I need advice please. (I should have gotten a pic, dammit) -Prude (PS I didn't post the PSU model because its irrelevant and I don't want comments like "That PSU is crap" etc. Its a generic full-sized ATX 720W modular power supply.) (PSS I'm using it right now and I'm gonna run PRIME95 for about 5 hours)

System Name:	Foobox3000
Processor:	Core 2 Duo 36750@3.46ghz
Motherboard:	Gigabyte GA-G33M-DS2R
Memory:	2gb (2x1gb) Crucial Ballistix Tracer
Video Card:	EVGA 9800gtx
Hard Disk:	500gb 7200prm IDE
CRT/LCD Model:	Sceptre 19"
Case:	Apevia X-Qpack 2 Red
PSU:	500w Apevia generic

Jul 13, 2008, 05:51 PM	#2
p_o_s_pc F@H&WCG addict Join Date: May 2007 Location: Newark ohio Posts: 9,916 (4.49/day) Thanks: 3,158 Thanked 2,215 Times in 1,685 Posts System Specs	get it out. something isn't right with it your risking your rig and maybe even a fire __________________ crunching for TPU on 30 CPU Threads + 688 Cuda cores More to come

System Name:	el'lappy\|Cruncher \| Cruncher 2
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Cooling:	dual 80mm cooling fan \| Xiggy S1283 (WC'ing OTW) \|cheapo
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Hard Disk:	Momuntus xt 320gb \|Kingston Hyper X 120gb SATA III\|500gb WD
Optical Drive:	DVD-RW \| None (STB blu-ray player,maybe) \|DVD-RW Lightscribe
CRT/LCD Model:	17in \| 40" 1080P HD TV
Case:	lappy case \| open air ATM (STB CM HAF XB) \|none yet
Sound Card:	onboard \| onboard \| onboard
PSU:	Dell powerbrick with Acer end \| Antec EW 650w \|Antec SP 350w(upg.soon)
Software:	Windows 7 Ult. 64bit---->------->

Jul 13, 2008, 05:56 PM	#3
Ketxxx Eligible for custom title Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kingdom of gods Posts: 6,380 (2.42/day) Thanks: 35 Thanked 580 Times in 412 Posts System Specs	Ditto. __________________ WARNING: I am cracking down on stupidity in the forums. Anyone caught making a dumb statement clearly not knowing many, if any of the facts, will promptly be directed to xtremesystems. Sig edited. If anyone wants to know about the E4400 (E7200 sold) drop me a PM

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Video Card:	2x XFX HD4830 512MB
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CRT/LCD Model:	22" LG Flatron W2242S
Case:	Unique
Sound Card:	Asus Xonar DX 7.1 PCI-E
PSU:	Hi-Power 800W Modular. 3.3 & 5v rails 30A, 4x 12v rails @ 20A each.
Software:	Windows 7 x64

System Name:	Red Dragon \\ Asus X5DAB
Processor:	AMD Phenom II X3 720BE @ 3.5Ghz \\ Athlon X2 QL-64 @ 2.1Ghz
Motherboard:	Gigabyte GA-MA790X-UD3P \\ K50AB motherboard - RS780 chipset
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Case:	Thermaltake Elements S \\ K50 Chassis
Sound Card:	Asus Xonar D2X \\ VIA HD Audio
PSU:	PCP&C Silencer 750W \\
Software:	Windows 7 Ultimate x64 \\ Windows 7 Ultimate x64

Jul 13, 2008, 06:05 PM	#5
Ketxxx Eligible for custom title Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kingdom of gods Posts: 6,380 (2.42/day) Thanks: 35 Thanked 580 Times in 412 Posts System Specs	A high pitch noise just means a capacitor is on its way out. pop the hood off the PSU an ull likely be able to immediately identify the dodgy cap, jus unsolder it an put a new one in. Much quicker than waiting for an RMA __________________ WARNING: I am cracking down on stupidity in the forums. Anyone caught making a dumb statement clearly not knowing many, if any of the facts, will promptly be directed to xtremesystems. Sig edited. If anyone wants to know about the E4400 (E7200 sold) drop me a PM

Jul 13, 2008, 06:17 PM	#7
Ketxxx Eligible for custom title Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kingdom of gods Posts: 6,380 (2.42/day) Thanks: 35 Thanked 580 Times in 412 Posts System Specs	Put it down to me being impatient then Well not just that.. I'd much rather know the PSU has been fixed properly, only way for that is if I do it myself. Untrusting? Maybe.. but the only good RMA experiences I have are with memory, HDDs and graphics. Anything else what I have got back has been worse than what I sent in for RMA. __________________ WARNING: I am cracking down on stupidity in the forums. Anyone caught making a dumb statement clearly not knowing many, if any of the facts, will promptly be directed to xtremesystems. Sig edited. If anyone wants to know about the E4400 (E7200 sold) drop me a PM

Jul 13, 2008, 06:34 PM	#10
Ketxxx Eligible for custom title Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kingdom of gods Posts: 6,380 (2.42/day) Thanks: 35 Thanked 580 Times in 412 Posts System Specs	Erm.. you would be lucky if they RMA it tbh with the warrenty seal broken. GL. __________________ WARNING: I am cracking down on stupidity in the forums. Anyone caught making a dumb statement clearly not knowing many, if any of the facts, will promptly be directed to xtremesystems. Sig edited. If anyone wants to know about the E4400 (E7200 sold) drop me a PM

Jul 13, 2008, 06:43 PM	#12
imperialreign Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Sector ZZ₉ Plural Z Alpha Posts: 4,001 (1.88/day) Thanks: 272 Thanked 953 Times in 710 Posts System Specs	TBH - many a time it's better to just call the egg directly instead of going through their email routes; breaking the warranty seal typically isn't a good thing, but it's better to mention it before hand than have them deny an RMA once they recieve the unit; if they know about it in advance, and the unit is new (like you just got it within a day or two), they're typically very helpful. __________________ <Guide: Understanding audio specifications and hardware> <X-Fi Support Syndicate> Hit me up on Steam: http://steamcommunity.com/id/imperialreign {THERE IS MADNESS TO MY METHODS}

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CRT/LCD Model:	Samsung Syncmaster T240 24" (16:10)
Case:	Cooler Master Stacker 830
Sound Card:	Creative X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro PCI-E x1
PSU:	Kingwin Mach1 1200W modular
Software:	Windows XP Home SP3; Vista Ultimate x64 SP2
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Jul 13, 2008, 07:03 PM	#14
p_o_s_pc F@H&WCG addict Join Date: May 2007 Location: Newark ohio Posts: 9,916 (4.49/day) Thanks: 3,158 Thanked 2,215 Times in 1,685 Posts System Specs	well i just wanted to know what it was but ok... Good luck with getting that RMA i looked on the egg i think it is the OCZ __________________ crunching for TPU on 30 CPU Threads + 688 Cuda cores More to come

Jul 16, 2008, 02:33 AM	#15
PrudentPrincess Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Eugene Posts: 559 (0.26/day) Thanks: 24 Thanked 54 Times in 36 Posts System Specs	I just talked to them and they're accepting it! Justice has been served! Now I feel like I should buy more OCZ products...time for some memory!

Jul 28, 2008, 11:20 PM	#16
PrudentPrincess Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Eugene Posts: 559 (0.26/day) Thanks: 24 Thanked 54 Times in 36 Posts System Specs	Sorry for double posting, but I just wanted to let you all know that OCZ sent me this PSU for the RMA: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817341009 Which is awesome because I pretty much just got $110 free. Thought I would post it here instead of starting a new thread. Thanks OCZ! You crazys.

Jul 28, 2008, 11:32 PM	#17
WhiteLotus Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Plymouth, UK Posts: 4,798 (2.26/day) Thanks: 529 Thanked 856 Times in 682 Posts System Specs	good customer services win over product in most cases! __________________ “Sorry but I cannot respond now, I am running a full virus scan on the internet.” -brandonwh64

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