Plugged Case Fan into PLED1 header, now computer wont start. Is it cooked??

Riczter on 10/12/2014 - 20:01

A friend of mine is building his first computer and looks like he made a bit of a blunder. He had it all going and it booted up fine but the LEDs on the 2 aftermarket fans werent working, he plugged one of them into the PLED1 header and it worked, he turned it off and plugged the other one into the same header and turned it on and that one worked as well, he turned it off and tried the other fan again but it wouldnt turn back on, completely dead.

I'm currently trying to get some more information off him before I tell him he's an idiot but just wanted to see if any one has any experience with this kind of stuff and tell me whether he is up for a new PSU, Motherboard, or whether it should be just fine and something else might be causing the problem.

Motherboard: Asrock Z97 Anniversary Edition
PSU: Corsair CX600M

Thanks

Computing

Comments

  • MasterScythe on 10/12/2014 - 20:13

    how did he manage that? lol.

    I doubt he's cooked it, but its possible since he's drawing 0.6A or more (because LED fan) out of a port that might not have regulation, and is expecting 0.1A draw or so.

  • Riczter on 10/12/2014 - 20:26

    I've just sent him an email saying to pull the plug out of the PLED1 header if he hasn't already and then see if it works again (but I'm guessing he's already tried that). If it still doesn't boot, whats the next course of action? Is it more likely the PSU is fried or the Motherboard is fried? If anyone can say with any level of certainty that it will have cooked the PSU then I'll just go tell him to get a new PSU and replace it and see if it works then, but I wanted to see what OZB thinks before I tell him to shell out $100 on another PSU or Mobo…

  • MasterScythe on 10/12/2014 - 20:34

    Motherboard.

    You wont kill a PSU easily. You can short them, and overload them.
    Hell, I've had one catch fire (capacitor) and keep going!

    • Riczter on 10/12/2014 - 20:57

      Hmm ok, but would overloading the amperage on a power LED header really kill the whole motherboard? seems strange..

  • MasterScythe on 10/12/2014 - 21:08
    +1

    no, but it could overload that bank of headers, the bank which contains the power switch.

    • Riczter on 10/12/2014 - 21:23

      There's a point.

      Is there a way to fix it without replacing the entire motherboard?
      If the motherboard is replaced, is the old one worth anything or just landfill.. Seems like such a waste.

      • Annoying Source on 11/12/2014 - 11:27

        You can probs try and RMA it (like send it in)

  • MasterScythe on 11/12/2014 - 09:14

    Landfill unfortunately.

    When people dont have all the spare parts, I dont know quite how to test a motherboard.
    The real solution has always been 'try another one'.

    a power LED is probably expecting up to 0.4A @ 3-5v draw.

    Not only was it a case fan, but it was an LED case fan.

    Those LED's are usually 'superbrights' which can draw an amp on their own, not to mention the possible 0.6a from a high speed fan. You could be drawing almost 2A @ 5v from that set of pins.

    Since it's quite the dumb task (lighting an LED) there's no reason to expect any sort of current limiting circuit is present.

    I'm really wondering how he did this; there is nothing that looks like fan headers near power button headers.

    He must have really misread the manual….

    • Riczter on 11/12/2014 - 11:43

      …or not read the manual at all -.-

      Thanks for your advice guys, much appreciated.

      • MasterScythe on 11/12/2014 - 11:44

        Building his first computer, and not reading the manual for the parts he got?

        Lesson hard learned I guess.

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