hey ozbargain,
I bought a pc off gumtree and took it home only to find the power supply isn't working. I'm looking at spending around 70 dollars or under on a power supply and I have no idea what to buy. My system currently sports an MSI GTX750ti and i5 2500. Can you please help me I'm struggling to comprehend?
thanks! sounds good!
Go for the Antec. http://i.imgur.com/koLUPLh.jpg
Better not skimp too much on PSU, ya might fry the rest, more expensive stuff.
Both Antec and Corsair are very good suggestions. Also look at:
(1) read from the label of the faulty PS - what is watts rating? (500W?), buy one the same or higher Watts. If in future you intend to upgrade your PC with some additional components (powerful graphics card? new CPU/motherboard?), go with higher powered PS.
(2) check length of cables - some tall tower cases need very long cables. Are you happy with captive (non removable) cables?
(3) budget supplies are sometimes noisy (fan, electrical buzzing of components), read a few reviews before deciding
(4) is power efficiency something important for you? Manufacturers always clearly state the efficiency, often with names like "80 plus gold", etc - Google for explanation of "silver", "gold", etc., they have formalized meaning
(5) I would pay $10-$15 more and go with a good, reputable brand (avoid "Happy Sunrise", "Dragon Power" etc) - as a rule good brands use better internal components which last longer (Google for review of a specific one you consider buying).
Have fun with your new PC!
(1) It's 400w but not planning on upgrading at least for a year or two.
(2) I have a pretty large Inwin case so thanks I'll make sure to check.
(3) I can tolerate a little noise since I'll have headphones on but I'll keep it in mind.
(4) I'm living with my mum and dad so I'm just going to pass on that one ;)
(5) Thanks!
But Dragon Power has the power of magic fire… Oh wait, that's your computer burning.
how do you know it is only the PSU that is stuffed?
did the person off gumtree intentionally sell you something that wasnt working?
no, he showed me it working, but when i got home and plugged the psu in something happened and it wouldn't turn on. i noticed there was quite a bit of static that zapped me when i went to unplug the cable and it's only one of those cheap inwin one's which he called "quality", so i'm guessing it just had a bit of a moment and went spastic.
he's got more of the systems up for sale that i bought, is it worth posting somewhere that mine had issues so others dont make the same mistake?
unsure how he can actually make it "pretend" to work at his place only to fail at yours
did you get the power cable from him or use your own?
inwin certainly isnt the cheapest brands out there
would much prefer inwin over SHAW
not sure which model yours is but
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16817374…
reviews are generally positive
there are odd one which arent but you get this with the other big names as well
i used my own power cable and think that's why it may have faulted. it was rated higher than what's needed, though although people tell me it shouldn't matter i've got a feeling it did in this case.
@derek324: I went to msy in north Melbourne. They told me the power supply was working fine as they tested it with a specially built device and to go back home and try and jump start it. I did so and still no result. Personally I think everything is pointing towards the lead now. I mean it started under old mate gumtree's lead, it works under msy's lead (though I didn't get a chance to see but don't think they'd be lying as they want to make a dollar), but under my lead it fails.
I would definitely contact the seller first, if he is a decent person he should help you. If he is selling more stuff he is likely to have a spare PS as well. While second hand goods come without warranty, the assumption is that the PC you bought should work, if it was advertised as "working". If the PS failed after you brought it home, the seller should feel obligated to help - give him a chance. If he is refusing - definitely post a negative comment, but not before contacting him first. From what you described it is most likely the PS, but suspicion here is that it could be motherboard, thus you are potentially looking at considerable cost.
So I did contact him, and he got a bit weird telling me to switch it on and off 20 times, and then try again. When I met him he seemed really decent, had a full setup complete with server stacks and stuff. I told him by email a few days ago in a forthright but not aggressive way I was a bit pissed but understood that I was now liable for anything that happened to the system since he showed it to me working, it switched hands, and i paid him. Though he's stopped communication as of our last email.
I don't think it has to do with the motherboard because I've already tested the psu using a 15-16 pin test and it didn't start and when the mobo is plugged into the hdmi the standby light comes on and flashes, which according to the beep code just means it needs an update. All in all, I'm not too pissed but just a little bit more broke. He lived in a very regional town outside victoria and it sort of opened my eyes a little. I'm just fortunate I can afford to pay for a new psu and am sort of happy to leave it at that as long as it works.
My brain is now as fried as my psu.
Derek, one last thing cos you seem like you know you shit. The standby light comes on when I plug hdmi in because of the small power output it creates but the standby light on the mobo is now making a blink pattern that isn't in the manual. Could this just be because it has no psu or something more serious? If it is motherboard related I think I will have to contact seller again.
@User166092: Happy to help, though remote diagnosis sometimes ends badly, so please remember - this is all care but no responsibility situation :)
PSU often fail in unpredictable way: they may loose some of the voltage, they may become unstable, they may have only some lines dead and some working just fine. This is why to test it is best to replace suspected PS with a known good one. Also try to power on with video card removed, and with hard disk disconnected, and check blink or bip (sound from your PC small speaker) codes. Also I am assuming that you Googled blink pattern and found nothing relevant.
My feeling is that it is almost certainly the PS. I would forget the seller, and buy a new PS. Unfortunately until you do that there is no guarantee that it is the PS, only very high probability, BUT it is not impossible that the motherboard or graphics card or even hard disk is faulty (other components are much less likely to cause what you described).
If you're willing to buy local, go into one of the PC builder shops and ask if they can help you test the PSU before you buy it. Of course, the nice thing to do from there is to actually buy it from them if it's confirmed a PSU fault - might cost a little more than buying online, but avoids replacing the PSU only to find it's still not working.
I've already tested it and found it doesn't start under it's own horses, I'm just getting a little concerned now whether it's brought other components down with it.
Corsair VS550!
Antec VP500P or Corsair VS550 would be my suggestions, both a bit under $70 at MSY.