PC dead, just psu whine

[visualife]

hi guys,

after some inactivity (and being moved rooms) my PC is dead.

 

All connections and have checked, correct voltage switch on psu.

When power is enabled to the PSU the following happens:

• the PSU gives off a high-pitched noise
  
• the green light appears on the motherboard
  
• the PSU fan doesn't engage
  
• no visible or audible system response
  
• pressing the 'power on' button on the front does nothing
  
• switching off power to the psu (rear switch) will slowly discharge the sound over approx 14 seconds
  

 

help?

is the PSU dead? I noticed no burning smells, grinding noises etc etc or anything amiss the last few times it was used.

 

regards, Rich

[KenB]

Hi and welcome to ExTS :)

 

the PSU gives off a high-pitched noise

This could be a capacitor.

 

switching off power to the psu (rear switch) will slowly discharge the sound over approx 14 seconds

When power is removed from a capacitor it slowly discharges - so again .....this looks like a capacitor creating the high-pitched noise.

 

the PSU fan doesn't engage

This should be rotating - so it is looking more like the PSU than anything else.

 

Do you have a spare PSU to try ?

 

The fact that you get an LED on the motherboard lit is no indication that the PSU is working correctly.

 

=============

You could take a look at the motherboard capacitors.

You are looking for discolouration or bulging tops.

 

Take a look here - click here

[kernel]

The high-pitched noise could be coil whine. And that could cause the PSU to not give the appropriate amount of voltage to the computer. Or as KenB said a capacitor problem, in which case the capacitor maybe failing

 

Nowadays PSU's are smart and at a certain voltage they turn there fans on and start cooling themselves. It could be that your coils are damaged and as a result not giving enough power for the fan to turn itself on, which may explain the fan not turning on.

 

Here is an article that explains coil whine from the Corsair website http://www.corsair.com/us/blog/there-is-more-to-psu-noise-than-fan-noise-how-we-fight-coil-whine-in-the-rm-series-power-supplies

 

Is the fan dusty at all, it may just be seized and the PSU is protecting itself from overheating by throwing out a lower current.

 

All the green light means is that the motherboard recognizes that standby power is available.

 

Also remember not to open the PSU up. If their is something wrong internally and you want to fix it, go to a repair shop.

Edited February 6, 2014 by kernel