So I completed this system about a month and a half ago, maybe a little more, and the first two weeks, no trouble, but no gaming, didn't have the Gpu's yet. So, I get the Gpu's, and my PC starts just locking up. No shutdown, no BSOD, no errors, just shut down. Swapped out memory, Gpu's, everything, couldn't figure it out. Then it starts turning itself on....on it's own. I'm told by everyone I called, 6 techs in all it's the video card or motherboard....I considered board, but was doubtful.

Then, today, I just happened to to be taking a book from the back, and notice the top back of the case is hot enough to burn my skin. I took the side panel off, the fan is spinning for the Psu. So I dunno what could be wrong. STUPID me, somehow I never noticed it wasn't changing speeds, I don't ever even recall hearing the fan at all. So I run to best buy and swap the Psu for another, and walla.

I feel so stupid, it's incredible the difference in fan speed. I guess the regulator wasn't working and it was spinning at idle at all times. Now, all my system temps are around 10*C cooler, and it's very obvious when I game or use an app that's intensive, the fan is actually very loud. But it's all good, it's such a good Psu, and Best Buy rocks for letting me exchange it waaay after their policy allows.

Just felt like telling my story. No $hit I've been using the top of an oscilating fan, just the actual fan part, next to the back of the PC so I could game until I could figure out what was wrong, because I stripped my old rig and I'm selling the parts, I would have been without a PC and I can't live without it.

I had suspected the Psu as well, when the PC started to power on, on it's own. I just can't believe I've been gaming with this rig with virtually no Psu fan/exhaust. Crazy.. I guess I'm getting rusty.

PSU's seem to be some annoying gremlins. :P

would a newbie like me be able to install a PSU on my own?

I still haven't had the chance to buy a new one (200w + HD gfx card = failsauce)

Quote from Ricerguy :

would a newbie like me be able to install a PSU on my own?

Easy. Unplug the old one, if you're not sure where everything should go just note down the connections on a bit of paper, and plug the new one in in the same way.

If the plug is the wrong shape, then you don't plug it in there - with the exception of a few things like motherboard jumpers (which you won't need to worry about as they're nothing to do with PSUs) if you rememeber that, you can't go far wrong*

The only difference may be if you get a modular PSU, where instead of an inch-think bundle of wires out the back, the wires are removable and you only plug in the ones you need.


*I did once accidentally plug a floppy drive power cable into a 4-pin fan header on the motherboard which stopped the thing from even turning on.