Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

[UserXP]

Re: Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

I found actually two splitters! They were included with the GTX 970, I just remembered to check its package and I found two of them, so I can now try the SS-400ET.

I found these caps on Farnell:

These are for the smaller caps:
http://uk.farnell.com/panasonic-elec...rad/dp/2217571
http://uk.farnell.com/panasonic-elec...rad/dp/2063079
http://uk.farnell.com/panasonic-elec...rad/dp/2217568
http://uk.farnell.com/panasonic-elec...rad/dp/1907229

These are for the larger NCCs:
http://uk.farnell.com/panasonic-elec...rad/dp/1744878
http://uk.farnell.com/panasonic-elec...rad/dp/1800641
http://uk.farnell.com/panasonic-elec...rad/dp/1800646

Hopefully these could go.

On a side note, I was just reading a topic from about two years ago here on the forum, where a member included links to other posts and problems with the X Series PSUs that are eerily similar to what I am experiencing. My greatest fear is that if I order these caps, disassemble the PSU and tamper with its inners, replace the capacitors and then it turns out that the original Rubycons put in there are not the problem and the PSU continues to exibit the same problem even with replaced caps... it would be a waste of time, money and a futility of taking apart the otherwise very good piece of equipment.

Becasue SeaSonic put high quality caps in there, I mean, we are talking about NCCs and Rubycons here, one cannot guarante that it is not something other than caps. I think momaka mentioned an APFC circuit as a possible culprit for the behaviour. I guess no amount of replaced caps would repair a failing IC. In that case, it would be "cheaper" to simply replace the whole PSU (which is something I'm scared of at the moment given how expensive this PSU was when bought).

[Stefan Payne]

Re: Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

The Problem with the larger Panasonic caps you found is the diametre of them.
You need 10mm Diametre ones. The 3300uF/6,3V are OK...

For the 2200uF/16V ones, I've found those:
http://uk.farnell.com/rubycon/16zls2...rad/dp/2469418 Nichicon ZLS

http://uk.farnell.com/panasonic-elec...rad/dp/1744922 Pana FK

And the new (but very expensive) Panasonic FS series.

[UserXP]

Re: Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

I managed to connect and power up the PC with a spare SS-400ET PSU. The PC powered on on multiple tries first hand. I did not leave it on for more that a couple of minutes so that the PSU wouldn't have time to heat up between the startups and shutdowns. No problems whatsoever. THEN, I put back in my SS-660KM and now it TOO starts up every time first hand, regardless of the ErP setting. What the hell?! Did these SeaSonics cure each other?
Is this still possibly related to caps then, or was there a bunch of Gremlins inside the original PSU that did their play on me?

[momaka]

Re: Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

Having the PC work "fine" a few times is not good enough to give you a conclusion to what the issue may be. So I suggest to keep using your PC with the SS-440ET PSU for about a month of regular use and see if the problems will re-appear. If not, then swap back to the SS-660KM. Otherwise, this is as good as a wild goose chase.

Now that the seasons are changing and weather is getting cooler (in the Northern hemisphere part of the world anyways), it might also be worthwhile to put a thermometer in the room to monitor the temperature to see if there the problem is heat-related.

[UserXP]

Re: Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

There is a new development. A few days ago, the central heating in the building where I live started, making the flat warmer over nights. It is exactly during those days when the PSU 660 started up normally. Yesterday, however, we had a rather warm weather so the heating was off that whole day. This made the flat a bit colder till the end of the evening so until the following morning the heating was not working and the whole place cooled down. That exact morning, the PSU wouldn't start normally, the delay was present again.

This, and the hairdryer test lead to a coclusion that the problem is temperature-related. Is this a telltale sign that those small caps are to be replaced, or is there some other, more sinister possibility or component which deals with the temperature surrounding the PSU?

[Per Hansson]

Re: Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

This, and the hairdryer test lead to a coclusion that the problem is temperature-related. Is this a telltale sign that those small caps are to be replaced

Yes.
Either that or desolder them and test them with an ESR tester.
But of course the ESR tester will be more expensive than new caps.
...Or will it?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LCR-T4-Mega...W/152758219017
https://www.ebay.com/itm/M328-Versio...Y/232450423276

[stj]

Re: Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

dont encourage people to buy a T4!
or any other poor 2nd gen board.

[Per Hansson]

Re: Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

Yes of course, it was just to show the lowest price possible.
If you are really interested in an ESR meter here are a couple nice ones:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/GM328-Trans...Y/152443029396

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2016-EZM328...a/182344211065

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BSIDE-ESR02...r/162714576281

[UserXP]

Re: Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

In the meantime, I have got a UNI-T UT33C multimeter. I already tried measuring battery voltages and alike, just to get the feeling. I also have some capacitors already pulled out of various pieces of electronics which I would like to practise on. Please instruct me on how to set the multimeter to measure the capacitor's ESR, voltage and capacitance.

[stj]

Re: Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

very few if any multimeters can test esr.
you can test capacitance on most meters,
but yours seems to lack it.
http://www.uni-trend.com/productsdet...1107_1107.html

the voltage is not something you test, it's simply the maximum the cap is designed to withstand.

[UserXP]

Re: Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

Yeah... I kind of figured that out myself as there was no marking on it related to F. I got this one as a tryout, I guess I'll be returning it now.
So when one says "multimeter", what should it include on its dial, and how to know if it can measure capacitors of ANY capacitance?

[stj]

Re: Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

what's your price-range??

[UserXP]

Re: Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

Around 30-40$ Anything expensive is of no practical use to me just to test and possibly repair one PSU. It would be better to then ad more money, buy a new PSU and be done with this. I am considering to place an order for the new caps from Farnell - but so far, I feel like I'm just waisting money, especially after the failed recapping and fixing of the wireless headphones in my other topic. I am scared that the next cap order might be in vain, too.

[stj]

Re: Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

this is probably the bargain of the year:
https://www.banggood.com/ANENG-AN800...p-1157985.html

[TELVM]

Re: Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

... The thing is that the PSU has a semi fanless mode. And that means that the heat of the +12V Rectifiers cooks the +5VSB caps.
With active fan Operation the temperature in this area would be much much cooler - loke 20-30K, maybe even more...

... Yup, that's true, unfortunately. Semi-fanless mode is such a bullshit feature ...

I concur, IMHO semi-fanless is as stupid as start-stop in automobile engines.

[UserXP]

Re: Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

Hi again. I am in the process of acquiring a multimeter that can display capacitance in a range usually found in the PSU application. I hope it will come handy in determining the state of the caps in my PSU.
Now, I know that the answer to the question I'm going to ask is probably a negative one, but please give more insights: can I use the multimeter's probe to measure/check the caps without desoldering them from the PCB first (of course, with the PSU completely unplugged and discharged first)? Can it damage the PSU circuitry and how much would the gathered readings be off/inaccurate?

[Per Hansson]

Re: Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

No you can't measure in circuit without knowing the circuit very well.
The reason is because there might be components in parallell.
So you have a "good" reading but it's because there is a ceramic cap in parallel with the electrolytic, just to give an example.

Further the capacitance of a capacitor is a pretty unimportant specification in most cases.
What matters is it's ESR and if you are dead set on having a multimeter with ESR functionality there exist just this one AFAIK:
DER EE DE-5004 LCR Meter
https://www.deree.com.tw/lcr-meter.htm

If you want to test capacitors it's much better to buy one of the cheap "Transistor testers" that I linked in my previous posts.

[Stefan Payne]

Re: Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

Hi again. I am in the process of acquiring a multimeter that can display capacitance in a range usually found in the PSU application.

Wouldn't it be cheaper to just order the Capacitors and replace them??

Anyway:
If you want a capacitor tester, there is an eBay Offering that was also mentioned by EEVBlog...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Br3L1B80ow

The Accuracy is shit and it can only be used as a digital thing, meaning: Component is somewhat OKish, component is garbage.
No more can be said with that device...

But there's also a thread about that device here in this Forum somewhere. The People there should be able to tell you wich offerings are good and wich to avoid...

[UserXP]

Re: Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

Hmmm... Thanks, but no. No. To be honest, that device looks like somebody took it apart . How it works with so much exposed solder joints and electronic components without interference is beyond me. I also don't like the looks of it.
I'll get a multimeter WITH housing. I am also a railway hobbist and a multimeter with probes will prove more useful for various tests other than capacitors.

[stj]

Re: Is Seasonic SS-660KM PSU ErP Ready

the acuracy is not shit, only the statement.
there are other threads about these component testers that put them against the expensive stuff and they stand up well.