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Can a bad MB fry a PSU?

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    #1

    Can a bad MB fry a PSU?

    I have a Gigabyte 7I-XEH motherboard that had some distinctively bad capacitors; it had 8 and a half years of service before it finally died (and before I learned about this problem!). Anyway, I removed it after a catastrophic failure that fried my severely overheated video card. I've spent $260 already in replacement parts, and not interested in spending too much more.

    In any case, considering the incident, is it possible that the old MB fried my PSU, by either a feedback or a short, or did I just get a really bad MB replacement? The replacement is also showing very minor signs of bad caps, which were NOT present before I powered it. The tops are still flat, but the caps are not flush with the board, and are pointed slightly every which way.

    I inspected the PSU as much as I could without opening it (by looking in the air vent). Everything seemed fine, except for one capacitor which SEEMED to be leaning to the side (but I really could not tell), but there was a suspicious brown spot on top of one of the capacitors. There were no signs of any broken vents, but again, I couldn't tell. I am not opening the PSU for fear that it may still be under warranty.

    PSU: Logisys PS480D-BK
    Old MB: Gigabyte 7I-XEH
    New MB: ECS w/ SIS 761GX/965L chipset (I can't find any actual model number)

    New MB symptoms:
    Worked fine for 4 minutes, then suddenly "died", no display signal and power light on the case went out. After second attempt, only stayed up for 10 seconds. All fans were connected and running.
    No signs of overheating; all heatsinks felt quite below normal operating temperature, and considering operating time, normal.
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: Can a bad MB fry a PSU?

    I've never heard of a motherboard frying a PSU. But it may be possible after I've done some quick thinking. The motherboard may have shorted out some live wires to ground maybe? but then again the PSU would go into a crowbar and shut off and then come back to life again.... so no I do not think it is possible for the mobo to kill the PSU unless you've tampered with the mobo yourself by shorting it. As for the PSU, it sounds generic and I would definitely not use it for your new system if i were you. You also mentioned a capacitor in the PSU leaning and leaking brown stuff, that could be the problem to why your new mobo is having issues. I would doubt the new mobo would have any problems. As for the caps on the new mobo leaning and not flush to the board, that would be normal as the machine that puts the caps on isn't always precise. If you see that the bung of the cap is flat and the can is leaning, I'd be weary about the conditions of the caps on your new mobo. But then again, if the cap is leaning, there must have been immense pressure inside the can to do that, which also results in the top of the cap expending out.
    Anyway, if you can, post some pics as it would help out in determining whats going on. For now, you could try to use a different PSU and also check that everything is installed properly and isn't loose.

    Thanks.
    Don't find love, let love find you. That's why its called falling in love, because you don't force yourself to fall, you just fall. - Anonymous

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      #3
      Re: Can a bad MB fry a PSU?

      Pics are very hard to come by for me because my camera doesn't focus too well. As soon as I am done processing the pictures I've taken, though, I'll post them. They're very low quality, though, because of the focus issue.

      The new MB isn't perfect, but it's probably just like you said. It was listed among the known brands which use the bad caps, though.

      Comment

        #4
        Re: Can a bad MB fry a PSU?

        Alright, here are the pics. Oh, and I forgot to mention, I've never done any work on the motherboard which would cause the shorting.

        NewMB.jpg - The new motherboard caps

        OldMB-Burst.jpg - Gigabyte board, showing capacitor burst

        OldMB-SideCPs.jpg - Gigabyte board, showing two swells. One is near the PSU connector, the other right under the heatsink. (In this picture, to the left)

        OldMB-Swelling.jpg - Gigabyte board, showing two swells near the heatsink.

        OldMB-SwellTop.jpg - Gigabyte board, showing the bursted capacitor from the 2nd pic leaning over (this is exactly how I saw the problem in the first place, after the computer stopped working).

        All caps are Choyo.

        The pictures are available for anyone to use, dissect, reuse, post in hall of shame, whatever.
        Attached Files
        Last edited by SoulPriestess; 07-29-2008, 01:08 AM. Reason: Releasing pictures to public domain

        Comment

          #5
          Re: Can a bad MB fry a PSU?

          the few logisys psu i have seen were brought in to my shop by a sales rep.
          they were typical "gutless wonders".lots of space for missing parts.jumper wires in their place.
          known crapcaps.
          i doubt that thing has a warrenty beyond 90 days.
          and it is likely your problem now.
          open it up and post pics.

          Comment

            #6
            Re: Can a bad MB fry a PSU?

            >I am not opening the PSU for fear that it may still be under warranty.

            dump to nearby garbage can, put fortron in.
            there are fortrons for 30-40$.

            Comment

              #7
              Re: Can a bad MB fry a PSU?

              Bad MoBo caps could kill marginal PSU by overloading it's filter caps.
              More likely hard failed video card killed PSU.

              If you killed it this way the warranty is voided anyway.
              Open and fix it or trash and replace it.

              .
              Mann-Made Global Warming.
              - We should be more concerned about the Intellectual Climate.
              -
              Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
              - Dr Seuss
              -
              You can teach a man to fish and feed him for life, but if he can't handle sushi you must also teach him to cook.
              -

              Comment

                #8
                Re: Can a bad MB fry a PSU?

                Originally posted by kc8adu
                the few logisys psu i have seen were brought in to my shop by a sales rep.
                they were typical "gutless wonders".lots of space for missing parts.jumper wires in their place.
                known crapcaps.
                Ahh so thats why that they are so cheap on E-bay.

                I thought that those PSUs looked cool in their clear case.

                It's always looks or functionality.
                Elements of the past and the future combining to make something not quite as good as either.

                Comment

                  #9
                  Re: Can a bad MB fry a PSU?

                  >Bad MoBo caps could kill marginal PSU by overloading it's filter caps.
                  More likely hard failed video card killed PSU.

                  perhaps even bad psu eating away normally ok mobo, and then they went down together in the end, first mobo, then it overloaded the psu few seconds later.

                  important to say:
                  no, bad mobos can't fry decent psus.
                  they can fry crap psus, though.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Re: Can a bad MB fry a PSU?

                    I think even a good PSU will suffer and eventually die from the excessive load that bad boards can cause. They do have overload protection, but I doubt it's perfect. Even if it is, just running the PSU *near* the point of overload is going to wear on it pretty quickly. My testing PSU's seem to gradually degrade, while PSU's in permanent machines last a lot longer. I can only conclude it's caused by the abuse of testing all those marginal boards. It adds up over time.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Re: Can a bad MB fry a PSU?

                      http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813135060

                      Is that your mobo?

                      Remember that ECS is not *the best* company. I have a ECS RS482-M754. The only time mine has done something like what you are describing was when the VRM for the ram popped. You could tell it did (pop, black screen, the hd light was solid, but the power light went off, followed by horrible smell.) Luckily still under newegg's warranty, and they took it back no questions asked and gave me a new one. Apparently that Goal3+ is a rebadged PCCHIPS-USA motherboard

                      http://www.pcchipsusa.com/PCCWebSite...uID=48&LanID=2

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