Help, what did she kill

[rdnkjeeper]

The desktop my wife uses started stinking today, so I told her to shut it down so I can look at it. Before she had a chance to shut it off, it shut off by itself! Well I looked at it and found the power supply caked in dust and hot. So I cleaned it off and let it cool, plugged it back in and now it won't boot. Nothing happens at all, there is a motherboard light and that is on all the time. I am thinking the power supply is messed up...

[sr71000]

the mobo light is a good thing...it means it's getting some sort of power. when you push the power button, nothing happens? not even fans twitching? If so, I'd suggest you double check the switch on the back of the psu, make sure the psu is on and the voltage is set correctly. Double check that it is firmly plugged in at the back of the psu, the wall, and into the motherboard. Lastly, smell the psu....if it smells like electrical burning, chances are all that dust was actually smoke from something frying in the psu (as happens from time to time). Just a warning...when a psu dies, it usually takes stuff out with it (like mobo, proc, memory, video, and other electrically sensitive parts. Don't worry...the harddrive where your data is stored is one of the least likely to go.) by the way...when you say stinking, do you mean like physically it smelt bad, or was just running poorly? cus those can both be very different signs.

[EXreaction]

Yep, you will definatly need a new powersupply if you burned it up...
This is a very good value psu.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817104953

As long as you are not running a really high end system, that powersupply above should handle it no problem...

But one quick question(before you go out and but a new psu)...what brand is it, and what are the specs of it?

[Theophylact]

Because if it's an older Dell, it may have a proprietary power supply, and you can't just replace it with a generic one.

[rdnkjeeper]

Ok, no it smelt really bad. Well I went and got a new power supply and it is up and running. It appears to be working fine, it does have a little noise that wasn't there before....think I'll just let it run for a while and see what it does. As for the system it was Whirs a while back.....he wanted to upgrade so I bought his old one.

[Achay]

If your PSU is stinking real bad, I's imagine that would indicate a few blown components inside the PSU, possilbly cappacitors if it really stinks. I'd be very wary of using it again.

When electronics go, they either go and die and just the PSU goes, or they blow and take random connected items with it, i.e mobo etc. Personally, I wouldn't power it up again, even if it does work, it may still go, or its output might be way out of safe usage spec.

[agathodaimon]

hehe, yep... With electronics, once you smell *that* smell, they're toast.