Rebooted and my computer won't boot up.

[Ant]

Hello!

Earlier today, I was doing stuff in Debian like upgrading my Kernel
(2.6.18 with an updated package) and rebooted. The computer never
rebooted and it just got stuck (I think after shutdown -r now told it to
reboot -- shutdown seems to have completed).

Hitting the reset button didn't do anything, so I powered off the
machine for a few seconds and turned it on. I heard ASUS K8V SE Deluxe
motherboard's POST female voice say "System failed CPU test." (matches
the one in the hardcopy manual). I tried unplugging the power AC, give
it a few minutes to rest, and powered on again. Same problem.

So, I thought maybe CMOS needed to reset because I messing with
Cool'n'Quiet and it worked very well with my Linux for over a month of
uptime. I opened up the case, removed the battery, and changed the PIN
as shown in the manual. That did not help. Maybe I made it worse or
something. The box refused to turn at all. Sometimes, NOTHING happens or
sometimes I saw the case lights an fans spin turn on for one second
only. Once, I actually got the computer to boot up to my Grub (boot
loader) but when I was moving the case around with it on, the system
shut down and I couldn't get it to boot up properly.

I tried disconnecting everything outside (not inside since I am not
familiar with the cables, wiring, etc.) including DVI adapters, a VGA
cable, a PS/2 keyboard, and a PS/2 mouse. I still can't get computer to
boot up. It seems hit and miss, but I can't figure out the pattern. It
either powers on for a second, powers on but it tells me "System failed
CPU test." in voice, or nothing comes on at all.

I tried another power cable and power strip (originally was on my UPS --
a few times it beep when computer turned on -- don't think it supposed
to do that?).

Here's a catch: I did a Kernel upgrade a few weeks ago, and same thing
happened (same POST voice, reboot didn't happen when I did shutdown -r
now after the Kernel upgrade), but it took me three attempts to power
back the box up without problems (I think I turned off PSU and unplugged
its AC cable) until I had to reboot again today!

Any ideas?

My computer specifications are listed below:
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 2.2GHz 512KB Socket 754 CPU (using a Thermaltake
Silent Boost K8 A1838 model), a refurbished ASUS K8V SE Deluxe (VIA
K8T800 Socket 754 ATX; VIA VT8237 South Bridge; revision 2; 1007
Firmware; onboard sound ADI AD1980 enabled; onboard Marvell Yukon
88E8001/8003/8010 PCI Gigabit Ethernet Controller disabled), 1 GB of RAM
(1 Kingston DDR DRAM PC2100/DDR 266 512 MB + 1 Kingston DDR DRAM
PC2700/DDR CAS 2.5 512 MB), Enlight 7237-ATX mid-tower case; Antec
SmartPower SP-350 PSU (350 watts), two case 80mm case fans, NVIDIA
GeForce FX 5200 AGP card (128 MB), Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 (ST380011A;
7200 RPM; 80 GB) HDD, 6.4 GB Quantum Fireball EIDE (6.4EX-A) HDD,
Toshiba DVD-ROM Drive SD-M1912/TMAG 16X/48X, 3.5" Teac disk drive,
and an Intel InBusiness 10/100 (82559) NIC. Running Debian OS (Kernel
v2.6.18...-K7).

This computer and another desktop are connected to a Belkin Omni Cube
(2-port; PS/2 and VGA) to share a 19" Samsung SyncMaster 931BF LCD TFT
monitor, Chicony 104 Key PS/2 KB-2961 keyboard, and a 2-buttons PS/2
Logitech mouse. Both computers and monitor are connected to APC Back-UPS
XS BX1500's battery outlets.

Thank you in advance. :)

[Ant]

FYI. Currently, computer will NOT boot up (no fans, no case lights,
etc.). I do see the motherboard's green light (telling me power is
received?).

Post by Ant
Hello!
Earlier today, I was doing stuff in Debian like upgrading my Kernel
(2.6.18 with an updated package) and rebooted. The computer never
rebooted and it just got stuck (I think after shutdown -r now told it to
reboot -- shutdown seems to have completed).
Hitting the reset button didn't do anything, so I powered off the
machine for a few seconds and turned it on. I heard ASUS K8V SE Deluxe
motherboard's POST female voice say "System failed CPU test." (matches
the one in the hardcopy manual). I tried unplugging the power AC, give
it a few minutes to rest, and powered on again. Same problem.
So, I thought maybe CMOS needed to reset because I messing with
Cool'n'Quiet and it worked very well with my Linux for over a month of
uptime. I opened up the case, removed the battery, and changed the PIN
as shown in the manual. That did not help. Maybe I made it worse or
something. The box refused to turn at all. Sometimes, NOTHING happens or
sometimes I saw the case lights an fans spin turn on for one second
only. Once, I actually got the computer to boot up to my Grub (boot
loader) but when I was moving the case around with it on, the system
shut down and I couldn't get it to boot up properly.
I tried disconnecting everything outside (not inside since I am not
familiar with the cables, wiring, etc.) including DVI adapters, a VGA
cable, a PS/2 keyboard, and a PS/2 mouse. I still can't get computer to
boot up. It seems hit and miss, but I can't figure out the pattern. It
either powers on for a second, powers on but it tells me "System failed
CPU test." in voice, or nothing comes on at all.
I tried another power cable and power strip (originally was on my UPS --
a few times it beep when computer turned on -- don't think it supposed
to do that?).
Here's a catch: I did a Kernel upgrade a few weeks ago, and same thing
happened (same POST voice, reboot didn't happen when I did shutdown -r
now after the Kernel upgrade), but it took me three attempts to power
back the box up without problems (I think I turned off PSU and unplugged
its AC cable) until I had to reboot again today!
Any ideas?
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 2.2GHz 512KB Socket 754 CPU (using a Thermaltake
Silent Boost K8 A1838 model), a refurbished ASUS K8V SE Deluxe (VIA
K8T800 Socket 754 ATX; VIA VT8237 South Bridge; revision 2; 1007
Firmware; onboard sound ADI AD1980 enabled; onboard Marvell Yukon
88E8001/8003/8010 PCI Gigabit Ethernet Controller disabled), 1 GB of RAM
(1 Kingston DDR DRAM PC2100/DDR 266 512 MB + 1 Kingston DDR DRAM
PC2700/DDR CAS 2.5 512 MB), Enlight 7237-ATX mid-tower case; Antec
SmartPower SP-350 PSU (350 watts), two case 80mm case fans, NVIDIA
GeForce FX 5200 AGP card (128 MB), Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 (ST380011A;
7200 RPM; 80 GB) HDD, 6.4 GB Quantum Fireball EIDE (6.4EX-A) HDD,
Toshiba DVD-ROM Drive SD-M1912/TMAG 16X/48X, 3.5" Teac disk drive,
and an Intel InBusiness 10/100 (82559) NIC. Running Debian OS (Kernel
v2.6.18...-K7).
This computer and another desktop are connected to a Belkin Omni Cube
(2-port; PS/2 and VGA) to share a 19" Samsung SyncMaster 931BF LCD TFT
monitor, Chicony 104 Key PS/2 KB-2961 keyboard, and a 2-buttons PS/2
Logitech mouse. Both computers and monitor are connected to APC Back-UPS
XS BX1500's battery outlets.
Thank you in advance. :)

--
"Trivial hurts, tiny human accidents," said Firenze, as his hooves
thudded over the mossy floor. "These are of no more significance than
the scurryings of ants to the wide universe, and are unaffected by
planetary movements." --Harry Potter book
/\___/\
/ /\ /\ \ Phillip (Ant) @ http://antfarm.ma.cx (Personal Web Site)
| |o o| | Ant's Quality Foraged Links (AQFL): http://aqfl.net
\ _ / Remove ANT from e-mail address: ***@earthlink.netANT
( ) or ***@zimage.com
Ant is currently not listening to any songs on his home computer.

[Jim Davis]

Post by Ant
FYI. Currently, computer will NOT boot up (no fans, no case lights,
etc.). I do see the motherboard's green light (telling me power is
received?).

Post by Ant
Hello!
Earlier today, I was doing stuff in Debian like upgrading my Kernel
(2.6.18 with an updated package) and rebooted. The computer never
rebooted and it just got stuck (I think after shutdown -r now told it
to reboot -- shutdown seems to have completed).
Hitting the reset button didn't do anything, so I powered off the
machine for a few seconds and turned it on. I heard ASUS K8V SE Deluxe
motherboard's POST female voice say "System failed CPU test." (matches
the one in the hardcopy manual). I tried unplugging the power AC, give
it a few minutes to rest, and powered on again. Same problem.
So, I thought maybe CMOS needed to reset because I messing with
Cool'n'Quiet and it worked very well with my Linux for over a month of
uptime. I opened up the case, removed the battery, and changed the PIN
as shown in the manual. That did not help. Maybe I made it worse or
something. The box refused to turn at all. Sometimes, NOTHING happens
or sometimes I saw the case lights an fans spin turn on for one second
only. Once, I actually got the computer to boot up to my Grub (boot
loader) but when I was moving the case around with it on, the system
shut down and I couldn't get it to boot up properly.
I tried disconnecting everything outside (not inside since I am not
familiar with the cables, wiring, etc.) including DVI adapters, a VGA
cable, a PS/2 keyboard, and a PS/2 mouse. I still can't get computer
to boot up. It seems hit and miss, but I can't figure out the pattern.
It either powers on for a second, powers on but it tells me "System
failed CPU test." in voice, or nothing comes on at all.
I tried another power cable and power strip (originally was on my UPS
-- a few times it beep when computer turned on -- don't think it
supposed to do that?).
Here's a catch: I did a Kernel upgrade a few weeks ago, and same thing
happened (same POST voice, reboot didn't happen when I did shutdown -r
now after the Kernel upgrade), but it took me three attempts to power
back the box up without problems (I think I turned off PSU and
unplugged its AC cable) until I had to reboot again today!
Any ideas?
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 2.2GHz 512KB Socket 754 CPU (using a Thermaltake
Silent Boost K8 A1838 model), a refurbished ASUS K8V SE Deluxe (VIA
K8T800 Socket 754 ATX; VIA VT8237 South Bridge; revision 2; 1007
Firmware; onboard sound ADI AD1980 enabled; onboard Marvell Yukon
88E8001/8003/8010 PCI Gigabit Ethernet Controller disabled), 1 GB of
RAM (1 Kingston DDR DRAM PC2100/DDR 266 512 MB + 1 Kingston DDR DRAM
PC2700/DDR CAS 2.5 512 MB), Enlight 7237-ATX mid-tower case; Antec
SmartPower SP-350 PSU (350 watts), two case 80mm case fans, NVIDIA
GeForce FX 5200 AGP card (128 MB), Seagate Barracuda 7200.7
(ST380011A; 7200 RPM; 80 GB) HDD, 6.4 GB Quantum Fireball EIDE
(6.4EX-A) HDD, Toshiba DVD-ROM Drive SD-M1912/TMAG 16X/48X, 3.5" Teac
disk drive,
and an Intel InBusiness 10/100 (82559) NIC. Running Debian OS (Kernel
v2.6.18...-K7).
This computer and another desktop are connected to a Belkin Omni Cube
(2-port; PS/2 and VGA) to share a 19" Samsung SyncMaster 931BF LCD TFT
monitor, Chicony 104 Key PS/2 KB-2961 keyboard, and a 2-buttons PS/2
Logitech mouse. Both computers and monitor are connected to APC
Back-UPS XS BX1500's battery outlets.
Thank you in advance. :)

Open 'er up and check that the cpu is fully seated. Also check cables,
esp. SATA to hard drives. They are notorious for coming loose. This
may be an issue with your PSU failing. Try another one, if you can.

[Ant]

Post by Jim Davis

Post by Ant

Post by Ant
Hello!
Earlier today, I was doing stuff in Debian like upgrading my Kernel
(2.6.18 with an updated package) and rebooted. The computer never
rebooted and it just got stuck (I think after shutdown -r now told it
to reboot -- shutdown seems to have completed).
Hitting the reset button didn't do anything, so I powered off the
machine for a few seconds and turned it on. I heard ASUS K8V SE
Deluxe motherboard's POST female voice say "System failed CPU test."
(matches the one in the hardcopy manual). I tried unplugging the
power AC, give it a few minutes to rest, and powered on again. Same
problem.
So, I thought maybe CMOS needed to reset because I messing with
Cool'n'Quiet and it worked very well with my Linux for over a month
of uptime. I opened up the case, removed the battery, and changed the
PIN as shown in the manual. That did not help. Maybe I made it worse
or something. The box refused to turn at all. Sometimes, NOTHING
happens or sometimes I saw the case lights an fans spin turn on for
one second only. Once, I actually got the computer to boot up to my
Grub (boot loader) but when I was moving the case around with it on,
the system shut down and I couldn't get it to boot up properly.
I tried disconnecting everything outside (not inside since I am not
familiar with the cables, wiring, etc.) including DVI adapters, a VGA
cable, a PS/2 keyboard, and a PS/2 mouse. I still can't get computer
to boot up. It seems hit and miss, but I can't figure out the
pattern. It either powers on for a second, powers on but it tells me
"System failed CPU test." in voice, or nothing comes on at all.
I tried another power cable and power strip (originally was on my UPS
-- a few times it beep when computer turned on -- don't think it
supposed to do that?).
Here's a catch: I did a Kernel upgrade a few weeks ago, and same
thing happened (same POST voice, reboot didn't happen when I did
shutdown -r now after the Kernel upgrade), but it took me three
attempts to power back the box up without problems (I think I turned
off PSU and unplugged its AC cable) until I had to reboot again today!
Any ideas?
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 2.2GHz 512KB Socket 754 CPU (using a Thermaltake
Silent Boost K8 A1838 model), a refurbished ASUS K8V SE Deluxe (VIA
K8T800 Socket 754 ATX; VIA VT8237 South Bridge; revision 2; 1007
Firmware; onboard sound ADI AD1980 enabled; onboard Marvell Yukon
88E8001/8003/8010 PCI Gigabit Ethernet Controller disabled), 1 GB of
RAM (1 Kingston DDR DRAM PC2100/DDR 266 512 MB + 1 Kingston DDR DRAM
PC2700/DDR CAS 2.5 512 MB), Enlight 7237-ATX mid-tower case; Antec
SmartPower SP-350 PSU (350 watts), two case 80mm case fans, NVIDIA
GeForce FX 5200 AGP card (128 MB), Seagate Barracuda 7200.7
(ST380011A; 7200 RPM; 80 GB) HDD, 6.4 GB Quantum Fireball EIDE
(6.4EX-A) HDD, Toshiba DVD-ROM Drive SD-M1912/TMAG 16X/48X, 3.5" Teac
disk drive,
and an Intel InBusiness 10/100 (82559) NIC. Running Debian OS (Kernel
v2.6.18...-K7).
This computer and another desktop are connected to a Belkin Omni Cube
(2-port; PS/2 and VGA) to share a 19" Samsung SyncMaster 931BF LCD
TFT monitor, Chicony 104 Key PS/2 KB-2961 keyboard, and a 2-buttons
PS/2 Logitech mouse. Both computers and monitor are connected to APC
Back-UPS XS BX1500's battery outlets.

FYI. Currently, computer will NOT boot up (no fans, no case lights,
etc.). I do see the motherboard's green light (telling me power is
received?).

Open 'er up and check that the cpu is fully seated. Also check cables,
esp. SATA to hard drives. They are notorious for coming loose. This
may be an issue with your PSU failing. Try another one, if you can.

I already opened it. Remember I removed its battery to reset the CMOS
settings earlier. :)

Socket CPU and its Thermal Volcano heatsink seems seated and locked
(doesn't move or anything when I touch it and try to wiggle it -- did
not pull it out).

I don't have any SATA cables since all my drives are IDE, but I do have
those old IDE ribbon cables. The all appear to be intact to me.

Man, if it is the Antec SmartPower SP-350 PSU (350 watts), then it is
not even a yearsince I had it since 7/29/2006! I need to borrow or buy a
new one to see if it is PSU related or not which I can't do now (Sunday
night). :(

Again, still can't power on the box, its fans, and case lights at all
except the motherboard's light.

[Outback Jon]

Post by Ant
Man, if it is the Antec SmartPower SP-350 PSU (350 watts), then it is
not even a yearsince I had it since 7/29/2006! I need to borrow or buy a
new one to see if it is PSU related or not which I can't do now (Sunday
night). :(
Again, still can't power on the box, its fans, and case lights at all
except the motherboard's light.

I had TWO Antec SmartPower - the 500W ones - fail. Same exact symptoms
you have. Reboot, or shut down, and never came on again. IF you have
the receipt, Antec is good with their RMA policy. I think they give a 3
year warranty on the SmartPower supplies. If you don't have the
receipt, see if you can get a copy from the store you bought it at. An
invoice from an online purchase is just as good as a receipt.

No receipt, and they won't do crap for you. Been there, done that.

[Ant]

Post by Outback Jon

Post by Ant
Man, if it is the Antec SmartPower SP-350 PSU (350 watts), then it is
not even a yearsince I had it since 7/29/2006! I need to borrow or buy
a new one to see if it is PSU related or not which I can't do now
(Sunday night). :(
Again, still can't power on the box, its fans, and case lights at all
except the motherboard's light.

I had TWO Antec SmartPower - the 500W ones - fail. Same exact symptoms
you have. Reboot, or shut down, and never came on again. IF you have

Wow. So your systems were working perfectly beforing rebooting/shut
downs? Are/Were these 24/7 days machine(s)? I thought maybe AMD
Cool'n'Quiet did something funky to my system because I don't recall
having these problems before enabling it.

Post by Outback Jon
the receipt, Antec is good with their RMA policy. I think they give a 3
year warranty on the SmartPower supplies. If you don't have the
receipt, see if you can get a copy from the store you bought it at. An
invoice from an online purchase is just as good as a receipt.

Yes, I should have it somewhere. Hmm, I used Antec and Enlight brands in
the past. Are Antec and others not doing well anymore? I have a SeaSonic
in one of my gaming boxes to see if it handles my system well (I don't
even OC). The Debian/Linux box is just basic workstation/server (no
gaming) abnd used as my secondary machine if my primary one has problems
or goes down.

Post by Outback Jon
No receipt, and they won't do crap for you. Been there, done that.

That true for most companies anyways. :)
--
"..., you ready for a little dumpster diving?" "Um... okay." "You know I
don't mind getting my hands dirty." "I mean, maggots, wet trash, I am
the first one in." "Okay, so what are you waiting for?" "Ants."
(Chuckles) "Ants?" "Yes, I have got a problem with ants." "They are
sneaky, and they are mobile, and when they get on you, even if you get
them off..." "Okay, Calleigh, chill." --CSI: Miami (Wannabe episode; #218)
/\___/\
/ /\ /\ \ Phillip (Ant) @ http://antfarm.ma.cx (Personal Web Site)
| |o o| | Ant's Quality Foraged Links (AQFL): http://aqfl.net
\ _ / Remove ANT from e-mail address: ***@earthlink.netANT
( ) or ***@zimage.com
Ant is currently not listening to any songs on his home computer.

[Outback Jon]

Post by Ant
Wow. So your systems were working perfectly beforing rebooting/shut
downs? Are/Were these 24/7 days machine(s)? I thought maybe AMD
Cool'n'Quiet did something funky to my system because I don't recall
having these problems before enabling it.

Yep. It was the same machine both times. I (stupidly) purchased
another Antec when the first one went bad. Figured it was just a fluke.
And this is a 24/7/365 machine. MY computer. The wife and kids have
their own... Used for gaming/internet/***@Home.

3 of my other 4 computers have the cheap crap power supplies that came
with the cases. They all work perfectly fine. Figures.

Post by Ant

Post by Outback Jon
No receipt, and they won't do crap for you. Been there, done that.

That true for most companies anyways. :)

Actually, recently, any returns I have done have been good without the
receipt. Including a Sanyo HDTV. Called Sanyo, they looked up the
build date from the serial number, and said "Sure, return it to WalMart,
they'll replace it. If they give you any problems call us back FROM THE
STORE, and we'll straighten it out immediately." That was an $800 TV.
You'd think an $80 power supply would be easier...

[Ant]

Post by Outback Jon

Post by Ant
Wow. So your systems were working perfectly beforing rebooting/shut
downs? Are/Were these 24/7 days machine(s)? I thought maybe AMD
Cool'n'Quiet did something funky to my system because I don't recall
having these problems before enabling it.

Yep. It was the same machine both times. I (stupidly) purchased
another Antec when the first one went bad. Figured it was just a fluke.
And this is a 24/7/365 machine. MY computer. The wife and kids have

Interesting. I wonder if our Antec PSUs can't handle to have long
uptimes. Hmm, maybe I should look at FSP, SeaSonic, etc. this time. Bah,
I still need to RMA this PSU though if it is broken.

[Ant]

Post by Outback Jon

Post by Ant
Wow. So your systems were working perfectly beforing rebooting/shut
downs? Are/Were these 24/7 days machine(s)? I thought maybe AMD
Cool'n'Quiet did something funky to my system because I don't recall
having these problems before enabling it.

Yep. It was the same machine both times. I (stupidly) purchased
another Antec when the first one went bad. Figured it was just a fluke.
And this is a 24/7/365 machine. MY computer. The wife and kids have

Did your Antec slowly showed symptoms and then finally died? Or did it
die without any symptoms? Since I have seen the symptoms like a few
weeks ago when I had to reboot with similiar symptoms. I was lucky to
keep using my computers for a few more weeks before I had to reboot.

I wonder what killed our PSUs if reboots caused the deaths.

[Outback Jon]

Post by Ant
Did your Antec slowly showed symptoms and then finally died? Or did it
die without any symptoms? Since I have seen the symptoms like a few
weeks ago when I had to reboot with similiar symptoms. I was lucky to
keep using my computers for a few more weeks before I had to reboot.
I wonder what killed our PSUs if reboots caused the deaths.

No symptoms, just sudden death.

[Ant]

Post by Outback Jon

Post by Ant
Did your Antec slowly showed symptoms and then finally died? Or did it
die without any symptoms? Since I have seen the symptoms like a few
weeks ago when I had to reboot with similiar symptoms. I was lucky to
keep using my computers for a few more weeks before I had to reboot.
I wonder what killed our PSUs if reboots caused the deaths.

No symptoms, just sudden death.

Interesting. Well, at least I saw mine worked the first reboot.
Yesterday, I saw it actually boot up once but I lost that session when I
was moving my box around.

Just curious. Do you use AMD and its Cool'n'Quiet?
--
"I once heard the survivors of a colony of ants that had been partially
obliterated by a cow's foot seriously debating the intention of the gods
towards their civilization" --Archy the Cockroach from Don Marquis'
"Archy and Mehitabel" book ("Certain Maxims of Archy" poem)
/\___/\
/ /\ /\ \ Phillip (Ant) @ http://antfarm.ma.cx (Personal Web Site)
| |o o| | Ant's Quality Foraged Links (AQFL): http://aqfl.net
\ _ / Remove ANT from e-mail address: ***@earthlink.netANT
( ) or ***@zimage.com
Ant is currently not listening to any songs on his home computer.

[RobV]

Post by Ant

Post by Outback Jon

Post by Ant
Did your Antec slowly showed symptoms and then finally died? Or did
it die without any symptoms? Since I have seen the symptoms like a
few weeks ago when I had to reboot with similiar symptoms. I was
lucky to keep using my computers for a few more weeks before I had
to reboot. I wonder what killed our PSUs if reboots caused the
deaths.

No symptoms, just sudden death.

Interesting. Well, at least I saw mine worked the first reboot.
Yesterday, I saw it actually boot up once but I lost that session
when I was moving my box around.
Just curious. Do you use AMD and its Cool'n'Quiet?

I'm going to jump in here because of what you two are describing. I
have an Antec case with a 400 watt PSU (Antec) that came with it and the
system (1700+ Thouroubred o/c'ed to 2.2 GHz).
I shut the system down every night and boot up again in the morning.
This system has been running without any problems for nearly 5 years.

I'm building another computer and the Antec case (with an Antec PSU)
that I ordered from Newegg had about half the customers complain that
the PSU either died right away, or within 6 months to a year.

Sounds like Antec is having problems that could be related to some more
bad electrolytic caps coming from China. It's about the only thing that
makes sense.
As for the case, it was $100 less a $50 rebate, so I figured I make out
even if the PSU is FUBARed.

[mr deo]

Post by RobV
Sounds like Antec is having problems that could be related to some more
bad electrolytic caps coming from China. It's about the only thing that
makes sense.
As for the case, it was $100 less a $50 rebate, so I figured I make out
even if the PSU is FUBARed.

Antec dont make their own cases or psu's. The faceplate on the cases
"might" be molded by Antec but I dont know about that.

Generally speaking the mfgr of antec's cases and psu's make really good
kit..



To the OP:

"Again, still can't power on the box, its fans, and case lights at all
except the motherboard's light."

This sounds like the +5 is good

Test the other main section
I would unplug the plug from the motherboard, (and any additional plugs that
connect to the board itself or video cards) and short out pins 14 (green) to
pin 15 (black)
http://www.bluemax.net/techtips/ATXPowerSupplyWiring/ATXPowerSupplyWiring.htm
When you short those 2 points it "should" cut on.. if it doesnt turn on then
the power supply is a 100% writeoff.

The psu should be happy running without a load (nothing connected at all),
cheaper supplys sometimes fail that test (they burn up).

Let us know how you get on with this ;)

[Outback Jon]

Post by mr deo
Test the other main section
I would unplug the plug from the motherboard, (and any additional plugs that
connect to the board itself or video cards) and short out pins 14 (green) to
pin 15 (black)
http://www.bluemax.net/techtips/ATXPowerSupplyWiring/ATXPowerSupplyWiring.htm
When you short those 2 points it "should" cut on.. if it doesnt turn on then
the power supply is a 100% writeoff.

When I did this on mine, the power supply would power up as long as the
pins were shorted, but would shut down when they were disconnected.
(Which I think is how it should be)

But when plugged into the motherboard, nothing would turn on. I
eliminated the motherboard as a suspect by plugging another power supply
into it and it worked flawlessly.

[Barry Watzman]

The green light on the motherboard is driven by the +5vSB line (5 volt
STANDBY), which is different than the "real" 5 volt line the drives the
circuitry when you push the "on" button.

The point of the green light is to warn you that SOME circuits are still
live even when the computer is "off" .... the +5vSB line is ALWAYS "hot"
whenever the power supply is simply plugged in ... and it runs SOME
circuits on part of the motherboard and the expansion bus.

But it does not mean that the "main" 5 volt supply is good.

Post by mr deo
"Again, still can't power on the box, its fans, and case lights at all
except the motherboard's light."
This sounds like the +5 is good

[mr deo]

Post by Barry Watzman
The green light on the motherboard is driven by the +5vSB line (5 volt
STANDBY), which is different than the "real" 5 volt line the drives the
circuitry when you push the "on" button.
The point of the green light is to warn you that SOME circuits are still
live even when the computer is "off" .... the +5vSB line is ALWAYS "hot"
whenever the power supply is simply plugged in ... and it runs SOME
circuits on part of the motherboard and the expansion bus.
But it does not mean that the "main" 5 volt supply is good.

yes, I hated to reply to myself adding VSB.. Especially as the op had
difficulty removing the battery :/

[Ant]

Post by RobV

Post by Ant

Post by Outback Jon

Post by Ant
Did your Antec slowly showed symptoms and then finally died? Or did
it die without any symptoms? Since I have seen the symptoms like a
few weeks ago when I had to reboot with similiar symptoms. I was
lucky to keep using my computers for a few more weeks before I had
to reboot. I wonder what killed our PSUs if reboots caused the
deaths.

No symptoms, just sudden death.

Interesting. Well, at least I saw mine worked the first reboot.
Yesterday, I saw it actually boot up once but I lost that session
when I was moving my box around.
Just curious. Do you use AMD and its Cool'n'Quiet?

I'm going to jump in here because of what you two are describing. I
have an Antec case with a 400 watt PSU (Antec) that came with it and the
system (1700+ Thouroubred o/c'ed to 2.2 GHz).
I shut the system down every night and boot up again in the morning.
This system has been running without any problems for nearly 5 years.
I'm building another computer and the Antec case (with an Antec PSU)
that I ordered from Newegg had about half the customers complain that
the PSU either died right away, or within 6 months to a year.
Sounds like Antec is having problems that could be related to some more
bad electrolytic caps coming from China. It's about the only thing that
makes sense.
As for the case, it was $100 less a $50 rebate, so I figured I make out
even if the PSU is FUBARed.

Still having bad electrolytic caps?!? I thought this was fixed already
sicne this was brought up in public years ago. Grr. :(

[RobV]

Post by Ant

Post by RobV

Post by Ant

Post by Outback Jon

Post by Ant
Did your Antec slowly showed symptoms and then finally died? Or
did it die without any symptoms? Since I have seen the symptoms
like a few weeks ago when I had to reboot with similiar symptoms.
I was lucky to keep using my computers for a few more weeks
before I had to reboot. I wonder what killed our PSUs if reboots
caused the deaths.

No symptoms, just sudden death.

Interesting. Well, at least I saw mine worked the first reboot.
Yesterday, I saw it actually boot up once but I lost that session
when I was moving my box around.
Just curious. Do you use AMD and its Cool'n'Quiet?

I'm going to jump in here because of what you two are describing. I
have an Antec case with a 400 watt PSU (Antec) that came with it and
the system (1700+ Thouroubred o/c'ed to 2.2 GHz).
I shut the system down every night and boot up again in the morning.
This system has been running without any problems for nearly 5 years.
I'm building another computer and the Antec case (with an Antec PSU)
that I ordered from Newegg had about half the customers complain that
the PSU either died right away, or within 6 months to a year.
Sounds like Antec is having problems that could be related to some
more bad electrolytic caps coming from China. It's about the only
thing that makes sense.
As for the case, it was $100 less a $50 rebate, so I figured I make
out even if the PSU is FUBARed.

Still having bad electrolytic caps?!? I thought this was fixed already
sicne this was brought up in public years ago. Grr. :(

Apparently, it's happened again according to what I've read in the
reviews. Japanese caps are fine, but caps from elsewhere (I'm guessing
China) are having problems. Don't know if it's the same incomplete
formula, or just a bad batch, but it would explain all these Antec PSU
failures. Antec have always been the most reliable PSU around, but the
failure rate has certainly jumped lately.

[Ant]

Post by RobV

Post by Ant

Post by RobV

Post by Ant

Post by Outback Jon

Post by Ant
Did your Antec slowly showed symptoms and then finally died? Or
did it die without any symptoms? Since I have seen the symptoms
like a few weeks ago when I had to reboot with similiar symptoms.
I was lucky to keep using my computers for a few more weeks
before I had to reboot. I wonder what killed our PSUs if reboots
caused the deaths.

No symptoms, just sudden death.

Interesting. Well, at least I saw mine worked the first reboot.
Yesterday, I saw it actually boot up once but I lost that session
when I was moving my box around.
Just curious. Do you use AMD and its Cool'n'Quiet?

I'm going to jump in here because of what you two are describing. I
have an Antec case with a 400 watt PSU (Antec) that came with it and
the system (1700+ Thouroubred o/c'ed to 2.2 GHz).
I shut the system down every night and boot up again in the morning.
This system has been running without any problems for nearly 5 years.
I'm building another computer and the Antec case (with an Antec PSU)
that I ordered from Newegg had about half the customers complain that
the PSU either died right away, or within 6 months to a year.
Sounds like Antec is having problems that could be related to some
more bad electrolytic caps coming from China. It's about the only
thing that makes sense.
As for the case, it was $100 less a $50 rebate, so I figured I make
out even if the PSU is FUBARed.

Still having bad electrolytic caps?!? I thought this was fixed already
sicne this was brought up in public years ago. Grr. :(

Apparently, it's happened again according to what I've read in the
reviews. Japanese caps are fine, but caps from elsewhere (I'm guessing
China) are having problems. Don't know if it's the same incomplete
formula, or just a bad batch, but it would explain all these Antec PSU
failures. Antec have always been the most reliable PSU around, but the
failure rate has certainly jumped lately.

Do you have the sources/URLs for these? This is news to me if it is
recent. I remember old stories like Dell computers having caps problems.
:( How about other brands of PSUs like SeaSonic? I hope SeaSonic isn't
affected since I got one (600 watts) last year.

[RobV]

Ant wrote:

[snip]

Post by Ant

Post by RobV

Post by Ant
Still having bad electrolytic caps?!? I thought this was fixed
already sicne this was brought up in public years ago. Grr. :(

Apparently, it's happened again according to what I've read in the
reviews. Japanese caps are fine, but caps from elsewhere (I'm
guessing China) are having problems. Don't know if it's the same
incomplete formula, or just a bad batch, but it would explain all
these Antec PSU failures. Antec have always been the most reliable
PSU around, but the failure rate has certainly jumped lately.

Do you have the sources/URLs for these? This is news to me if it is
recent. I remember old stories like Dell computers having caps
problems. :( How about other brands of PSUs like SeaSonic? I hope
SeaSonic isn't affected since I got one (600 watts) last year.

Post by RobV

Post by Ant
http://aqfl.net

\ _ / Please remove ANT if replying by
e-mail. ( )

I have no idea about either question, sorry. The Antec case comes with
an Antec 450 watt PSU. I read through a lot of customer feedback and it
was mentioned in there somewhere. You'll see how many had defective
PSU's by scanning through the reviews:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16811129155

[Ant]

Post by RobV

Post by Ant

Post by RobV

Post by Ant

Post by Outback Jon

Post by Ant
Did your Antec slowly showed symptoms and then finally died? Or
did it die without any symptoms? Since I have seen the symptoms
like a few weeks ago when I had to reboot with similiar symptoms.
I was lucky to keep using my computers for a few more weeks
before I had to reboot. I wonder what killed our PSUs if reboots
caused the deaths.

No symptoms, just sudden death.

Interesting. Well, at least I saw mine worked the first reboot.
Yesterday, I saw it actually boot up once but I lost that session
when I was moving my box around.
Just curious. Do you use AMD and its Cool'n'Quiet?

I'm going to jump in here because of what you two are describing. I
have an Antec case with a 400 watt PSU (Antec) that came with it and
the system (1700+ Thouroubred o/c'ed to 2.2 GHz).
I shut the system down every night and boot up again in the morning.
This system has been running without any problems for nearly 5 years.
I'm building another computer and the Antec case (with an Antec PSU)
that I ordered from Newegg had about half the customers complain that
the PSU either died right away, or within 6 months to a year.
Sounds like Antec is having problems that could be related to some
more bad electrolytic caps coming from China. It's about the only
thing that makes sense.
As for the case, it was $100 less a $50 rebate, so I figured I make
out even if the PSU is FUBARed.

Still having bad electrolytic caps?!? I thought this was fixed already
sicne this was brought up in public years ago. Grr. :(

Apparently, it's happened again according to what I've read in the
reviews. Japanese caps are fine, but caps from elsewhere (I'm guessing
China) are having problems. Don't know if it's the same incomplete
formula, or just a bad batch, but it would explain all these Antec PSU
failures. Antec have always been the most reliable PSU around, but the
failure rate has certainly jumped lately.

Is there a way to find out if I have a bad batch, model, etc.? Have
there been any recalls? Will RMAs (only 9 months old) be with the fixed
caps?

[RobV]

Ant wrote:

[snip]

Post by Ant
Is there a way to find out if I have a bad batch, model, etc.? Have
there been any recalls? Will RMAs (only 9 months old) be with the
fixed caps?

Post by Ant
http://aqfl.net

\ _ / Please remove ANT if replying by
e-mail. ( )

I'm sorry, my friend, but the capacitor problem was mentioned in the
customer reviews, as noted above. Whether it's accurate or not (or even
how to find out), it would explain having nearly half the supplies sold
(with this case) die within a year or so.

[Outback Jon]

Post by Ant
Just curious. Do you use AMD and its Cool'n'Quiet?

AMD, yes. Cool-N-Quiet, no.

I run ***@Home, so the computer is at 95% CPU usage all the time.

[Barry Watzman]

My son also had an Antec Power Supply fail in about a year.

Post by Ant

Post by Outback Jon

Post by Ant
Man, if it is the Antec SmartPower SP-350 PSU (350 watts), then it is
not even a yearsince I had it since 7/29/2006! I need to borrow or
buy a new one to see if it is PSU related or not which I can't do now
(Sunday night). :(
Again, still can't power on the box, its fans, and case lights at all
except the motherboard's light.

I had TWO Antec SmartPower - the 500W ones - fail. Same exact
symptoms you have. Reboot, or shut down, and never came on again. IF
you have

Wow. So your systems were working perfectly beforing rebooting/shut
downs? Are/Were these 24/7 days machine(s)? I thought maybe AMD
Cool'n'Quiet did something funky to my system because I don't recall
having these problems before enabling it.

Post by Outback Jon
the receipt, Antec is good with their RMA policy. I think they give a
3 year warranty on the SmartPower supplies. If you don't have the
receipt, see if you can get a copy from the store you bought it at.
An invoice from an online purchase is just as good as a receipt.

Yes, I should have it somewhere. Hmm, I used Antec and Enlight brands in
the past. Are Antec and others not doing well anymore? I have a SeaSonic
in one of my gaming boxes to see if it handles my system well (I don't
even OC). The Debian/Linux box is just basic workstation/server (no
gaming) abnd used as my secondary machine if my primary one has problems
or goes down.

Post by Outback Jon
No receipt, and they won't do crap for you. Been there, done that.

That true for most companies anyways. :)

[Barry Watzman]

I'd suspect the power supply first. Fans run from 12 volts, the green
light on the motherboard tells you that you have 5 volt STANDBY, but it
does NOT confirm the "main" 5 volt line (or 12 volts, or 3.3 volts).

This could be a motherboard logic problem, or even a bad power switch.

Post by Ant
FYI. Currently, computer will NOT boot up (no fans, no case lights,
etc.). I do see the motherboard's green light (telling me power is
received?).

Post by Ant
Hello!
Earlier today, I was doing stuff in Debian like upgrading my Kernel
(2.6.18 with an updated package) and rebooted. The computer never
rebooted and it just got stuck (I think after shutdown -r now told it
to reboot -- shutdown seems to have completed).
Hitting the reset button didn't do anything, so I powered off the
machine for a few seconds and turned it on. I heard ASUS K8V SE Deluxe
motherboard's POST female voice say "System failed CPU test." (matches
the one in the hardcopy manual). I tried unplugging the power AC, give
it a few minutes to rest, and powered on again. Same problem.
So, I thought maybe CMOS needed to reset because I messing with
Cool'n'Quiet and it worked very well with my Linux for over a month of
uptime. I opened up the case, removed the battery, and changed the PIN
as shown in the manual. That did not help. Maybe I made it worse or
something. The box refused to turn at all. Sometimes, NOTHING happens
or sometimes I saw the case lights an fans spin turn on for one second
only. Once, I actually got the computer to boot up to my Grub (boot
loader) but when I was moving the case around with it on, the system
shut down and I couldn't get it to boot up properly.
I tried disconnecting everything outside (not inside since I am not
familiar with the cables, wiring, etc.) including DVI adapters, a VGA
cable, a PS/2 keyboard, and a PS/2 mouse. I still can't get computer
to boot up. It seems hit and miss, but I can't figure out the pattern.
It either powers on for a second, powers on but it tells me "System
failed CPU test." in voice, or nothing comes on at all.
I tried another power cable and power strip (originally was on my UPS
-- a few times it beep when computer turned on -- don't think it
supposed to do that?).
Here's a catch: I did a Kernel upgrade a few weeks ago, and same thing
happened (same POST voice, reboot didn't happen when I did shutdown -r
now after the Kernel upgrade), but it took me three attempts to power
back the box up without problems (I think I turned off PSU and
unplugged its AC cable) until I had to reboot again today!
Any ideas?
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 2.2GHz 512KB Socket 754 CPU (using a Thermaltake
Silent Boost K8 A1838 model), a refurbished ASUS K8V SE Deluxe (VIA
K8T800 Socket 754 ATX; VIA VT8237 South Bridge; revision 2; 1007
Firmware; onboard sound ADI AD1980 enabled; onboard Marvell Yukon
88E8001/8003/8010 PCI Gigabit Ethernet Controller disabled), 1 GB of
RAM (1 Kingston DDR DRAM PC2100/DDR 266 512 MB + 1 Kingston DDR DRAM
PC2700/DDR CAS 2.5 512 MB), Enlight 7237-ATX mid-tower case; Antec
SmartPower SP-350 PSU (350 watts), two case 80mm case fans, NVIDIA
GeForce FX 5200 AGP card (128 MB), Seagate Barracuda 7200.7
(ST380011A; 7200 RPM; 80 GB) HDD, 6.4 GB Quantum Fireball EIDE
(6.4EX-A) HDD, Toshiba DVD-ROM Drive SD-M1912/TMAG 16X/48X, 3.5" Teac
disk drive,
and an Intel InBusiness 10/100 (82559) NIC. Running Debian OS (Kernel
v2.6.18...-K7).
This computer and another desktop are connected to a Belkin Omni Cube
(2-port; PS/2 and VGA) to share a 19" Samsung SyncMaster 931BF LCD TFT
monitor, Chicony 104 Key PS/2 KB-2961 keyboard, and a 2-buttons PS/2
Logitech mouse. Both computers and monitor are connected to APC
Back-UPS XS BX1500's battery outlets.
Thank you in advance. :)

[mr deo]

Post by Ant
So, I thought maybe CMOS needed to reset because I messing with
Cool'n'Quiet and it worked very well with my Linux for over a month of
uptime. I opened up the case, removed the battery, and changed the PIN
as shown in the manual. That did not help. Maybe I made it worse or
something. The box refused to turn at all. Sometimes, NOTHING happens or
sometimes I saw the case lights an fans spin turn on for one second
only. Once, I actually got the computer to boot up to my Grub (boot
loader) but when I was moving the case around with it on, the system
shut down and I couldn't get it to boot up properly.

I know this might be a silly question, did you unplug the power cable before
removing the battery and doing the reset?

[Ant]

Post by mr deo

Post by Ant
So, I thought maybe CMOS needed to reset because I messing with
Cool'n'Quiet and it worked very well with my Linux for over a month of
uptime. I opened up the case, removed the battery, and changed the PIN
as shown in the manual. That did not help. Maybe I made it worse or
something. The box refused to turn at all. Sometimes, NOTHING happens or
sometimes I saw the case lights an fans spin turn on for one second
only. Once, I actually got the computer to boot up to my Grub (boot
loader) but when I was moving the case around with it on, the system
shut down and I couldn't get it to boot up properly.

I know this might be a silly question, did you unplug the power cable before
removing the battery and doing the reset?

Yes as told in the manual and safety reasons.

[Ant]

FIXED! A Fortran FSP650-80GLC PSU (650 watts) was set to replace the
PSU, and my system came alive. My friend, who brought over the Fortran
PSU, said he heard the dead one making really faint whirling noises. He
even hooked up voltages reader and said the PSU looked fine. Somehow he
thinks the coil(?) is hosed. He didn't open the broken PSU since it
would void the warranty for RMA.

Post by Ant
Hello!
Earlier today, I was doing stuff in Debian like upgrading my Kernel
(2.6.18 with an updated package) and rebooted. The computer never
rebooted and it just got stuck (I think after shutdown -r now told it to
reboot -- shutdown seems to have completed).
Hitting the reset button didn't do anything, so I powered off the
machine for a few seconds and turned it on. I heard ASUS K8V SE Deluxe
motherboard's POST female voice say "System failed CPU test." (matches
the one in the hardcopy manual). I tried unplugging the power AC, give
it a few minutes to rest, and powered on again. Same problem.
So, I thought maybe CMOS needed to reset because I messing with
Cool'n'Quiet and it worked very well with my Linux for over a month of
uptime. I opened up the case, removed the battery, and changed the PIN
as shown in the manual. That did not help. Maybe I made it worse or
something. The box refused to turn at all. Sometimes, NOTHING happens or
sometimes I saw the case lights an fans spin turn on for one second
only. Once, I actually got the computer to boot up to my Grub (boot
loader) but when I was moving the case around with it on, the system
shut down and I couldn't get it to boot up properly.
I tried disconnecting everything outside (not inside since I am not
familiar with the cables, wiring, etc.) including DVI adapters, a VGA
cable, a PS/2 keyboard, and a PS/2 mouse. I still can't get computer to
boot up. It seems hit and miss, but I can't figure out the pattern. It
either powers on for a second, powers on but it tells me "System failed
CPU test." in voice, or nothing comes on at all.
I tried another power cable and power strip (originally was on my UPS --
a few times it beep when computer turned on -- don't think it supposed
to do that?).
Here's a catch: I did a Kernel upgrade a few weeks ago, and same thing
happened (same POST voice, reboot didn't happen when I did shutdown -r
now after the Kernel upgrade), but it took me three attempts to power
back the box up without problems (I think I turned off PSU and unplugged
its AC cable) until I had to reboot again today!
Any ideas?
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 2.2GHz 512KB Socket 754 CPU (using a Thermaltake
Silent Boost K8 A1838 model), a refurbished ASUS K8V SE Deluxe (VIA
K8T800 Socket 754 ATX; VIA VT8237 South Bridge; revision 2; 1007
Firmware; onboard sound ADI AD1980 enabled; onboard Marvell Yukon
88E8001/8003/8010 PCI Gigabit Ethernet Controller disabled), 1 GB of RAM
(1 Kingston DDR DRAM PC2100/DDR 266 512 MB + 1 Kingston DDR DRAM
PC2700/DDR CAS 2.5 512 MB), Enlight 7237-ATX mid-tower case; Antec
SmartPower SP-350 PSU (350 watts), two case 80mm case fans, NVIDIA
GeForce FX 5200 AGP card (128 MB), Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 (ST380011A;
7200 RPM; 80 GB) HDD, 6.4 GB Quantum Fireball EIDE (6.4EX-A) HDD,
Toshiba DVD-ROM Drive SD-M1912/TMAG 16X/48X, 3.5" Teac disk drive,
and an Intel InBusiness 10/100 (82559) NIC. Running Debian OS (Kernel
v2.6.18...-K7).
This computer and another desktop are connected to a Belkin Omni Cube
(2-port; PS/2 and VGA) to share a 19" Samsung SyncMaster 931BF LCD TFT
monitor, Chicony 104 Key PS/2 KB-2961 keyboard, and a 2-buttons PS/2
Logitech mouse. Both computers and monitor are connected to APC Back-UPS
XS BX1500's battery outlets.
Thank you in advance. :)

[RobV]

Post by Ant
FIXED! A Fortran FSP650-80GLC PSU (650 watts) was set to replace the
PSU, and my system came alive. My friend, who brought over the Fortran
PSU, said he heard the dead one making really faint whirling noises.
He even hooked up voltages reader and said the PSU looked fine.
Somehow he thinks the coil(?) is hosed. He didn't open the broken PSU
since it would void the warranty for RMA.

[snipped]

That's great news! And now I'm concerned, because the Antec mid tower
case arrived and it does have a Antec Smart Power 450 watt PSU. I hope
it works long enough to buy and install another branded PSU. Any
suggested brands (besides Fortran, just to get a few more brands to
choose from)? I am so disappointed since Antec used to be very
reliable; but not any more, obviously.

Thanks for updating and letting us know what fixed the problem, Ant.

[Jim Davis]

Post by RobV

Post by Ant
FIXED! A Fortran FSP650-80GLC PSU (650 watts) was set to replace the
PSU, and my system came alive. My friend, who brought over the Fortran
PSU, said he heard the dead one making really faint whirling noises.
He even hooked up voltages reader and said the PSU looked fine.
Somehow he thinks the coil(?) is hosed. He didn't open the broken PSU
since it would void the warranty for RMA.

[snipped]
That's great news! And now I'm concerned, because the Antec mid tower
case arrived and it does have a Antec Smart Power 450 watt PSU. I hope
it works long enough to buy and install another branded PSU. Any
suggested brands (besides Fortran, just to get a few more brands to
choose from)? I am so disappointed since Antec used to be very
reliable; but not any more, obviously.
Thanks for updating and letting us know what fixed the problem, Ant.

I don't know what price range you might be interested in but I have a
CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX ATX12V and it rocks!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817139002
I believe Corsair also has the same model in a 520W that would be a
little less $$.

[RobV]

Jim Davis wrote:

[snip]

Post by Jim Davis
I don't know what price range you might be interested in but I have a
CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX ATX12V and it rocks!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817139002
I believe Corsair also has the same model in a 520W that would be a
little less $$.

Thanks for the suggestion, Jim. That's a bit more than what I want, or
need, to spend. The system will be a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation),
no games, so lower power (and price) is acceptable.
The main qualification would be reliabilty.

Is there anything decent anymore for about $100?

[BC]

Post by RobV
[snip]

Post by Jim Davis
I don't know what price range you might be interested in but I have a
CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX ATX12V and it rocks!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817139002
I believe Corsair also has the same model in a 520W that would be a
little less $$.

Thanks for the suggestion, Jim. That's a bit more than what I want, or
need, to spend. The system will be a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation),
no games, so lower power (and price) is acceptable.
The main qualification would be reliabilty.
Is there anything decent anymore for about $100?

Perhaps one of these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=Property&N=2010320058&minPrice=1&maxPrice=111&OEMMark=1%2C0&PropertyCodeValue=1314%3A14177%2C1314%3A14178%2C1314%3A14179%2C1314%3A14176%2C1315%3A9966%2C2978%3A19910&bop=And&CompareItemList=N82E16817159040%2CN82E16817171001%2CN82E16817151023%2CN82E16817171010%2CN82E16817256008%2CN82E16817194011%2CN82E16817379004%2CN82E16817194015%2CN82E16817189014%2CN82E16817194007%2CN82E16817103462%2CN82E16817194012%2CN82E16817194010%2CN82E16817104034

Or:

http://www.pcpower.com/products/viewproduct.php?show=S47ATX

I have had the best results with PC Power & Cooling power supplies;
Seasonic good too, as is Enermax, imo....

HTH,

BC

[RobV]

[snip]

Post by BC

Post by RobV
Is there anything decent anymore for about $100?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=Property&N=2010320058&minPrice=1&maxPrice=111&OEMMark=1%2C0&PropertyCodeValue=1314%3A14177%2C1314%3A14178%2C1314%3A14179%2C1314%3A14176%2C1315%3A9966%2C2978%3A19910&bop=And&CompareItemList=N82E16817159040%2CN82E16817171001%2CN82E16817151023%2CN82E16817171010%2CN82E16817256008%2CN82E16817194011%2CN82E16817379004%2CN82E16817194015%2CN82E16817189014%2CN82E16817194007%2CN82E16817103462%2CN82E16817194012%2CN82E16817194010%2CN82E16817104034
http://www.pcpower.com/products/viewproduct.php?show=S47ATX
I have had the best results with PC Power & Cooling power supplies;
Seasonic good too, as is Enermax, imo....
HTH,
BC

Thanks. PCP&C I knew about, but that's way out of my price range. It's
been so long since I last built a system that I forgot about Enermax
(thank you) and I discovered Seasonic when Googling for PSU reviews.
I've checked at Newegg and will order the Seasonic M12 SS500HM 500 watt
PSU. A bit over $100, but close enough and the specs are excellent,
plus modular cabling.

Thanks again, BC. Much appreciated!

[Jim Davis]

Post by RobV
[snip]

Post by BC

Post by RobV
Is there anything decent anymore for about $100?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=Property&N=2010320058&minPrice=1&maxPrice=111&OEMMark=1%2C0&PropertyCodeValue=1314%3A14177%2C1314%3A14178%2C1314%3A14179%2C1314%3A14176%2C1315%3A9966%2C2978%3A19910&bop=And&CompareItemList=N82E16817159040%2CN82E16817171001%2CN82E16817151023%2CN82E16817171010%2CN82E16817256008%2CN82E16817194011%2CN82E16817379004%2CN82E16817194015%2CN82E16817189014%2CN82E16817194007%2CN82E16817103462%2CN82E16817194012%2CN82E16817194010%2CN82E16817104034
http://www.pcpower.com/products/viewproduct.php?show=S47ATX
I have had the best results with PC Power & Cooling power supplies;
Seasonic good too, as is Enermax, imo....
HTH,
BC

Thanks. PCP&C I knew about, but that's way out of my price range. It's
been so long since I last built a system that I forgot about Enermax
(thank you) and I discovered Seasonic when Googling for PSU reviews.
I've checked at Newegg and will order the Seasonic M12 SS500HM 500 watt
PSU. A bit over $100, but close enough and the specs are excellent,
plus modular cabling.
Thanks again, BC. Much appreciated!

Excellent choice! I may be wrong, but I think my Corsair may actually
be built by Seasonic.

[RobV]

Post by Jim Davis

Post by RobV
Thanks. PCP&C I knew about, but that's way out of my price range.
It's been so long since I last built a system that I forgot about
Enermax (thank you) and I discovered Seasonic when Googling for PSU
reviews. I've checked at Newegg and will order the Seasonic M12
SS500HM 500 watt PSU. A bit over $100, but close enough and the
specs are excellent, plus modular cabling.
Thanks again, BC. Much appreciated!

Excellent choice! I may be wrong, but I think my Corsair may actually
be built by Seasonic.

Thanks, Jim. I was really surprised at the great specs of the Seasonic
PSUs and the reasonable prices.

[b***@yahoo.com]

Post by RobV

Post by Jim Davis

Post by RobV
Thanks. PCP&C I knew about, but that's way out of my price range.
It's been so long since I last built a system that I forgot about
Enermax (thank you) and I discovered Seasonic when Googling for PSU
reviews. I've checked at Newegg and will order the Seasonic M12
SS500HM 500 watt PSU. A bit over $100, but close enough and the
specs are excellent, plus modular cabling.
Thanks again, BC. Much appreciated!

Excellent choice! I may be wrong, but I think my Corsair may actually
be built by Seasonic.

Thanks, Jim. I was really surprised at the great specs of the Seasonic
PSUs and the reasonable prices.

http://www.seasonicusa.com/s12plus.htm

Check out the Seasonic Energy Plus models; their very efficient, quiet
and "green" if you're interested in saving a bit of money on your
monthly utility bill. Antec has lost its reputation as a manufacturer
of solid PSUs. If you're going to spend money upgrading your computer
with great components, you might as well spend a few extra dollars and
get a reliable power supply.

[RobV]

Post by b***@yahoo.com

Post by RobV

Post by Jim Davis

Post by RobV
Thanks. PCP&C I knew about, but that's way out of my price range.
It's been so long since I last built a system that I forgot about
Enermax (thank you) and I discovered Seasonic when Googling for PSU
reviews. I've checked at Newegg and will order the Seasonic M12
SS500HM 500 watt PSU. A bit over $100, but close enough and the
specs are excellent, plus modular cabling.
Thanks again, BC. Much appreciated!

Excellent choice! I may be wrong, but I think my Corsair may
actually be built by Seasonic.

Thanks, Jim. I was really surprised at the great specs of the
Seasonic PSUs and the reasonable prices.

http://www.seasonicusa.com/s12plus.htm
Check out the Seasonic Energy Plus models; their very efficient, quiet
and "green" if you're interested in saving a bit of money on your
monthly utility bill. Antec has lost its reputation as a manufacturer
of solid PSUs. If you're going to spend money upgrading your computer
with great components, you might as well spend a few extra dollars and
get a reliable power supply.

Thanks for the info; I'll check those out as well. I did notice in the
description of Seasonic PSUs at Newegg that they are 85% to 88%
efficient. That's amazing. It's really too bad that Antec has gone so
far downhill in reliability. The Antec PSU in this system is 5 years
old, is 400 watts and the voltages are still the same; no degradation at
all. Too bad they're no longer reliable.

It's bye-bye Antec and hello Seasonic. I believe in spending extra up
front for better quality, speed, etc. Keeps a lot of headaches from
ever occurring. ;-)

Thanks again,

Rob