"PSUs for PCs" Topic

Would I be correct in assuming PSUs come with all the cabling attached and if changing your own you just screw it in and plug in the relevant cables into the devices like DVD drive, Motherboard etc…?

Our old PC that my son has for schoolwork died last night. There was the usual smell of electrical burning and the machine refuses to power up, no lights, nada. The PSU was a tad warm too.

I took the back off and identified it was a Trust 370W PW5150 and can find them on the internet but was a bit worried I'd have to wire internally. A second though suggested that would be silly and they'd make them with the correct cables and people just plug them in.

Any advice gratefully received.

Thanks,

Steve P

You are pretty much correct on your assumptions regarding what to do with the power supply. They are pretty much plug and play.

Well, that's true… but you've got to make sure that you get the right PSU. Many modern PSUs do not have any IDE power connections, as SATA is what is standard now.

But really, a 370w PSU? There's no way it's even getting 370w continuous power, and that's on the low end of what a PC needs. If you're lucky, the mobo is safe, but with a low-powered offbrand PSU like that it may well have fried the whole thing when it went.

Yes there is no soldering or wiring to worry about. All the cables are hard wired into connectors that are assymetrically keyed so you can't even plug them in the wrong way. You'll also get new mounting screws if you've lost any.

This web site was the first that came up in my search, and shows the unit as out of stock but there is a button to suggest an alternative that has the same specs and number of connectors: link

Yes it is possible the motherboard or other components are damaged but it's most common when the power supply dies that after you replace it you find everything works fine.

If it' s only a problem with your PSU it' s really easy to substitute with a new one. Better more powerful, 500W.

But first of all check your motherboard. Maybe your PSU has damaged it.

fogsoldiers, CeruLucifus

Ta. How would I tell if the motherboard is damaged? Any particular stuff to look for other than lump of melted goo? It looks normal at the moment.

If you have another working PSU you can check with it installing in your computer. If computer doesn' t boot your motherboard is damaged. If you don' t have another PSU then ask a check to your computer store for your motherboard. However try first with another PSU if you can

I feared you'd say that

Ta, there's my weekend job, well one of them.

You can get a cheap PSU testor. Last time I bought one they were about $20. USD If you plug the PSU into the PSU testor, it should have a row of LED lights, if they all light up, your PSU is good. If they don't light up, replace the PSU.

Cheers, Xin