[phillpower2]

Welcome back yeschiro

THe PSU fan runs constantly with power. There is high pitched constant sound as well.

Was this when the PSU was tested outside of the case?

A high pitched noise is normally caused by bad bearings and is never a good sign.

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Yes, it was outside case with psu box open.

[yeschiro]

Yes, it was outside case with psu box open.

[phillpower2]

Just a safety reminder as in my reply #2

Please be aware that there are no user replaceable parts in a PSU so a bad one should be disposed of in a responsible manner and any type of conclusive testing will need to be done by a suitably trained Tech who has the required testing equipment and the relevant knowledge as to how to use it.

The PSU shows all the hallmarks of being ready to snap, crackle and then pop, replace it now before it causes serious damage - if it hasn`t already that is.

[yeschiro]

Any brand recommendations?

[phillpower2]

Reputable brands that I use and recommend are Antec, Corsair, OCZ and Seasonic, not in any particular order but based on what is available at the best budget at the time, some guidance @ http://www.pcmech.co...ide-inside.html There are also links to PSU calculators provided to help you get the correct output, if you are unsure please ask here.

Before purchasing a new PSU it is advisable that you measure the dimensions of the present PSU and ensure that the new PSU has the correct power connections for the MB, HDDs, optical drives, FDDs or add on cards such as a video card if one is fitted.

[yeschiro]

I got lucky (I think) found a compatible PSU at my local Goodwill. Will install and report back.

[phillpower2]

[yeschiro]

So the PSU that was on the box was not the PSU that was in the box. I am going to try a local computer store ad check prices...hopefully tomorrow.

[phillpower2]

I hope you have better luck with the next replacement

[yeschiro]

New PSU, same symptom. Starts powering for a second then dies.

[phillpower2]

For testing purposes only can you swap the CPU fan from the header that it is presently on and connect it to the chassis fan header on the MB, do not worry if you have a 4 pin connection and a 3 pin chassis fan header, connect the 4 pin in the correct orientation and the 4th pin will simply not have a pin connection so there will be no RPM sensor.

[yeschiro]

So if I did it correctly, same issue.

I took the CPU fan (4 pin) and connected it to the chassis fan (3 pin) with the black, green, and yellow wires connected. Blue wire had no connection.

System initiated as soon as power wire was plugged in but halted a few second later. CPU fan spun while it was initiating.

[phillpower2]

Thanks for the update yeschiro

Please return the CPU cooling fan to the correct header on the MB.

Your only option now may be to do a barebones set up outside of the case, if you are ok with this let me know and I will provide my canned text to assist you.

NB: We are looking to check the case power and reset buttons now and you may be able to do this without removing the MB if there is enough room inside the case to remove the case wires from the MB header, short out the 2 power switch pins and reconnect the case wires afterwards.

[yeschiro]

I am willing to do anything to the point where the cost of repair is greater than the computer is worth

[phillpower2]

Please see my canned text below;

The following checks require the computer case to be opened so take the following safety precautions 1st, disconnect the power cord from the wall socket and take anti static precautions before touching anything inside, you can do this by touching a bare metal part of the case.

Best couple of suggestions I can make would be first remove the MB and do a barebones set-up on a piece of cardboard (make sure it is larger than the MB) only connect the PSU, the GFX card, screen, 1 stick of Ram and the keyboard.
IF your MB doesn`t have a power test switch you will then need to short out the 2 power on pins on the MB header to get the PSU to activate (see attachment below) you can use a small flat bladed screwdriver or a paper clip bent into a U shape, this is perfectly safe if you do not touch anything else, the idea is to see if we can get a BIOS screen if you do you can then add one component at a time until you find the problem component, you must power down and remove the power cord from the wall before adding another component, second suggestion try a known good working PSU, it is not unknown for new/replacement components to be bad, third suggestion try and loan an ordinary PCI graphics card (not pci-e) again to try and get a BIOS screen.