PC power supply, Please Help

[Lucien Nunes]

10-5A refers to the absolute maximum the PSU can consume at 120V to 230V respectively, i.e. 5A at 230V. It has nothing to do with the plug fuse size. Any of 5A, 10A, 13A fuses should be OK - the PSU has internal protection against overload - but the inrush on large PSUs can fatigue a 5A fuse after time. They are designed to be protected at 16A in Europe where protection is in the DB not in the plug fuse.

If a desktop computer PSU blows a 13A fuse it is faulty, end of. A typical desktop draws 1-2A on 230V maybe even less than 1A. Only if you have multiple super duper graphics cards all mining crypto would you need 1500W as mentioned above.

 

[static zap]

power strip? like this?

Power strip in Pink ..original..!

Classic causes for big bang ...a) Include Flicking that little 120/240 selector switch on older " Models"!
..b) They often die in a spectacular bang ,if cheap (large Black Label) No internal fuse !

( My Unsee is not working today)

Middle size 5A would be a DIY Home owner answer !
(under 10A stated on Euro plug)
99% chance , need a new power-supply/ case with free one !
-Unless cable has been damaged /trapped ...-Throw them both !

 

[stevels4]

As above, most decent ATX Power supply units are protected by an internal T5A or T6.3A fuse but there are exceptions with some unbranded models!
The voltage selection switch if in the 110/120V position usually results in a loud bang followed by plumes of white acrid smoke as the smoothing capacitors rated at 200VDC are suddenly provided with 400VDC then overheat and vent.
There was also a problem with some supplied mains leads a while ago where both the outer insulation and conductor insulation cracked when flexed and also faulty molded plugs.
Buy a decent branded ATX PSU and try that.

 

[Ned Gibbons]

While you're swapping out the PSU have a good look at the mother board especially the capacitors. If any leaking or have swelled then it's new mother board time.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

If the 13A fuse is blowing, changing to a 5A or 3A will not help, they will just blow.
I am wondering whether you have installed any new cards in the pc, especially graphic cards?
If that is not the case, then you may have a siezed hard drive.

 

[Strima]

The PSU is dead, long live the PSU, fit another one.

Was this a new or old PSU? If a new one then it could well have been faulty from the manufacturer.

 

[Link65]

I'd be -very- surprised if an internal component beyond the PSU was causing a 13A fuse to fail. Even a seized drive or faulty caps on a motherboard shouldn't cause a fuse of that size to blow. If you've been picking up new PSU's one after another I'm guessing you're buying cheap ones, don't.

Change the lead, change the PSU, plug directly into a wall socket and then let us know what happens.

if that still takes the 13A fuse then I'd be inclined to check you don't have something going on with the socket, check for reverse polarity, and earthing problems, volts between neutral and earth etc.

If you are unable to do that, maybe it's best to call an electrician/PC repair guy at this point instead of throwing more money at PSU's.

 

[Link65]

The PSU is dead, long live the PSU, fit another one.

Was this a new or old PSU? If a new one then it could well have been faulty from the manufacturer.

He said in earlier posts that this is his second new PSU

 

[Strima]

He said in earlier posts that this is his second new PSU

Cheap crap then.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

It doesn’t necessarily have to be cheap crap, it could simply be under rated.

 

[DPG]

A seized hard drive ain't going to blow the 13A fuse.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

A seized hard drive ain't going to blow the 13A fuse.

I probably still have, in my box of computer junk, the hard drive that did just that.

 

[DPG]

The current available from a modern PC power supply 12V and 5V rail is well above the fairly small stall current of the motor in a modern hard drive. I suspect there was something else going on.

Maybe the old full-height Rodimes from the 70s/80s though!

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Seagate 500gig Sata from an external hard drive case.
Installed drive into slide mount carrier.
Switched off pc, slid in drive, turned on pc.
Fuse blew on start up.
Further investigation showed drive had siezed.
Suspect it had been dropped whilst running.

 

[DPG]

Seagate 500gig Sata from an external hard drive case.
Installed drive into slide mount carrier.
Switched off pc, slid in drive, turned on pc.
Fuse blew on start up.
Further investigation showed drive had siezed.
Suspect it had been dropped whilst running.

Fair play, if that's what happened, but seems odd - stall current on the very low torque spindle motors is tiny.

 

[Mrpotatohead]

Problem solved, it was a faulty power supply. Same brand as the first 1 as it was a replacement and again its was faulty, who would have thought, 2 faulty PSUs in a row! And no its not a cheap PSU its the Corsair RM650X which is a gold standard PSU. I've replaced it with another brand and it works perfectly fine, no popping sounding when i flick the switch.

Thank you everyone for your help

 

[Spoon]

Problem solved, it was a faulty power supply. Same brand as the first 1 as it was a replacement and again its was faulty, who would have thought, 2 faulty PSUs in a row! And no its not a cheap PSU its the Corsair RM650X which is a gold standard PSU. I've replaced it with another brand and it works perfectly fine, no popping sounding when i flick the switch.

Thank you everyone for your help

Thanks for the feedback mate.

 

[DPG]

Nice one. Must be a bad batch of supplies eh.

 

[xmetal]

Glad you got it sorted. 9 times out of 10 it's the power supply at fault.

Even with named brand PSU's, cheaper versions in the range can have poor quality components such as inferior electrolytic capacitors. It does sound like a bad batch though. I prefer to use higher end Corsair and Seasonic power supplies in systems with powerful graphics cards.