Facing some issues with my new PSU

whiteknights

Posts: 25   +0
I was having many problems with my old thermaltake 450w psu. so I replaced it with FSP HEXA+ 500w PSU. and now I'm facing few issues with my new psu and I need to make sure that my PSU is ok:

1- since I bought a new PSU my GPU is acting differently (GPU fan isn't spinning on startup, it doesn't spin on idle unless GPU is above a certain temp around 38-40c) this wasn't happening with my old PSU. I don't know if a PSU could do that to a GPU fan?.

2- I feel that my PSU cables get short easily, sometimes when I put the case on its side and move around inside it PC won't power up, no sign of any life. I have to organize the PSU cables somehow so pc can power up again.

3- it happened couple of times that my GPU won't post after taking the case out, I had to re-plug the 6 pins connectors so it can post again, and once when I did that pc returned to issue number 2 again not powering up, I had to organize the cables again and so on..

4- it happened once that after re-seating a ram stick pc powered on but no beep & no post.. I had to Re-plug the 24 pins connectors and 4 pins connectors so pc can power on again normally.

I don't know but I feel that my new PSU is very sensitive somehow, a little playing around inside the case and it get shorted and have issues like I mentioned above.

my specs:
mobo: Gigabyte H61M-S2p
cpu: i5-3470
Ram: 4GB kingston ValueRam + 4GB G.Skill = 8GB.. ram works in dual channel.
HDD: WD Blue 1TB
GPU: Sapphire HD 7870XT 2GB
case: Thermaltake commander MS-III
 
"a little playing around inside the case and it get shorted and have issues like I mentioned above."
- do the problems go away when you put the old PSU in?

If not, then look for an issue with:
- loose motherboard
- bad grounding connection
- loose connectors

I have had similar issues with mismatched RAM - some motherboards have the memory parameters set from the RAM in the "A1" slot - check your manual and consider moving memory around.

Tracking down the real issue can be difficult. Find a troubleshooting list like https://www.wikihow.com/Figure-out-Why-a-Computer-Won't-Boot or https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-fix-a-computer-that-wont-turn-on-2624450 and go through it step by step

Sometimes you just have to take everything out of the case and re-build it on the benchtop
 
I never used my old PSU again after installing my new one. but this problem never happened with my old psu.
pc powers on but doesn't boot and no post isn't a new issue and yes it could be ram problem.. but pc doesn't power up at all after I move PSU cables around is a new issue, never happened with my old psu.

I feel it might be something wrong with some of my new PSU wires when it touch each others the psu get shorted.
I don't how that happens , it just happens randomly/occasionally that after I re-install my GPU for example, or re-seat my Ram stick pc won't power up at all, I think it power on again normally when I organize PSU cables somehow (Sata cable, 4 pin connectors)

some cables are very close to each others. and the 4 pin connector is kinda touching the cpu fan and close to the mobo, GPU is almost touching the HDD no enough room between both.
I don't know the reason, but could be PSU cables touching each others or touching a metal case is making it getting shorted sometimes?..

I think I've noticed that the less components installed in my case the less this problem happens. it happened more when my GPU is installed but only after I move the case around like I mentioned, and it doesn't happens all the times.

there is also one screw missing in the motherboard, the one under the gpu, rest of screws are there.
 
The symptoms could describe a crack in the motherboard or a screw loose under the motherboard.

If the problems went away when you reinstall the old PSU, then it would be a problem with the new one.

Sometimes you just have to take everything out of the case and re-build it on the benchtop.
 
Thank you.. I guess most of my issues has gone now after I re-plugged the 24 pins connectors and 4 pins connectors, and re installing CMOS battery. also I cleaned my ram connectors with 10% alcohol. so I think most of the problems is solved.

except that my GPU fan still doesn't spin on startup, it only start to spin after some minutes from startup, and when my monitor is off it doesn't spin.. thats strange because my GPU fan used to spin all the time with my old PSU.

I don't know if a PSU can control how a GPU fan work?, or maybe because I reset CMOS before I install my new PSU so some settings might got changed?.. or its just a coincidence?.. I'm just worried that it might be because my PSU is bad.
 
Glad your fix on the loose connectors worked.

Fan on GPU is probably controlled by driver or software. Unsure if your system requires fan at start, but if it did before and you haven't changed software, then likely fan is beginning to fail. Check and clean. Some folks take fan out and lubricate.

 
Thank you I really appreciate all of your help.. its strange that the fan is beginning to fail, it seems that its controlled by something, because it always start to spin at a certain time and stops right after the monitor is off, and then start to spin again when its on.

I'm thinking if its a failing fan it then will act more randomly than this.. anyway I'll try lubricate and applying new thermal, thanks again.
 
I know you are trying to save a few bucks by buying fsp.
Out of all the psu makers out there on the market.
I wouldn't recommend that for this computer setup.
Especially with your current vga card in it which eats a good amount of power.
Try seasonic, evga, or even antec psu for your computer.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003BIEOCI/?tag=httpwwwtechsp-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007DBJ4P6/?tag=httpwwwtechsp-20
thank you.. unfortunately seasonic, evga and antec are out of stock since long time here. plus its above my budget, things here are too expensive.. FSP is not a very good PSU but at least its better than my old thermaltake 450w which I had it on my setup for 4 years with no issues.
 
Where exactly do you live by chance I may be able to do something.
If your not too far out and customs isn't a **** about things being an a nicely packaged brown box.
 
Sapphire HD 7870XT 2GB requires 180 watts - check to confirm you are configured to make this available to the card. You may need to shuffle things around to balance the power draw.
 
500w psu is more than enough.. after doing some math my whole system will use around 300w at full load.
so I wouldn't worry about the watts.. but I may worry about the quality of the psu.

but my biggest concern now is my GPU fan.. I need to know if its a fan controller failure, or if its just a software issue or the fan suddenly decided to be intelligent by not spinning all the time unless it hit a certain temperature.
 
As I recall, my 5770 used to start with a spin, but quickly stop as the software control took effect - just a few seconds. Has the control of the fan improved?
 
I just had to set a fan curve. it seems that I can't use my fans on auto at full load anymore or my GPU will overheat. looks like the fan can't coordinate right with the Temp.

the fans doesn't ramp up until at 78% speed.. it can spin on idle normally, but the moment I start to stress the gpu it gets lower to 0 RPM. and so the Temps goes to 50c and 60c still the fan at 0 RPM. then suddenly when temp hit 70c it ramps up to 78% with the other fan and start to spin because I made a fan curve.

I'm just worried that if I used it at 78% for hours while gaming it will shorten the fan life. it wasn't like that when I first bought the card, both fans was spinning all the time, when temp was 70c the fan was at 45%-50% speed. but now I have to set it at 78% so I can maintain the same Temp.
 
I live in Egypt and the cheapest available PSU here cost around 900.. thats like paying 900 dollars for a psu in the US.
here are all available PSUs:
http://www.egprices.com/en/search/?&q=500w+psu&sortby=price_asc&page=3

but anyway I guess FSP HEXA consider to be a decent upgrade with its Two 12v rails and multiple 6pin PCIE connectors.
comparing to my old PSU that had only one 6pin PCIE and I was using molex.

If you buy that fsp psu today I'll throw my shoe at you and make you get a refund before it even ships out.
With that aside check here and read this carefully.
http://www.borderlinx.com/EG/en/pages/buy-on-amazon-com-and-ship-to-egypt/
I don't live where you are but 900 dollars just to ship or receive shouldn't be that extreme.
Probably the max shipping charges and customs internationally would run you 40.00 but not for a 2lb box.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EON40CS/?tag=httpwwwtechsp-20
Which is so light weight it wouldn't bring much of an alarm to them, if they open it and check it.
Be nice about it and check with your government officials there and check it make sure.
Show them a print out of what you want, I'm certain they wouldn't care for it.
Coming from usa shores or some parts of UK.
I do understand egypt has enemies near them so they would be tensed 24/7.
 
Thank you that was helpful.. I saved the page because certainly I will need it to ship some parts I might need that aren't available here.
but as for fsp psu unfortunately I already bought it more than week ago. so even if I wanted to look for a new one I couldn't because I'm outta budget currently. I can't refund unless PSU is defective.

as for FSP Hexa is it that bad?.. I saw reviews many of it says that it should be sufficient and that fsp makes good power supplies.
plus my current setup wouldn't consume more than 320 watts at full load.
 
They arent bad but quality wise I wouldn't use them, with your current cpu specs and that vga card.
I don't want something to blow out and take out half of your system if not all of it.
If you were using lower end parts like pentium, celeron core i3 or what not with a less power consuming gpu.
Then yes I would be for you using that fsp power supply unit.
 
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