PC won't start

[kupocake]

I finally got round to replacing the heatsink on my chipset today (suspected cause of many crashes prior to now) and now my PC won't start at all... EXCEPT actually, pushing the power button starts a single fan whiring in my case (with all cables connected the fan turning is the intake at the top of my case. If I disconnect that fan it'll be the CPU fan, then the rear fan, then the graphics card fan) Critically perhaps, the PSU fan never spins. Otherwise, I get zero life from the PC other than the diagonostic leds on my USB bracket (that basically claim my CPU is buggered) and the green LED that shows my 10/100 LAN is connected (LAN is integrated into the Mobo)

Given that the small ammount of life my PC is showing, I hold out hope that it's a power supply problem. My PSU has been a weakest link for a while now, and it's the oldest component in there. Either that or it's the point at which the PSU provides power to the Motherboard. I'd rather it wasn't that It is notable that I recieved identical symptoms from the PC about a week ago, without me having messed around. It came back to life that time though, and this time shows no sign of such cooperation...

Any ideas what this is?

AthlonXp 2600+
Radeon 9800 Pro
MSI K7N2 Delta-ILSR
1GB DDR3200 Ram
X-branded 300W PSU from way back when...
Numerous Peripherals

Whilst from the above you can tell that i'm not undue an upgrade, I was hoping to leave it until the next round of components, 2007 time...

 

[Asus]

To install the chipset fan you took out your motherboard and most of the parts, right? I'd just recheck the power plugs and cables. Go back over your steps and redo whatever you did to put the parts back in the case. It seems the motherboard is getting power (USB lights on) but that's about it, correct?

If you go to your local store you could pick up a powersupply to check if that was the problem. Just make sure you can return it opened if it doesn't do any good.

 

[kupocake]

To install the chipset fan you took out your motherboard and most of the parts, right? I'd just recheck the power plugs and cables. Go back over your steps and redo whatever you did to put the parts back in the case. It seems the motherboard is getting power (USB lights on) but that's about it, correct?

Re-did the plugs to no avail. One rather frustrating thing popped up: i've got one of the mounting screws wedged into the connection to the case at a weird angle and can't seperate it. Nothing to big but it makes putting the motherboard in a bit awkward.

If you go to your local store you could pick up a powersupply to check if that was the problem. Just make sure you can return it opened if it doesn't do any good.

I have the luxury of this second computer that my mum uses for office work... and I use it to go crying to the HL2.net Hardware forum everytime something goes wrong with mine It's also useful for spare parts (funny enough, I don't have any spare PSUs lying around from old PCs. they usually die on me). I tried the PSU from MY PC in this one and got EXACTLY the same symptoms (the CPU fan whirred. nothing else happened). I didn't try my mum's PSU in my PC because... well, because it would have power supply problems of its own, considering it's a teeny 150W unit :O

This makes me pretty confident that I need a new PSU (though not that nothing else is wrong. I never have that kind of luck!) Thankfully, a PSU is one of those things I'm quite happy to upgrade now because it can easily be future-proofed. So then, oh mighty Asus! Brand and Wattage recommendations for a computer of half a year from now. I'm not big on power hungry devices, I just need a PSU capable of coping with a 2007 processor and GFX card, couple of gigs of ram, 2 disc drives, 2 HDD drives, LAN, Sound and all the other kerjiggers

 

[Barney Fife]

Check and see if the CPU 12v rail is tightly plugged. PSU won't fire-up if the CPU rail is unplugged or motherboard connection.
As far as PSU goes, you need nice in quality PSU, with a decent lifespan.
No matter what, you can't overlook or undermine PSU, that's where most PC users make their critical mistakes; By putting together top of the line PC and PC-components and fire it up with an inferior, cheap PSU, just to blow up in few months and frying everything.

For PSU, the price is never the point, Good reviews and brand name is.

Good Luck.

 

[Asus]

Unfortuantely a lot of powersupply manufactures are getting cheap these days. Even Antec is using cheaper capacitors in some of the models they sell (cheap capacitors tend to leak electrolyte and cause instability/falure much quicker).
Fuhjyuus caps have been known to be pretty bad.
Rubycon is a trusted brand of caps though.
forum post at Badcaps.net showing an Antec PSU

Generally though Seasonic, Antec, Enermax, Sparkle, PC Power & Cooling, Fortron, Thermaltake, and OCZ make good units. Maybe read up on a review on the specific model you are checking out and make sure it can handle a lot of stress.

I wouldn't recommend Powmax, Raidmax, or Deer powersupplies.

If you really want to buy a power supply for future proofing then get one that uses a 24pin ATX plug for the motherboard. Now if you have a motherboard that uses a 20pin ATX power plug then make sure it has an adapter to work with older 20pin boards. All new motherboards have 24pin ATX power plugs.