Computer switch on problem.......

[Toraz]

Hi,
Hope someone can help and before anyone asks i've been building PC's for 5 yrs so i know what i'm doing....but this is something i've never come across...
My new computer regularly has a starting problem.
I press the power switch and about 1 second after initial starting it shuts off. I then switch off the mains and wait about 3-4 minutes and try again and it starts. If i try again to soon the same thing happens and it won't start...
I've checked the switch and it's not that.(initial power rules out that anyway)
If anyone can help i'd be very grateful!!!!!

 

[Jakespeare]

OK. I'll give this a shot. (Since like you, I have been building computers for 5-years, about 600 of them).

Is this a cheapo / Generic Case & Power Supply ( a $28 or $35 one, or a name brand like an Inwin ) ?

Is this a PCCHIPS, Matsonic, or Cheapo mainboard, or a namebrand mainboard,,,,,, like a MicroStar, Asus, Epox, Intel, etc. etc. ?????

Is it an Athlon based computer ?

Is the P/S in your case on the AMD Approved list ?

I'll start with that.

 

[Toraz]

i have an :
AMD Thunderbird 1GHz pro
Abit KT7-a mobo
i must admit the case was £30($45ish) but it is 300W

i think it could be the P/S but how?
is it because the cheaper P/S are not so tolerant??

 

[Jakespeare]

With the Athlon MB's / chipsets / processors the power supply is more critical than your average PC.

I would buy a GOOD / AMD APPROVED P/S and try that.
It is the 1st step that I can logically suggest.

 

[edfair]

It is crowbaring from overcurrent draw or from under voltage output. Verify the 115v setting since they will mostly work on the 230.
You might also pull power to everything but the M/B and see if it changes the time to die. Don't worry about the messages, you're only interested in the time till crunch.
Anything pulling extra current will make the problem worse. Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[garwain]

I have seen this before, with the 3-4 min delay, I had a new ABit board and it was shorting out. After several computer shops verified the board was fine finally an electrical engineer tested it and found the short was occuring where the PS2 ports contacted the case. I returned the board, and the new one worked perfectally.

 

[Toraz]

thks all for the comments...
Edfair....what exactly is crowbaring....
do i just need to get a better P/S unit?

 

[edfair]

Like throwing a crowbar across bare wires. A shutdown mode to prevent any overvoltage from damaging the attached equipment.
What happens when you power just the M/B and video?
What you are trying to do is get a feel for whether you have a M/B, video, or a PS failure. Right now you probably have PS trouble, but that is a guess. I've seen M'Bs do it and I've seen video cards do it. And anything else that pulls power has the potential. Thats the reason to try it with bare minimum. If it still fails, but takes longer, it is an indication that the PS is marginal. If still in the same time you are back to question 1. And the only way to diagnose is to start swapping parts. Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[Jakespeare]

I think he is in England, or Great Britain, etc,
and voltage is different,,,,,,,,

Those suggestions should help to determine what the problem is.

Interesting comment about the Abit board shorting out from "garwain."

If you still have "walk in replacement" warranty for that MB - You might hussle and get the testing done.
No worries if you got it at a warehouse and have the full warranty.

Please post what happens with this problem; I would really like to see a solution to this.

 

[edfair]

Saw the price but it didn't register. Anyhow the comment was about dual range power supplies. I ran across several over the years that got switched or were set at the high voltage setting and would give intermittent problems. About two months ago I had 3 used Gateways that had evidently been running that way for over 2 years blew up with different symptoms, including shutdown, when they were all on the same power circuit. And I got sloppy. Whoever checks the voltage range of a computer that has run for 2 years. Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.