light up PSU

**gorn** · 03-09-2003, 07:19 AM

yeah so ive been sitting here trying to get to sleep and then i was like screw it and got back on my computer, so my light was out. then i heard my fan making a weird noise and looked at the psu, and to my surprise it was well lit... now i smell that smell of fried electronics... but everything is working normally. i think im gonna shut down and blow some compressed air in there. im betting it was just dust, but howd it light on fire?

CP · 03-09-2003, 07:31 AM

Your transformer puts out a lot of heat converting 110V AC to 12V DC, and when PSU's get old they get hotter and hotter due to many reasons the main one is dust gathering restricting airflow, and air flow isn't as effective as the dust acts as insulation. The dust wouldn't have been on fire, there would just be a coil or something in there that had overheated and begun to glow, if there was a fire, you would have known about it.

**gorn** · 03-09-2003, 07:35 AM

its fairly new, a while before christmas i got it.

there was a bit of dust on it though.

so you think it's okay as long as i keep it clean?

thanks

CP · 03-09-2003, 07:54 AM

That depends, you said it was making a funny noise, what was the noise? Is the fan working OK? I'm just making assumptions as to what is going on, if its glowing there is definitely a problem. You should probably get it checked out if it continues. If its brand new before xmas send it back and get it replaced, you can never be to careful when it comes to the PSU, it can fuck your whole PC very easily.

<edit> Not neccesarily a problem, but maybe a sign that things aren't healthy, or could be on their way out</edit>

**pbharris** · 03-09-2003, 07:58 AM

i would not leave it one while i was sleeping.... do clean it out real good, being that new i don't see why it would be messed up already from dust unless your place is under construction...

**gorn** · 03-09-2003, 08:25 AM

[quote author=CP link=board=3;threadid=6548;start=0#61604 date=1047200058]
That depends, you said it was making a funny noise, what was the noise?
[/quote]

noise was like something was in the fan, i think it stopped when the glowing did, but maybe the noise stopped first.

03-09-2003, 11:24 AM

Don't mess with it, you have a pretty young girlfriend now, a dead PSU just isn't worth getting fried over.

Buy a new one.

**gorn** · 03-09-2003, 07:35 PM

i did leave it on while i slept and all seemed fine in the morning. i didn't smell it either, though if it happened again in the night the smell mighta just gone away.

i did decide to switch it with the one from my other box. my other box gets much less use.