BIOS problem after new PSU installed

[GDGDGD]

Hi everybody.....first time poster here. I'm pretty computer literate and am adept at adding or replacing components.

I have an older Sony desktop PC that the kids use. It's a PCV-RX550. I had to replace the power supply and I did so with a 400W Dynex. I had to modify the PSU holder to fit in the Sony tower but all is good except for one problem.

I didn't write this stuff all down like I should and after I post this I'll go back, write down exactly whats happening then repost....I'm hoping y'all can figure this out from what I can tell you know.

The computer powers up just fine, but as it's booting I get a message saying that the Hardware Monitor (or something like that) has detected a problem and that I should go into the BIOS by pressing F2 to see what the problem is. Or I can select F1 to continue (which works too). THe BIOS is an Award ACPI BIOS Rev 1005 6/20/2002.

If I go into the BIOS - Power tab - under hardware (I think)...one of the "fan" options is grayed out and not changeable. I think I know why this is happening but I don't know how to fix it.

The old PSU has a 3 pin connector (blue - white - black) that plugged into the MOB. This had something to do with the PSU fan. The new Dynex PSU doesn't have this 3 pin conn so there's now nothing connected to the MOB, and I don't think the BIOS like this.

What can I do? How can I rig this so the BIOS thinks all is good? Cut the 3 pin conn off of the old PSU and put X and X wires together to fool the BIOS?

I know the best solution is a new PC but with not having a job...I have to take the "cost effective" way out.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give!

GD

 

[GhislainG]

Cut the 3 pin conn off of the old PSU and put X and X wires together to fool the BIOS?

If the PSU fan speed can't be disabled in the BIOS, connect the wires to an existing fan connector. That way a single fan will feed 2 sensors, but that should work.

 

[GDGDGD]

Cut the 3 pin conn off of the old PSU and put X and X wires together to fool the BIOS?

If the PSU fan speed can't be disabled in the BIOS, connect the wires to an existing fan connector. That way a single fan will feed 2 sensors, but that should work.

There isn't another fan in the case, but I guess I could add one. Do new fans have 3 wires?

 

[GhislainG]

They are available with 3 or 4 wires (or an adaptor sometimes is provided).

Edit: The fan also needs to be the correct size and it should spin fast enough to prevent errors in the BIOS. Ideally it should also be as quiet as possible.

 

[GDGDGD]

They are available with 3 or 4 wires (or an adaptor sometimes is provided).

Edit: The fan also needs to be the correct size and it should spin fast enough to prevent errors in the BIOS. Ideally it should also be as quiet as possible.

If this is my only option, I'll have to buy a PSU fan...wait......I could probably use the fan from the old psu??.....somehow?

 

[GhislainG]

Using the fan from the old PSU would certainly work. Is there a place where you could mount it to blow air outside of the case if mounted in the back or pull air inside the case if mounted in the front?

 

[GDGDGD]

Using the fan from the old PSU would certainly work. Is there a place where you could mount it to blow air outside of the case if mounted in the back or pull air inside the case if mounted in the front?

the 3 wire (blk-rd-wt) conn from the fan plugged into the PSU.......then a 3 wire (blk-blu-wt) conn (same config) plugged into the m/board. THe only difference in colors in the wires is that on the fan there's a red wire. On the wires going from the psu to the mboard, there's a blue wire. The locations of the wires in the plugs are identical. I assume the red and blue wires are doing the same thing?

Yes I'll be able to figure out a mount for the fan on the case. I thought I saw an adapter on Tiger Direct. I will check.

 

[55795642]

I haven't read this entire thread carefully (I'm tired...) but I have to jump in and say, You are on the wrong track entirely!

Your old PSU had a special connector designed to be plugged into a specific header (typically labelled "PWR FAN") on the motherboard. The purpose of this connector is not to provide power to the PSU fan or to control the PSU fan but rather to allow the motherboard/BIOS to monitor the status of the PSU fan and to shut down the system if it senses that the PSU fan has failed.

Since your new PSU does not have this monitoring connector (many even high-end PSU's don't), you need to simply go into your BIOS and disable "Power Fan Fail Warning" or whatever your particular BIOS calls it.

 

[GhislainG]

Verify that the pinout below matches your fan:

blk = ground (pin 1)
red = 12V (pin 2)
wt = sensor (pin 3)

http://pinouts.ws/cpu-fan-pinout.html will help you identify the pins.

If the pinout is correct, connect the fan to the header and see if it works properly. If so, then figure out how to mount it in the case.

Running a wire from pin 3 of the CPU fan to pin 3 of the PSU fan header should also work. This is what I was alluding to in my first reply, but installing the PSU fan might be an easier solution.

 

[Onus]

I haven't read this entire thread carefully (I'm tired...) but I have to jump in and say, You are on the wrong track entirely!

Your old PSU had a special connector designed to be plugged into a specific header (typically labelled "PWR FAN") on the motherboard. The purpose of this connector is not to provide power to the PSU fan or to control the PSU fan but rather to allow the motherboard/BIOS to monitor the status of the PSU fan and to shut down the system if it senses that the PSU fan has failed.

Since your new PSU does not have this monitoring connector (many even high-end PSU's don't), you need to simply go into your BIOS and disable "Power Fan Fail Warning" or whatever your particular BIOS calls it.

+1!

 

[GhislainG]

Since it's a Sony, he might not have the option to disable it.

 

[55795642]

Page 59 of this manual (go to http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-documents.pl?mdl=PCVRX550 and click on "System Reference Manual") indicates that "Power Fan Speed" monitoring can be set to "Ignore".

 

[GDGDGD]

Page 59 of this manual (go to http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-documents.pl?mdl=PCVRX550 and click on "System Reference Manual") indicates that "Power Fan Speed" monitoring can be set to "Ignore".

First of all....a big thank yo to everybody for their input!!!!!!!

What is showing up in the BIOS setup -- 'Power" -- is that the "Power Fan Speed" shows "N/A" and is grayed out. It won't let me select "Ingore" like the other "fields" will let me. If the old PSU was operational my guess is that I would have had the option to "ignore".

OK so how do I tell the Mboard that everything is OK and nothing needs to be plugged into that slot?

FYI - the connector style on the old PSU fan (that connected into the PSU) is the exact same that was plugged (from the PSU) into the Mboard.

Damn Sony!!! (I think!! )

 

[55795642]

Umm, are you certain that the BIOS is not already happy? The first time you got the hardware error message and went into the BIOS, you may have effectively disabled the power fan monitoring. If you reboot the computer now, do you still get the error message?

 

[GDGDGD]

Umm, are you certain that the BIOS is not already happy? The first time you got the hardware error message and went into the BIOS, you may have effectively disabled the power fan monitoring. If you reboot the computer now, do you still get the error message?

Yes it still happens every time I boot. I simply press F1 to continue and the computer boots fine. I just wish there was a way to make the computer boot up without hitting this "snag".

I'm afraid that my kids will hit F2 by mistake and start messing with the BIOS settings.

 

[GDGDGD]

Does anybody know of I will fry the m/board if I simply plug a fan into the port?

This idea was given to me in another forum.

My thought is that the BIOS is trying to read the PSU RPM and won't read anything and I'll still get an error message.....at the very least.

 

[55795642]

I don't think you ever told us *exactly* what the error message was; would you mind doing so now?

 

[GDGDGD]

I don't think you ever told us *exactly* what the error message was; would you mind doing so now?

No I don't mind at all. Sorry!

"Hardware Manager found an error. Enter power setup menu for details"

 

[GhislainG]

Does anybody know of I will fry the m/board if I simply plug a fan into the port?

This idea was given to me in another forum.

My thought is that the BIOS is trying to read the PSU RPM and won't read anything and I'll still get an error message.....at the very least.

I also suggested that and no it won't fry the motherboard. You might even be able to disable the warning once a fan is detected.

 

[GDGDGD]

I also suggested that and no it won't fry the motherboard. You might even be able to disable the warning once a fan is detected.

OK

 

[kaeb]

I fixed this problem by hooking up a fan to the psu riser on the motherboard.
Go to bios, power, hardware and I see psu fan n/a greyed out and can not be changed. Blow on the fan and I got a reading. While you get a reading disable psu fan in bios. Problem solved!