Question Frustrated with a 2.5 year old building that just stopped working

[sdalton291]

I built a system 2 1/2 years ago. I used a GIGIBYTE B550M DSH3, RYZEN 5 3600, Antec 650W PSU and, GSKILL DDR4 Memory. System worked from the first time connecting and worked well for 2 1/2 years. Last week I started to get random lockups and needed to reboot the machine. The last time it locked up it would not start again. No fans, no display, no beeps, nothing. I am trying to figure out if it is the processor or the motherboard. Any ideas?

 

[rgd1101]

test with another psu?

 

[sdalton291]

That is a good point. I have tested it with a PSU tester and it shows all voltages output are correct, but I am still temped to try another PSU.

I have read that RYZEN 5 3600s tend to run hot, I am just wondering if the Wraith Cooler was not doing enough and the CPU is now dead.

 

[DSzymborski]

Those cheap PSU testers don't really do all that much; they just verify basic functionality. You would need a load tester and oscilloscope for a full view of what a PSU is actually doing. A PSU could be going wildly out of spec at load and a PSU tester won't ever know it. Which exact Antec do you have? You just gave a brand and a total wattage, not a model of PSU.

 

[sdalton291]

Those cheap PSU testers don't really do all that much; they just verify basic functionality. You would need a load tester and oscilloscope for a full view of what a PSU is actually doing. A PSU could be going wildly out of spec at load and a PSU tester won't ever know it. Which exact Antec do you have? You just gave a brand and a total wattage, not a model of PSU.

I appreciate the advice. It is going on 15 years old, so it could be going out.

 

[sdalton291]

I appreciate the advice. It is going on 15 years old, so it could be going out. PSU is a Antec EA-650.

 

[DSzymborski]

15 years old is extremely old for a PSU. I assume you have a GPU, too in there since the 3600 has no integrated graphics. I definitely would have retired that PSU if I was making a new build and the PSU was 12 1/2 years old -- it was a very good PSU, unlike the lower wattage Antec EA Greens that were cheap entry-level ones, but at this number of years, I'm retiring pretty much any PSU or having it run in a very basic system or server.

 

[sdalton291]

15 years old is extremely old for a PSU. I assume you have a GPU, too in there since the 3600 has no integrated graphics. I definitely would have retired that PSU if I was making a new build and the PSU was 12 1/2 years old -- it was a very good PSU, unlike the lower wattage Antec EA Greens that were cheap entry-level ones, but at this number of years, I'm retiring pretty much any PSU or having it run in a very basic system or server.

Thanks Again. I will get a new PSU and give it a try. Even if the MB and CPU are gone, I need one for the new system I will be building.

 

[DSzymborski]

Thanks Again. I will get a new PSU and give it a try. Even if the MB and CPU are gone, I need one for the new system I will be building.

Luckily, I would not necessarily expect either to be damaged at this point.

 

[sdalton291]

Wow, DSzymborski, I have to really thank you for your advice. I finally went to Microcenter last night and bought a 750W Corsair power supply. I really did not have high hopes, but I installed the power supply, and the machine booted right up into the Bios. Thanks again! Saves me buying a new motherboard and or CPU!

 

[ohio_buckeye]

What psu did you buy? They are pricey but I like the Corsair rmx series. Those are supposed to be highly rated and I’m happy with my 850 watt so far. 15 years old you are fortunate your power supply didn’t take any parts of your pc.

 

[sdalton291]

I bought the Corsair RM750X. It is fully modular which was a great upgrade over the old one that had no modularity. The old one was a Antec 650 from 2008.

Yeah, I am very happy that the MBs and CPUs are much more robust than the days of old or I would have had to replace those too.. I decided it was time to upgrade the case I had to a Corsair 4000D. Nothing super expensive, just a much better case with better cooling and cable management.

 

[DSzymborski]

I bought the Corsair RM750X. It is fully modular which was a great upgrade over the old one that had no modularity. The old one was a Antec 650 from 2008.

Yeah, I am very happy that the MBs and CPUs are much more robust than the days of old or I would have had to replace those too.. I decided it was time to upgrade the case I had to a Corsair 4000D. Nothing super expensive, just a much better case with better cooling and cable management.

It probably helped your MB/CPU survival was that you weren't using junk, but a good PSU that just happened to be really, really old. It was like the Mazda I sold in 2018. I moved on from it after a similar length of time (14 years) because it was starting to have more problems, but that doesn't mean it was a bad car, just a good car that was old and had seen a lot of use.

We do see people use just really low-quality PSUs and, unfortunately, those definitely can kill the other parts when they die.

 

[sdalton291]

Yea, I agree that many PSUs out there are very poor quality. Believe it or not, I bought a case in 2008 that came with a PSU. The problem is the PSU was only 200 watts and generated so much electrical noise, my radio was picking up noise from it. That prompted me to buy the Antec. I can only imagine the 200 watt PSU would have greatly shortened the life of the MB and CPU I was using at the time.