I think my PSU sucks?

[pwrstick]

What up everyone. I've been playing Counter Strike and I get these really groovy hardware pauses where the sound repeats disco style the last .2 seconds (whamwhamwhamwhamwhamwham) for the duration of the pause (5 to 10 seconds). When I get back to the game someone usually has taken the op to get an HS. It's fantastic.

So new game features aside, on a hunch I checked my volates and they seem low. Wanted to run them by you though because it seems like they're within 5% like the faq recommends.

CPU: 1.47 V
Chip Set: 1.55 V
ATX +5V: 4.94 V
DRAM: 2.54 V

Rails:
+12: 11.58-11.64, as low as 11.51 running Prime95 and iTunes
+1.5: 1.47
+3.3: 3.23
+3.0: 2.97

I am running an Aspire 520 Watt PSU. I've got a Forton 500Watt coming in the mail for noise reasons, and I hope it may change things. I would love your input though.

My rig:

(No overclocking)
Athlon 64 3200+ 754 (Newcastle) on DFI UT nf3 250GB
1x Geforce 6800GT
2x Maxtor 40Gb eide HDS
2x Seagate 200Gb Sata HDS
1x CDrom/burner
1x DVDrom/burner
1x Floppy
2x12cm Case Fans
1xZalman 7000 CPU Cooler w/ Fanmate turned down low
1xArctic NV5 Video Cooler
3x8cm PSU fans
some led lights that came in the case and in the power supply

Also, I am using the LAN and sound that is on the mobo. And another thing -- can low voltages ruin a mobo? I had a Soltek before this DFI, and the thing went to pieces. Hard drives weren't detected, graphics stopped working, thought my RAM was bad... then I replaced the Soltek with the DFI and everything worked. I'd hate to ruin another mobo.

 

[pwrstick]

Now my system is completely unstable (yay!). I can boot up a Mepis Linux CD just fine but sometimes Windows wont boot and the onboard Lan is out (in Windows, if it boots AND Mepis).

Does this sound like something a Power supply could do? Because it's starting to feel like what happened with the aforementioned Soltek board that started to exhibit all types of problems.

Can a PSU harm a motherboard with low voltage?

 

[Clob]

That 12V is realy low. Thats probably the problem right there... Slap another PSU in there and see how it runs!


I have an Aspire 500W and all my voltages are solid and close to home.

"If youre paddling upstream in a canoe and a
wheel falls off, how many pancakes fit in a doghouse? None! Icecream doesn't have bones!!!"

"Battling Gimps and Dimbulbs HERE at THGC"
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by clob on 02/23/05 11:42 AM.</EM></FONT></P>