Question PSU's CPU wire just got melted due to neglect -- should I replace the entire PSU or Can I buy a 6 to 8-pin connector to connect the 6-pin wire from P

[seriouseditview]

My config is

Processor: AMD Ryzen 3 2200G

Motherboard: Asus Ex A320M gaming

Ram: Gskill Ripjaws 1 X 8GB

Graphics Card: Gtx 1050Ti - Zotac Mini

PSU: Ant Esports VS500L 500 Watt

PC case: Antec P7 Window

I dissembled all the parts for cleaning, I kept the PSU near a induction stove.
My sister, without seeing or taking notice of the PSU's 8-pin CPU wire which got stuck underneath the vessel and the induction stove, switched on the induction stove. When I sensed the smell of plastic burning and saw the smoke I realized the PSU's 8-pin CPU wire was stuck in between the vessel and the heating surface, now it is melted.
On closer inspection the Cooper wire inside was still intact, only the insulation got melted. So I wrapped it with insulation tape and assembled everything back.
When I switch on the main switch I can see the inbuilt RGB in the motherboard glows, which I take as PSU is functional and working only the 8-pin CPU wire got damaged. Although I didn't switch on the PC. since I am afraid that it might cause damage to the motherboard or CPU.
There is another 6 Pin Wire from PSU which is intact and did not suffer any damage.

Now should I replace the entire PSU or Can I buy a 6 to 8-pin connector to connect the 6-pin wire from PSU to the CPU (My CPU has an 8-pin socket)??

Now, the warranty is totally out of the question since the damage is a self-inflicted one due to sheer neglect.

 

[lvt]

You can buy a PCI-E to CPU or SATA to CPU cable.

 

[--SID--]

It's a bad PSU in the first place. Replace it for a decent unit.

 

[USAFRet]

PSU: Ant Esports VS500L 500 Watt

Replace.

No adapters, no connectors, no workarounds.

Replace.

 

[seriouseditview]

You can buy a PCI-E to CPU or SATA to CPU cable.

I think that's a better solution. Thanks.

Can I cut and throw away the melted part of the CPU wire (coming from PSU) with the wire cutter and connect both cut ends by twisting the copper of the two cut ends with bare hands and insulate the twisted part with an insulation tape?
Will it work?

 

[seriouseditview]

Replace.

No adapters, no connectors, no workarounds.

Replace.

The thing is I think only the CPU wire got damaged the PSU is functional, and it was purchased in March 2022, I did a paper clip test on the PSU, and I can see the fans rotating, also when I switch on the Plug switch I can see the RGB glowing on the motherboard.


So I am planning to just cut and throw away the melted part of the CPU wire (coming from PSU) with the wire cutter and connect both cut ends by twisting the copper of the two cut ends with bare hands and insulate the twisted part with an insulation tape .

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

It's still a rubbish PSU, which is why you should replace it as you've been advised to.

Beats me why you should bother to ask, then choose to ignore sound advice from two trusted members.

 

[seriouseditview]

It's still a rubbish PSU, which is why you should replace it as you've been advised to.

Beats me why you should bother to ask, then choose to ignore sound advice from two trusted members.

It is indeed a cheap PSU, but as I said the PSU itself is functioning well has no problem, as it passed the Paper Clip test, and the RGB on the motherboard glows, the only fault is the CPU wires coming out of the PSU, also It was bought very recently on March 2022, that's why I am quite reluctant to give up on it.

 

[USAFRet]

It is indeed a cheap PSU, but as I said the PSU itself is functional, as it passed the Paper Clip test, and the RGB on the motherboard glows, the only fault is the CPU wires coming out of the PSU, also It was bought very recently on March 2022, that's why I am quite reluctant to give up on it.

It was junk before it got melted, and should never have been bought or used to begin with.

The 'paperclip test' proves nothing, except that it is not completely dead.
Says nothing about actual full functionality.

But, its your system and your money.
Good luck.

 

[seriouseditview]

It was junk before it got melted, and should never have been bought or used to begin with.

The 'paperclip test' proves nothing, except that it is not completely dead.
Says nothing about actual full functionality.

But, its your system and your money.
Good luck.

Thanks.
I am planning to remove the melted part by cutting it away and get the two cut ends soldered, to see if it works, if it does not I am going for a new one.

 

[Zerk2012]

Thanks.
I am planning to remove the melted part by cutting it away and get the two cut ends soldered, to see if it works, if it does not I am going for a new one.

And if it fries your motherboard, CPU or another part then your out of that money and still need to buy a power supply.

 

[seriouseditview]

And if it fries your motherboard, CPU or another part then your out of that money and still need to buy a power supply.

Yeah, I am afraid of that too, that's why I didn't dare to switch on the PC (by pressing the ON button on the PC case) even though I could see the RGB glowing on the motherboard.

 

[seriouseditview]

Can I Shorten Cable Wires By Cutting Them!? | Tom's Hardware Forum (tomshardware.com)

 

[USAFRet]

Can I Shorten Cable Wires By Cutting Them!? | Tom's Hardware Forum (tomshardware.com)

That is actually 3 questions:

1. Can it be done? Sure.
2. Can YOU do it? Unknown.
3. What else may be wrong with this PSU? Well, seeing as it was junk before this problem, and the actual damage is completely unknown....

 

[Exploding PSU]

Look my mate, I know you're unwilling to replace the PSU considering it's still functioning per your testing, but for your sake, I suggest replacing the PSU. It's not even whether the PSU is still usable, it's about the quality of the PSU.

You've got a good setup over there. Please, don't risk it by powering it with a subpar PSU. That PC is too valuable.

Take it from someone who learned about cheap PSUs the hard way. Don't follow my footsteps. I've seen NEW factory-sealed PSUs blew up in my face, I wouldn't trust a PSU of that caliber to run anything, much less a MacGyver-ed version of that PSU

 

[ex_bubblehead]

The PSU is the heart and soul of a system, and the one place that you DON'T go cheap. If you use a sub par PSU you will be chasing gremlins out of the gate and right up to the moment you either replace the entire system or the PSU explodes in a shower of sparks (or some other component does).

 

[seriouseditview]

Thanks, I will get a new one.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Solution is to replace a very poor excuse for a PSU. Protect your setup and get a decent power supply.

 

[DynV]

It depends on how much you value that system, if you don't care that much, take a chance and replace the connector; but know it can fry something, which I think would be the motherboard first (then possibly other things), but that's just my guess. If you do value the system, do not buy a used PSU unless you 100% know it never was damaged (ie electricity), or it has an iron-clad warranty.

 

[Bob.B]

My config is

Processor: AMD Ryzen 3 2200G

Motherboard: Asus Ex A320M gaming

Ram: Gskill Ripjaws 1 X 8GB

Graphics Card: Gtx 1050Ti - Zotac Mini

PSU: Ant Esports VS500L 500 Watt

PC case: Antec P7 Window

I dissembled all the parts for cleaning, I kept the PSU near a induction stove.
My sister, without seeing or taking notice of the PSU's 8-pin CPU wire which got stuck underneath the vessel and the induction stove, switched on the induction stove. When I sensed the smell of plastic burning and saw the smoke I realized the PSU's 8-pin CPU wire was stuck in between the vessel and the heating surface, now it is melted.
On closer inspection the Cooper wire inside was still intact, only the insulation got melted. So I wrapped it with insulation tape and assembled everything back.
When I switch on the main switch I can see the inbuilt RGB in the motherboard glows, which I take as PSU is functional and working only the 8-pin CPU wire got damaged. Although I didn't switch on the PC. since I am afraid that it might cause damage to the motherboard or CPU.
There is another 6 Pin Wire from PSU which is intact and did not suffer any damage.

Now should I replace the entire PSU or Can I buy a 6 to 8-pin connector to connect the 6-pin wire from PSU to the CPU (My CPU has an 8-pin socket)??

Now, the warranty is totally out of the question since the damage is a self-inflicted one due to sheer neglect.

As far as fixing the wire goes cut out the damaged section strip and soldier the wire together.

The psu?......that's your call.

 

[Co BIY]

While it's perhaps a poor quality PSU (Although literally millions of systems are running on similar PSUs with relatively lower failure rates and most failures will only damage the PSU) to begin with as many here have said I am more interested in the damage (or lack of damage )caused by the melting of the insulation on the power wire.

1. Copper pots are used on stoves all the time without damage .
2. The melting point of copper is over 1980 degrees F , way hotter than a stove top.

Therefore it is highly unlikely that your conductor is damaged.

A. The only thing melted is the plastic insulator.
B. The insulator is easily replaced with cheap electrical tape that is rated to withstand much more voltage and Wattage than exists in your computer PSU cables.

I would only remove as much of the old insulator as will crumble off with finger pressure. Using any tools will make it easier to damage the conductor.

I think splicing in a new wire is more likely to create a point of failure than it is to improve the situation.

Once you have made the repair then you are back where you started !


The amount of pressure on this board for a new power supply when there is no problem with the current one is surprising to me.

Replacing a working power supply with a new higher quality one is like buying insurance against a power supply failure. The expected value of that insurance is determined by :

The likelihood of the current unit failing ( Lets say 5% - seems very high but for arguments sake ) - Chance of new unit failing (lets say it's 0 but probably is not actually zero).
times
The value of the system protected (AMD Ryzen 3 [$145] + motherboard [$80] + 8gb RAM [$30] + SSD [$90] + 1050 Ti [$180]

$525 value of system x . 05 chance of failure = $26.25

Can you expect to get a better PSU for less than $26 ?

That is a very generous valuation and does not take into consideration the likelihood that most PSU failures do not damage any other components and if they do it would probably be only one and not all of them. It also does not take into account that the value all of these items are very rapidly depreciating.

 

[DSzymborski]

That is a very generous valuation and does not take into consideration the likelihood that most PSU failures do not damage any other components and if they do it would probably be only one and not all of them. It also does not take into account that the value all of these items are very rapidly depreciating.
Generally, the assumptions for an actuarial exercise aren't pulled out of thin air.

Millions of people drunk drive successfully, too.

You both made up the failure rate and what failure consists of (both in terms of junk PSUs protecting the equipment and catastrophic failure being the only or even main effect). Nor did you consider ancillary effects; such as time lost due to not having a working PC compared to the 10 minutes required to install a PSU. And any professional function shoots time-value up pretty quickly. Every billable hour I lose because I unexpectedly have no computer access is $250 right out of my pocket.

Not to mention that you don't consider the OP's risk aversion at all. You compare it to insurance, but you don't treat insurance like a risk management product. By the same way you calculate buying a PSU is a bad idea for purchasers in the aggregate, car insurance, fire insurance, or health insurance would also be a bad idea in the aggregate for the purchasers. If he's so unable to get a budget PSU to the extent he's going to jury-rig a junk PSU, how easy and likely would he be to get ten times that amount on the spot?

 

[ötzi]

While it's perhaps a poor quality PSU (Although literally millions of systems are running on similar PSUs with relatively lower failure rates and most failures will only damage the PSU) to begin with as many here have said I am more interested in the damage (or lack of damage )caused by the melting of the insulation on the power wire.

1. Copper pots are used on stoves all the time without damage .
2. The melting point of copper is over 1980 degrees F , way hotter than a stove top.

Therefore it is highly unlikely that your conductor is damaged.

A. The only thing melted is the plastic insulator.
B. The insulator is easily replaced with cheap electrical tape that is rated to withstand much more voltage and Wattage than exists in your computer PSU cables.

I would only remove as much of the old insulator as will crumble off with finger pressure. Using any tools will make it easier to damage the conductor.

I think splicing in a new wire is more likely to create a point of failure than it is to improve the situation.

Once you have made the repair then you are back where you started !


The amount of pressure on this board for a new power supply when there is no problem with the current one is surprising to me.

Replacing a working power supply with a new higher quality one is like buying insurance against a power supply failure. The expected value of that insurance is determined by :

The likelihood of the current unit failing ( Lets say 5% - seems very high but for arguments sake ) - Chance of new unit failing (lets say it's 0 but probably is not actually zero).
times
The value of the system protected (AMD Ryzen 3 [$145] + motherboard [$80] + 8gb RAM [$30] + SSD [$90] + 1050 Ti [$180]

$525 value of system x . 05 chance of failure = $26.25

Can you expect to get a better PSU for less than $26 ?

That is a very generous valuation and does not take into consideration the likelihood that most PSU failures do not damage any other components and if they do it would probably be only one and not all of them. It also does not take into account that the value all of these items are very rapidly depreciating.

Looks almost like you're trolling
When reading up into the problems OP has with this system from previous threads there is a lot more to it. This is the fourth faulty PSU and the second (identical) motherboard in this system. Even though the PSU's are all four mediocre to bad, the motherboard is okay-ish. I would suggest looking into a power stabilizer which protects your PSU for power surges.

And please get a proper PSU! Always a bit amazed on how many people overlook the most important piece of hardware within a system...

 

[Co BIY]

You both made up the failure rate and what failure consists of (both in terms of junk PSUs protecting the equipment and catastrophic failure being the only or even main effect). Nor did you consider ancillary effects; such as time lost due to not having a working PC compared to the 10 minutes required to install a PSU. And any professional function shoots time-value up pretty quickly. Every billable hour I lose because I unexpectedly have no computer access is $250 right out of my pocket.

Not to mention that you don't consider the OP's risk aversion at all. You compare it to insurance, but you don't treat insurance like a risk management product. By the same way you calculate buying a PSU is a bad idea for purchasers in the aggregate, car insurance, fire insurance, or health insurance would also be a bad idea in the aggregate for the purchasers. If he's so unable to get a budget PSU to the extent he's going to jury-rig a junk PSU, how easy and likely would he be to get ten times that amount on the spot?

As a risk management tool insurance makes sense for large losses that you cannot recover from. To buy insurance for potential small losses is not a good strategy. That's why the insurance products covering consumer goods are generally a bad deal.

I made up the failure rate because I don't have the data (likely no body but the manufacturer or their retailers do) but was extremely pessimistic in my assumption to make the point.

Adding missing insulation to a wire is no more difficult or technically challenging than correctly plugging the cables in in the first place.

 

[Co BIY]

Looks almost like you're trolling
When reading up into the problems OP has with this system from previous threads there is a lot more to it. This is the fourth faulty PSU and the second (identical) motherboard in this system. Even though the PSU's are all four mediocre to bad, the motherboard is okay-ish. I would suggest looking into a power stabilizer which protects your PSU for power surges.

And please get a proper PSU! Always a bit amazed on how many people overlook the most important piece of hardware within a system...

Not trolling. Answering the poster's question with a straight forward answer.

If I guy posts on a car board : "I backed my Kia Rio into a post and cracked the taillight, how do I fix it?"

I tell him how to fix it. I don't tell him "Get a Toyota Corolla it's a much better car!"

If he is on his fourth PSU I suspect the PSUs are not the problem.