Use of desktop computer in a different country // Power supply unit Voltage

[vish4it]

Hi. Im planning taking my desktop PC from india to canada. This is a mid ranging gaming setup.
Processor : FX 6300 (overclocked to 4.3 GHZ)
GPU : zotac nividia gtx 750 ti
RAM : 8 GB
Hard drive : seagate 1 TB
Motherboard : gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P (rev. 2.x) [ https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-970A-UD3P-rev-2x#ov ]
Power supply unit : corsair VS550
Cabinet : corsair carbide 400r
cooler : Corsair Hydro Series H80i GT

I Plan to take this pc to canada .. the power supply unit is a ATX power supply with AC input : 200v to 240v. I believe in canada this power supply unit might not work since they need the 110v supply.

Question :
1. Will I need a different power supply unit ?
2. Will my liquid cooling system work in a weather condition such as the one in canada ?
3. What is the best solution or alternative ?
4. What changes do I need to make to my computer if needed.

Any extra information will be much appreciated.

 

[CountMike]

!. you need y PSU that can work at 110v, most modern ones can cover from 100 - 250v automatically.
2. Canada is very large country and with variable climate, some parts could be as cold as in polar circle and other ones no worse than mid-Europe. So it depends where you are going to. Anyway all coolers would work fine.
3. Get multivoltage PSU or get one there.
4. no need for any other changes. If you are taking a monitor or other peripherals, you have to make sure they also work of 110v power.

 

[vish4it]

!. you need y PSU that can work at 110v, most modern ones can cover from 100 - 250v automatically.
2. Canada is very large country and with variable climate, some parts could be as cold as in polar circle and other ones no worse than mid-Europe. So it depends where you are going to. Anyway all coolers would work fine.
3. Get multivoltage PSU or get one there.
4. no need for any other changes. If you are taking a monitor or other peripherals, you have to make sure they also work of 110v power.

Im going to Toronto , Ontario..so I hope my cooler works fine there.. "!. you need y PSU that can work at 110v, most modern ones can cover from 100 - 250v automatically. " - do you know if my corsair will work at 110v ?
Do I need to get a new PSU in the first place? and one more thing.. will I have any problems with the customs at the border for carrying my desktop computer across borders ?

 

[DSzymborski]

The Corsair VS does not work with the lower voltage of Canada/United States. It's one reason you never see a Corsair VS over here. It's kind of a mediocre PSU at-best anyway, so given that you'd need a new PSU anyway, it's a good excuse to get a quality one for the long-haul.

 

[zyh1987]

!. you need y PSU that can work at 110v, most modern ones can cover from 100 - 250v automatically.
2. Canada is very large country and with variable climate, some parts could be as cold as in polar circle and other ones no worse than mid-Europe. So it depends where you are going to. Anyway all coolers would work fine.
3. Get multivoltage PSU or get one there.
4. no need for any other changes. If you are taking a monitor or other peripherals, you have to make sure they also work of 110v power.

Im going to Toronto , Ontario..so I hope my cooler works fine there.. "!. you need y PSU that can work at 110v, most modern ones can cover from 100 - 250v automatically. " - do you know if my corsair will work at 110v ?
Do I need to get a new PSU in the first place? and one more thing.. will I have any problems with the customs at the border for carrying my desktop computer across borders ?

1.check the sticker and see input range of your psu.
2.we are currently around 0~10C outdoor right now.
i wouldn't worry too much about cooling. just open the window if it gets too hot inside.
3.canadacomputers (local store) sells psu, you can pbbly get one for around $50~$60 Canadian
http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=33_1238_442&item_id=119717

if you prefer online, newegg.ca and amazon.ca

Input Voltage
100 - 240 V
Input Frequency Range
47 - 63 Hz
Input Current
10 - 5 A

so you can bring it back home if you want.

 

[DSzymborski]

!. you need y PSU that can work at 110v, most modern ones can cover from 100 - 250v automatically.
2. Canada is very large country and with variable climate, some parts could be as cold as in polar circle and other ones no worse than mid-Europe. So it depends where you are going to. Anyway all coolers would work fine.
3. Get multivoltage PSU or get one there.
4. no need for any other changes. If you are taking a monitor or other peripherals, you have to make sure they also work of 110v power.

Im going to Toronto , Ontario..so I hope my cooler works fine there.. "!. you need y PSU that can work at 110v, most modern ones can cover from 100 - 250v automatically. " - do you know if my corsair will work at 110v ?
Do I need to get a new PSU in the first place? and one more thing.. will I have any problems with the customs at the border for carrying my desktop computer across borders ?

1.check the sticker and see input range of your psu.
2.we are currently around 0~10C outdoor right now.
i wouldn't worry too much about cooling. just open the window if it gets too hot inside.
3.canadacomputers (local store) sells psu, you can pbbly get one for around $50~$60 Canadian
http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=33_1238_442&item_id=119717

if you prefer online, newegg.ca and amazon.ca

Input Voltage
100 - 240 V
Input Frequency Range
47 - 63 Hz
Input Current
10 - 5 A

so you can bring it back home if you want.

I'm surprised they updated it - the older Corsair VSs were pretty strictly >200V.

 

[vish4it]

The Corsair VS does not work with the lower voltage of Canada/United States. It's one reason you never see a Corsair VS over here. It's kind of a mediocre PSU at-best anyway, so given that you'd need a new PSU anyway, it's a good excuse to get a quality one for the long-haul.

ok... but I heard from multiple sources that the newer PSU are built to work with 110 v to 240v and since corsair makes excellent PSU is there any reference to this situation that you were talking about ? anyway I can check this online ?

 

[vish4it]

!. you need y PSU that can work at 110v, most modern ones can cover from 100 - 250v automatically.
2. Canada is very large country and with variable climate, some parts could be as cold as in polar circle and other ones no worse than mid-Europe. So it depends where you are going to. Anyway all coolers would work fine.
3. Get multivoltage PSU or get one there.
4. no need for any other changes. If you are taking a monitor or other peripherals, you have to make sure they also work of 110v power.

Im going to Toronto , Ontario..so I hope my cooler works fine there.. "!. you need y PSU that can work at 110v, most modern ones can cover from 100 - 250v automatically. " - do you know if my corsair will work at 110v ?
Do I need to get a new PSU in the first place? and one more thing.. will I have any problems with the customs at the border for carrying my desktop computer across borders ?

1.check the sticker and see input range of your psu.
2.we are currently around 0~10C outdoor right now.
i wouldn't worry too much about cooling. just open the window if it gets too hot inside.
3.canadacomputers (local store) sells psu, you can pbbly get one for around $50~$60 Canadian
http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=33_1238_442&item_id=119717

if you prefer online, newegg.ca and amazon.ca

Input Voltage
100 - 240 V
Input Frequency Range
47 - 63 Hz
Input Current
10 - 5 A

so you can bring it back home if you want.

I'm not worried about the cooling aspect of the corsair cooler either ... its doing a good job that way.. I was more interested in knowing if the liquid inside the cooler tank will withstand the cold conditions in canada.. I hope it doesnt freeze.. lol.. opening the windows might be a bad idea i think 😀

 

[CountMike]

Don't worry about Toronto climate it's a bit damp but it's not bad throughout the year, Niagara peninsula has most mild climate next to BC and Vancouver.

 

[zyh1987]

!. you need y PSU that can work at 110v, most modern ones can cover from 100 - 250v automatically.
2. Canada is very large country and with variable climate, some parts could be as cold as in polar circle and other ones no worse than mid-Europe. So it depends where you are going to. Anyway all coolers would work fine.
3. Get multivoltage PSU or get one there.
4. no need for any other changes. If you are taking a monitor or other peripherals, you have to make sure they also work of 110v power.

Im going to Toronto , Ontario..so I hope my cooler works fine there.. "!. you need y PSU that can work at 110v, most modern ones can cover from 100 - 250v automatically. " - do you know if my corsair will work at 110v ?
Do I need to get a new PSU in the first place? and one more thing.. will I have any problems with the customs at the border for carrying my desktop computer across borders ?

1.check the sticker and see input range of your psu.
2.we are currently around 0~10C outdoor right now.
i wouldn't worry too much about cooling. just open the window if it gets too hot inside.
3.canadacomputers (local store) sells psu, you can pbbly get one for around $50~$60 Canadian
http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=33_1238_442&item_id=119717

if you prefer online, newegg.ca and amazon.ca

Input Voltage
100 - 240 V
Input Frequency Range
47 - 63 Hz
Input Current
10 - 5 A

so you can bring it back home if you want.

I'm not worried about the cooling aspect of the corsair cooler either ... its doing a good job that way.. I was more interested in knowing if the liquid inside the cooler tank will withstand the cold conditions in canada.. I hope it doesnt freeze.. lol.. opening the windows might be a bad idea i think 😀

my frd, just leave it in the room for a bit, if you are worried, i think it's against law (unless you have a power outage) for anyone to provide a place with a room temperature below 15 C.

 

[vish4it]

Don't worry about Toronto climate it's a bit damp but it's not bad throughout the year, Niagara peninsula has most mild climate next to BC and Vancouver.

ok alright... so I guess im looking for a different PSU correct ? and I assume every other component will work fine considering the weather... I just need a different power cable i think

 

[vish4it]

The Corsair VS does not work with the lower voltage of Canada/United States. It's one reason you never see a Corsair VS over here. It's kind of a mediocre PSU at-best anyway, so given that you'd need a new PSU anyway, it's a good excuse to get a quality one for the long-haul.

I carried my tower all the way to toront canada.. i was using a step up transformer which steps the voltage from 110 v to 240v.
it worked fine for a week with this set up and now my computer wont power on... please suggest me a fix for this.

 

[Paperdoc]

Well, by now you should know from experience that Toronto temperatures will never be an issue for you. After all, this computer is used indoors, right?

I can't tell you why it stopped working suddenly. You can try to unplug it from the power source for a few minutes just in case a cold reset helps. Beyond that, can you describe any other symptoms? Have you checked the switch on the back of the PSU to ensure it is turned on? Does the step-up transformer appear to be OK? Have you checked to be sure the wall outlet for power is live - that is, the breaker for that circuit has not tripped off? When you push the front On / Off button, does anything happen at all? How is your monitor powered - does it still work?

 

[vish4it]

Well, by now you should know from experience that Toronto temperatures will never be an issue for you. After all, this computer is used indoors, right?

I can't tell you why it stopped working suddenly. You can try to unplug it from the power source for a few minutes just in case a cold reset helps. Beyond that, can you describe any other symptoms? Have you checked the switch on the back of the PSU to ensure it is turned on? Does the step-up transformer appear to be OK? Have you checked to be sure the wall outlet for power is live - that is, the breaker for that circuit has not tripped off? When you push the front On / Off button, does anything happen at all? How is your monitor powered - does it still work?

Yes I checked everything.. The monitor works on an independent power supply. Nothing happens when I press the power button.

 

[DSzymborski]

The Corsair VS does not work with the lower voltage of Canada/United States. It's one reason you never see a Corsair VS over here. It's kind of a mediocre PSU at-best anyway, so given that you'd need a new PSU anyway, it's a good excuse to get a quality one for the long-haul.

I carried my tower all the way to toront canada.. i was using a step up transformer which steps the voltage from 110 v to 240v.
it worked fine for a week with this set up and now my computer wont power on... please suggest me a fix for this.

Well, I'd start with a new power supply, which is what I would have done in the first place. Who knows what quality the transformer was. It's quite possible there's other damage now; sometimes when you take a shortcut, your solution gets a lot more difficult and more expensive.

 

[vish4it]

Well, I'd start with a new power supply, which is what I would have done in the first place. Who knows what quality the transformer was. It's quite possible there's other damage now; sometimes when you take a shortcut, your solution gets a lot more difficult and more expensive.

I would loved to install a new power supply but I went with the transformer because the labor is expensive here..for now I want to use the transformer.. you think stepping up the voltage will cause damage? Im using a spike buster to be safe. the computer all of a sudden powered up but I got a BIOS corrupted error.. do you think its the voltage transformer ? please advice

 

[DSzymborski]

Well, I'd start with a new power supply, which is what I would have done in the first place. Who knows what quality the transformer was. It's quite possible there's other damage now; sometimes when you take a shortcut, your solution gets a lot more difficult and more expensive.

I would loved to install a new power supply but I went with the transformer because the labor is expensive here..for now I want to use the transformer.. you think stepping up the voltage will cause damage? Im using a spike buster to be safe. the computer all of a sudden powered up but I got a BIOS corrupted error.. do you think its the voltage transformer ? please advice

Again, can't tell without a known good power supply. A lot of things could have happened.

It takes ten minutes to install a power supply. We're not talking about a job for a technician here; you're not *repairing* a power supply. You've spent far more time and effort trying to find a way to skip replacing the PSU than it would have taken to simply do it in the first place.

 

[vish4it]

Well, I'd start with a new power supply, which is what I would have done in the first place. Who knows what quality the transformer was. It's quite possible there's other damage now; sometimes when you take a shortcut, your solution gets a lot more difficult and more expensive.

I would loved to install a new power supply but I went with the transformer because the labor is expensive here..for now I want to use the transformer.. you think stepping up the voltage will cause damage? Im using a spike buster to be safe. the computer all of a sudden powered up but I got a BIOS corrupted error.. do you think its the voltage transformer ? please advice

Again, can't tell without a known good power supply. A lot of things could have happened.

It takes ten minutes to install a power supply. We're not talking about a job for a technician here; you're not *repairing* a power supply. You've spent far more time and effort trying to find a way to skip replacing the PSU than it would have taken to simply do it in the first place.

ill think about it/// thanks.. but is there a fix because replacing a PSU is an alternative. not a solution.. if you know of any .. please suggest..

 

[DSzymborski]

Well, I'd start with a new power supply, which is what I would have done in the first place. Who knows what quality the transformer was. It's quite possible there's other damage now; sometimes when you take a shortcut, your solution gets a lot more difficult and more expensive.

I would loved to install a new power supply but I went with the transformer because the labor is expensive here..for now I want to use the transformer.. you think stepping up the voltage will cause damage? Im using a spike buster to be safe. the computer all of a sudden powered up but I got a BIOS corrupted error.. do you think its the voltage transformer ? please advice

Again, can't tell without a known good power supply. A lot of things could have happened.

It takes ten minutes to install a power supply. We're not talking about a job for a technician here; you're not *repairing* a power supply. You've spent far more time and effort trying to find a way to skip replacing the PSU than it would have taken to simply do it in the first place.

ill think about it/// thanks.. but is there a fix because replacing a PSU is an alternative. not a solution.. if you know of any .. please suggest..

That *is* the fix. At least the first step. You can't test what's very possibly a power problem without a known good power supply. You don't currently have one.

I'm going to unfollow this thread now. If you want to take more lazy shortcuts to fix what was very possibly caused by your first shortcut and risk damaging more parts, that's your prerogative, but I'm not particularly interested in participating in that. I wish you the best of luck in resolving your issue.

 

[madmatt30]

Got to agree 100% with DSzymborski here.

You took a long winded , non practical & inconvenient/inefficient way using a step up transformer in the first place.

If you paid less for that transformer than a new psu then it's going to be poor poor quality.

Here in the uk a cheap 110-220/240v transformer is about £90.
A new cx550 with auto voltage switching is half the price at £45!!

Replacing a psu??

Undo 4 screws , unplug 4 or 5 cables,remove.
Fit new one,replug 4 or 5 cables , screw in 4 screws.

 

[vish4it]

Well, I'd start with a new power supply, which is what I would have done in the first place. Who knows what quality the transformer was. It's quite possible there's other damage now; sometimes when you take a shortcut, your solution gets a lot more difficult and more expensive.

I would loved to install a new power supply but I went with the transformer because the labor is expensive here..for now I want to use the transformer.. you think stepping up the voltage will cause damage? Im using a spike buster to be safe. the computer all of a sudden powered up but I got a BIOS corrupted error.. do you think its the voltage transformer ? please advice

Again, can't tell without a known good power supply. A lot of things could have happened.

It takes ten minutes to install a power supply. We're not talking about a job for a technician here; you're not *repairing* a power supply. You've spent far more time and effort trying to find a way to skip replacing the PSU than it would have taken to simply do it in the first place.

ill think about it/// thanks.. but is there a fix because replacing a PSU is an alternative. not a solution.. if you know of any .. please suggest..

That *is* the fix. At least the first step. You can't test what's very possibly a power problem without a known good power supply. You don't currently have one.

I'm going to unfollow this thread now. If you want to take more lazy shortcuts to fix what was very possibly caused by your first shortcut and risk damaging more parts, that's your prerogative, but I'm not particularly interested in participating in that. I wish you the best of luck in resolving your issue.

dude.. I understand what you're saying and ur not wrong.. stop taking this personally upon yourself.. its not a shortcut its something I did within my financial limits... you dont have involve urself if you dont know what is happening and cant find a fix. you may unfollow if you want ur not doing me a favor by being here.. if ur rude i dont need ur help.

 

[vish4it]

Got to agree 100% with DSzymborski here.

You took a long winded , non practical & inconvenient/inefficient way using a step up transformer in the first place.

If you paid less for that transformer than a new psu then it's going to be poor poor quality.

Here in the uk a cheap 110-220/240v transformer is about £90.
A new cx550 with auto voltage switching is half the price at £45!!

Replacing a psu??

Undo 4 screws , unplug 4 or 5 cables,remove.
Fit new one,replug 4 or 5 cables , screw in 4 screws.

No one is denying that.. first of all in my home country we dont get a PSU which runs on 110 volts.. so I have to buy one here.. and buying one here is a good move yes and maybe the best solution... but I want to know if anyone here has any idea about how this a step up transformer works.. without knowing that and the different brands I cant rely on an information which is pointing towards getting rid of it. I will get a new PSU for sure .. but im not sure if the problem was caused because of the transformer in the first place...would you know how the transformer works?

 

[madmatt30]

Do you have a link to the transformer you own ??

The issue is to step up voltage from 110v to 240v is much harder & more expensive than stepping voltage down from 240v to 110v.

Also relies on much more expensive & higher quality internals.

 

[Paperdoc]

A transformer is a very simple device. It has a magnetically-susceptible core of iron, and wound around it are two coils of wire, with a ratio of 2 turns on one to 1 turn in the other for your purpose. The primary coil is connected to the input wires from the wall outlet to run on 120 VAC, and the secondary coil is connected to the output socket of the transformer to deliver 240 VAC to your computer cord. Could something go wrong with that? Of course - nothing is perfect. A unit like that might create voltage surges, for example. Or it may not include proper grounding.

In Canada, the electrical supply in the home uses what is called a "Grounded Neutral" system. That means that, at the wall outlet you plug into, the Neutral line actually is connected to true earth Ground back at the breaker panel, and the Hot line is not. This established a reference point electrically of zero voltage in the power supply system. But when you use a step-up transformer the output from the secondary winding is NOT connected to Ground, so the power being supplied to your computer has no connection to zero voltage through that. In itself, that is not a problem. However, sometimes one is dealing with other devices connected that are poorly designed and assume that a particular part of their circuit will be effectively at zero volts; if that is not the case, sometimes such devices can cause odd circuit loading and current flows. If your modified system lacks a proper Ground connection (next paragraph), that can happen and can even cause damage in some cases.

Our system here also has a third contact in the wall outlet, the round-shaped hole at the apex of the "triangular" arrangement of holes is for Ground. The power cord from wall to your appliance connects this line to the exterior chassis of the unit so it is at Ground (zero volts). This line is completely separate from the Neutral line and it is connected at the breaker panel to earth Ground. But it is a safety device and normally carries NO current - it is there mainly to provide a safe and low-resistance path to true Ground in an abnormal situation where the exterior of the appliance somehow makes contact with the Hot supply. This Ground connection will carry that dangerous current to Ground immediately, making the exterior still safe to people and at the same time causing the circuit to overload (a short circuit from Hot to exterior surface to Ground) and the breaker in the Hot line to trip open, stopping the supply of power. But that Ground connection also is used for another function. In equipment that may be disturbed by external electrical noise signals, this connection to true Ground with no regular current flowing through it is used as a good place to carry the noise signals to Ground and eliminate their effect on the circuits inside. So if you use some device between the wall outlet and your appliance (like the step-up transformer unit) that does NOT connect the wall Ground right through to the computer's Ground terminal on the power supply input, that function of noise removal is not possible.

IF you are using a Surge Protector device in your power lines that might cause another problem, especially if it is between the transformer and your computer. The simpler surge protectors (and hence less expensive) also are really simple. Typically they contain two MOV units, one each connected from the Hot line to Ground, and from Neutral to Ground. Such devices are built so that they are very high-resistance leaks of tiny current at low voltages, but at some specified high voltage (often, about 200 V) they break down and carry a very heavy current to prevent the line with power (Hot or Neutral) from going to too-high voltage with respect to true Ground. It causes a short circuit which usually trips out the wall supply circuit's breaker. If such an event occurs, two things could happen. IF your system does have proper connections to Ground, then the device works and prevents the voltage surge BUT this is a one-time thing! The MOV itself is destroyed in doing its job, and that might cause a failure of the entire surge protector unit afterwards. On the other hand, IF your system does NOT have a proper connection to Ground where the surge protector is connected, then it cannot do anything useful at all, and there is no surge protection.