Yet another clicking PSU

[gcb]

I've read several threads like http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/264358-28-power-supply-clicking

and my symptoms are different than all of them...

1. had one coolermaster 350W PSU
2. it was powering a power hungry P4 with overcloked nvidia, 2 HDs, bunch of FANs
3. switched mobo for a i5 and no GPU, one SSD, 2 fans.
4. worked for one week and a half and started to do the clicks
5. nothing wrong with the power supply... monitored and everything was very well within spec (but i miss decent equipment to do a proper test)

here something very interesting... the clicks are almost syncrhonized to user input and screen redraw. very weird. e.g. moving the mouse give me a rapid, low intensity clicking.

changing something on the screen gave me a more cadenced, high intensity clicking.

very weird.

So my first test was to remove the PSU and attach it to the old P4 and (now not overclocked) nvidia.

very same clicking. so now i'm convinced it's the PSU. it's out of warranty and i really didn't want to let go of it just now... anything i can do?

 

[daswilhelm]

coolermaster doesnt make the best quality psu's. if it's making noise you could replace it with a decent quality unit. or just use it till it blows.

 

[gcb]

should i even consider turning it into a bench power supply? or once it goes clicking it's dead?

any easy way to determine which rail is 'clicking'?

 

[amuffin]

coolermaster doesnt make the best quality psu's. if it's making noise you could replace it with a decent quality unit. or just use it till it blows.

They don't make PSU's. 😉

 

[apache_lives]

#1 thing i so hate to see

using old crap with new components

do it right and replace it

please tell me your not using XP also....

 

[memadmax]

Make sure everything is grounded all the way up to the plugin.
Clicking noises like that are sometimes from grounds not up right.

 

[daswilhelm]

They don't make PSU's. 😉

sorry, they don't SELL the best quality psu's.

 

[gcb]

#1 thing i so hate to see

using old crap with new components

do it right and replace it

please tell me your not using XP also....

#1 thing I hate to see

spoiled kids with parents with deep pockets. People like you are responsible for the influx of crap from china that can't last 6 months... but if you like to throw away everything that is 1yr old, at least post a curb alert here on the forum from your windows 8 new machine.

a PSU is a PSU. if you bought it yesterday or two years ago it should still be a PSU... my system requires under 225W, that PSU claimed to provide 250+W on 12v... heck the fan on the PSU is still dust free and silent.

...but yeah, on the other comments about quality of coolermaster PSUs, i think i learned that the hard way. I remember buying it based on efficiency ratings and silence. should have considered overall quality as well.

it's now replaced with a corsair cx430... i doubt corsair is also know for good PSUs, but i got it to be my bench power supply on cyber monday shenanigas for $12 ... the cables reeks of chinese plastic. Hope it last longer.

 

[gcb]

Make sure everything is grounded all the way up to the plugin.
Clicking noises like that are sometimes from grounds not up right.

agreed, that was the very first thing i tested. couldn't find anything abnormal.