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whats wrong here?

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by zack247

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hi everybody, i have a dell dimension 4500 with a 350w psu, and a 512mb stick of ram running windows xp home edition with a 256mb ati radeon hd 2400 pro video card. just tonight, i was browsing the web when suddenly the cd drive tried to read the cd in it and the screen said it had no input signal. i turned off the machine and turned it back on again, and this time, as i was browsing the web again, the pc shut off and turned back on. there are no viruses, so why did it do this? im afraid it might do it again, how can i fix it? im not sure, but it may be the psu. ever since i got it, it has made a high pitched whine, im not sure this is normal for a antec 350w psu. i have had no previous problems with this psu, so how come the pc did this? can someone please help?

8 replies

by dawgit

Your house voltage / electricity supply. (high /low voltages, spikes, etc.) I would also suspect the PSU. I think the 350 watt factor might be a bit low as well. I suggest for what you've described at least a 400 ~ 450 Watt Power Supply.

by zack247

but it still does this. before the card was changed, in the morning, when i turned on the dell, the screen turned off. but not from the start, only once it started windows. i managed to get it to boot in safe mode, and i used system restore, and it worked, for about 10 minutes. please help me!

by ic-it

You blew out all the dust bunnies?
Use compressed air and give it a good cleaning.

Still I am with Dawgit, it is likely a failing power supply.

by nexs

Elma Fudd on the job.

"I'm-a huntin' dem waskely wabbits."

by oh smeg

I use Antec PS's all of the time and it's not normal for them to make any noise.

unlike others here I know these PS's and 350 W is more than enough for this purpose as that is the Power Supply's Rated 100% usage not a Peek Value like many other PS's on the market. A Antec 350W is equivalent to other companies 500W or bigger PS's.

The down side of Antec PS's is that they do sacrifice themselves when you have marginal Power to protect the internals of the case. Antec see's their role of providing PS's that will do this and not keep working till the internal electronics are completely destroyed taking out the PS in the process. Get in contact with the Antec Sellers and RMA the unit back to them. ;)

You need to however understand that sudden spikes on the Mains can cause this to happen so if you are in an area with heavy industry or a residential area with lots of large AC or Central Heating units switching off or on this can cause a massive Voltage Drop for a short time which will cause any Antec PS to shut things down to protect the internals. ;)

Col

by zack247

when a friend picked it up for me from a garage sale. i migrated my dimension 2400's hdd and i put in 512mb ram, along with the 350w psu. i upgraded the video card a couple months later, and replaced the problem one with a 128mb one. i think its the power supply too, where i am, we have had several thunderstorms and lightning showers, and the psu is no longer making the squealing noise when power isn't being drawn from it. but i can smell something coming out of the back of it, and it isn't strawberries and roses. no smoke, but what a shame, this was a 2 fan psu, i really liked it. looks like i'll be shopping for a new psu pretty soon then...

thnks for the insight guys, i really appreciate it.

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