I'm in trouble

[nj4ck]

Hey forum,

so I installed a custom loop in my pc yesterday and it worked great. At least in the beginning .. then, when I was working on the cable management and where to plug which fan, I must have accidentally hit the power button because my PSU made a clicking sound and seemed to attempt to power up the system. However it will provide power to just my fans and UV cathodes for just a split second. Then it stops, waits a few seconds and repeats. I was able to boot normally once, right after the problem appeared for the first time, now I just get the PSU clicking and my monitors stay blank.

Things I've tried:

-paperclip trick on PSU, the unit seems to work fine.

-different PSU, system still doesn't start, now I get weird noises from my speakers everytime I press the Power button.

Do you think I somehow fried my motherboard or CPU?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Akolyte]

Right off the bat, I would say motherboard.  Tell me, 

 

is your motherboard power LED on when the psu is on but the system isn't?

[nj4ck]

Right off the bat, I would say motherboard.  Tell me, 

 

is your motherboard power LED on when the psu is on but the system isn't?

The only LED that is on is the orange one at the back of the ethernet port.

[Akolyte]

The only LED that is on is the orange one at the back of the ethernet port.

Theres no big green LED on your motherboard or whatever it is for Asrock on? 

[nj4ck]

Theres no big green LED on your motherboard or whatever it is for Asrock on?

not that i've ever noticed one, no.

[Hecknologist]

You should have a debug post readout (2 '8' figures, old school square style). That will tell you what is wrong with your system (code key is in mobo manual or online). If no readout I'd say mobo.

[nj4ck]

You should have a debug post readout (2 '8' figures, old school square style). That will tell you what is wrong with your system (code key is in mobo manual or online). If no readout I'd say mobo.

my motherboard doesn't have the debugging display-thingy.

Just noticed, there is something wrong with my PSU as well. I can jumstart it to run the pump sometimes, sometimes it won't react at all. My guess is that the PSU probably died and took who knows how many other components with it.

My CPU and RAM are ok. Must be either the motherboard or somehow the PSU after all, I suspect both. Is such a failure covered by warranty? I mean, PSU dies and kills motherboard, is the dead motherboard RMAable or is that just tough luck for me?

[Hecknologist]

I believe most parts manufacturers claim no liability for fault of another product's damaging, so rma would probably cost you for repair. I would firstly talk to your retailer as a lot of the time they will have their own technical support team that can test your board for you (happened to me once with a scratched trace on mobo), as that would be the least hassle/cost to you.

The other option is to claim the board as DOA. Although you can't be sure it's fault of the mobo or psu without testing, at least it gives you a way to possibly swap out the board for a new one.

 

Sucks to be in this predicament, best of luck.

[nj4ck]

Well this day took a turn for the best, I say. It turns out the problem appears to have been the integrated fan controller on my Fractal Arc Mini R2. I noticed that I could jumpstart the PSU without any problems, as long as the molex connector powering the fan controller was disconnected. As soon as I connected it and tried to start the PSU with the paperclip-trick, it PSU would refuse to respond with anything more than a faint clinking-noise.

 

I completely disconnected it from everything and my system is up and running again, for now. I'm still kind of puzzled, no idea how a simple fan controller could cause this kind of problem. I'm pretty sure I broke it by connecting my pump to it, though. EK-DCP 4.4 pulls 1.8 Amps and probably even more at 7V, where I was running it.

[Norwegiantweaker]

Hey forum,

so I installed a custom loop in my pc yesterday and it worked great. At least in the beginning .. then, when I was working on the cable management and where to plug which fan, I must have accidentally hit the power button because my PSU made a clicking sound and seemed to attempt to power up the system. However it will provide power to just my fans and UV cathodes for just a split second. Then it stops, waits a few seconds and repeats. I was able to boot normally once, right after the problem appeared for the first time, now I just get the PSU clicking and my monitors stay blank.

Things I've tried:

-paperclip trick on PSU, the unit seems to work fine.

-different PSU, system still doesn't start, now I get weird noises from my speakers everytime I press the Power button.

Do you think I somehow fried my motherboard or CPU?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

did you drown the computer

[nj4ck]

did you drown the computer

no. read post above :rolleyes:

[Sors]

 I'm still kind of puzzled, no idea how a simple fan controller could cause this kind of problem. I'm pretty sure I broke it by connecting my pump to it, though. EK-DCP 4.4 pulls 1.8 Amps and probably even more at 7V, where I was running it.

 

The fan controller is causing the clicking noises because it has a short-circuit, the PSU does those kind of noises when it starts, detects an over current and then turns itself off.  1.8 amps for the pump is too much current for the controller, that is probably why it fail.

[nj4ck]

The fan controller is causing the clicking noises because it has a short-circuit, the PSU does those kind of noises when it starts, detects an over current and then turns itself off.  1.8 amps for the pump is too much current for the controller, that is probably why it fail.

thanks for explaining