Saturday, October 17, 2009

Computer Won't Turn On

My usual morning routine is to fix myself a breakfast of oatmeal and then boot up the computer. This morning, the computer refused to boot. The power supply's blue LED light flickered but then died. I unplugged everything, waited a minute, and then plugged it back in. Again the blue LED light flickered, and this time the CPU fan came on, but the computer would not boot.

Verdict: bad power supply. Solution: Replace.

If the problem had only been a blown fuse in the power supply, then the blue LED light would not have come on.

Thirty minutes later I'm up and running. It is fortunate I had a spare lying around. Magazine articles often advise against being a pack rat. Well, there are advantages. If I weren't a pack rat, keeping spare parts here and there, then I would not be writing this article today.

The bad power supply was a RAIDMAX RX-630A. It lasted no more than two years, which isn't a very good outcome, considering I paid close to $100 for it. I thought that by paying more, I'd get a more reliable part.

The new power supply, a Thermaltake, works, but it too has a problem. A thin plastic card located within the box has come loose. The glue holding it in place must have decayed. Every once in a while, it comes into contact with the power supply's fan blades, causing clickety-clack. I've left the case off so that I can quickly replace this power supply, too, in the near future.

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