CPU died

[Driftwood]

Got a Raidmax RX-520 here that dont go no more.
Just opened it up to have a look.
Always more satisfying if you can see a burnt componant or some other reason for it not to go.
Nothing, what is it that usually dies on these things?

Damm I meant PSU of cause.

[Snorkbox]

I don't think it will be the CPU as PSUs don't have them.

Maybe capacitators looking brown, leaking or bulging.

[1101]

check that the hamster hasn't fallen off his wheel

seriously tho, dont even attempt a repair. If you were competent to to do it, you wouldnt need to ask.
Nothing wrong with looking inside (zap, burnt finger,caps storing 320V blah blah etc), now chuck it in the bin.

Parts that fail in PSU: caps, IC's,Power Fets, dry joints, burnt tacks, resistors, Flux Capacitors

[PENTIUM]

Sometime replacing the fuse capsule- if it has one- will work wonders.

[Driftwood]

I wasn't concidering trying to fix it. Just that if you replace a unit for someone else they are always happier if you can show them why they are forking out the $$$$$

[Snorkbox]

I just give the dead unit back and they can do what they like with it.

This may include, for all I care, taking it to someone else to be fixed or not or using it for a doorstop.

[Gobe1]

I have pulled several dead PSUs apart also and never found anything so i know what you are saying Drift. What has actually gone wrong??

[pctek]

Raidmax have a high failure rate. Throw it in the bin and buy a Corsair.

[zqwerty]

If the fuse is intact and there is no other obvious blow up then the likely cause is the drop in value, due to heating, of two 1uF electrolytic capacitors which act as part of a switch-on multi-vibrator circuit and are no longer causing oscillation through their diminished capacitance.

The symptoms leading up to/indicating this failure which is very common are:

Intermittent starting, especially on cold mornings

Will work after being left on for a while

Works if placed in warm room

Random no start up gradually increases until no go.

They can be replaced with a bit of trouble and should be the high temperature black type of electro, normally 1-4.7uF 50V.

They are mostly placed very close to the power switching device/s.

Caution, the smoothing caps are often not discharged by the dedicated current leak resistors which go open-circuit in older units that have had a lot of use, these caps can deliver a substantial amount of energy and should be treated with extreme caution. ie they need to be discharged with a suitably valued and insulated resistor by hand after each power up, or replace the in-built discharge resistors after determining that they are faulty.

[Agent_24]

Got a Raidmax RX-520 here that dont go no more.
Just opened it up to have a look.
Always more satisfying if you can see a burnt componant or some other reason for it not to go.

My friend had a Raidmax, was about two weeks old when smoke poured out of it

I think it was one of the primary filter capacitors going by what I could see looking in through the fan but not sure as we didn't want to void the warranty.

what is it that usually dies on these things?

http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/smpsfaq.htm#smpsmcp