[shinja]

Hello, I have recently bought a new power supply for my computer that wouldn't boot past the bios screen. I installed the new power supply hoping for it to fix this problem and now it won't start at all. All I get is a flash of the orange light at the front of the computer and a flicker of the fans. I have tried using it with no hd, cd drives or video card installed and still no luck. I also tried flicking the switching on the back of the power supply between the different voltages but that didn't work either. :( any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Scleros]

my computer ...wouldn't boot past the bios screen.

If you see anything at all on screen, it likely isn't the power supply.

I have tried using it with no hd, cd drives or video card installed and still no luck.

Good, drives are not required for POST - board should boot to BIOS POST screen and then complain about not finding a boot device. The video card may be required if the board has no onboard video.

All i get is a flash of the orange light at the front of the computer and a flicker of the fans

If this is a new build, reseat the memory and reduce to one module or minimum supported by board for troubleshooting. If this was a working computer that suddenly stopped, possible bad motherboard, memory module, processor, or add-in card. Otherwise, check any jumpers for correct configuration or for items wedged between board and chassis. A BIOS POST card (see Wikipedia: Power-on self-test and Elston Diagnostic Test Card) and technical information for your board can be useful during POST situations to determine where the BIOS POST process is stopping.

I also tried flicking the switching on the back of the power supply between the different voltages but that didn't work either.

Well no, it wouldn't unless initially incorrect. The voltage switch needs to be set to match whatever utility voltage is standard for your location.

[shinja]

Ok. Let me restate my story, I had a perfectly working computer with a

[shinja]

... accidentally clicked post in the middle of the message. Any way I had a perfectly working computer with a 300 watt power supply, and I decided to upgrade my video card to a ati radeon x1550 which required at least a 430 watt power supply. My old 300 watt power supply lasted about a week before, after restarting my computer, failed to boot past the first startup screen. I thought this the power supply failing as the screen only displayed for a second before it turned off. So I bought a thermaltake power supply with 430 watts and plugged that in. and I haven't managed to get the computer to work yet. All I get is a flash of the orange light and a flicker of the fans. Also the motherboards green light is on to signal that it is receiving power.

[Scleros]

... my old 300 watt power supply lasted about a week before...

Before what? Are you saying you put the new video card in, ran the computer for a week, and then it stopped working?

Suggest you put everything back the way it was originally, get it working, and then replace one component at a time. Also test the old supply with a power supply tester. How do you know it is bad?

The x1550 based cards I found on the web don't appear to have a power connector. If your card doesn't either all its power is derived from the AGP/PCI/PCIe bus, which is limited. I can't believe the original 300 watt power supply was insufficient unless it was a very poor quality supply. A typical system would have power budget to spare with that supply unless loaded with hard drives or other bleeding edge components and adapters.

[shinja]

Are you saying you put the new video card in, ran the computer for a week, and then it stopped working?

Yes, a week after I installed the new video card my computer failed to boot. I read online that a power supply of at least 430 watts was recommended for use with the x1550 and thought this was why my computer wasn't working. So that's why I got a new power supply.

Suggest you put everything back the way it was originally, get it working, and then replace one component at a time. Also test the old supply with a power supply tester. How do you know it is bad?

I will try putting everything back the way it was originally, also where can I get a power supply tester?

If your card doesn't either all its power is derived from the AGP/PCI/PCIe bus, which is limited.

Yea, it doesn't.

Ok thanks for all your help and persistence so far.

[Scleros]

I read online that a power supply of at least 430 watts was recommended...

The specs I found on ATI's site didn't list any special power requirements, but give ATI a call to confirm if necessary. Power recommendations found anywhere but the device manufacturer's specifications have to be taken in the proper context. In this instance, the context would be something like "I'm building a basic gaming rig, and have to choose between a 200W, 400W and 600W supply, which do I pick?" The answer would be around a 400W to allow some room for expansion and be most cost effective. The 200W could work OK too in some instances and the 600W would be overkill in many instances, so recommending a 400W model is a safe bet that is applicable to the broadest range of situations. Power supplies also tend to be inefficient at the extremes of their operating range - both lightly and heavily loaded, so matching a supply to the actual load helps them run most efficiently. Watts-Up and P3 International's Kill-A-Watt product are relatively low cost power meter offerings that are handy for determining actual load and also useful elsewhere around the home.

also where can i get a power supply tester?

See Newegg.com: power supply tester or just Google "power supply tester". If you get one, don't leave it connected for too long. Most of them simply have a power resistor to provide a load and dissipate the energy as heat. Once, I left one attached with the power supply running while answering the phone and it was beginning to melt when I returned a few minutes later. :rolleyes: