StarDestroyer.Net BBS

It might be kerploding, in any event. I woke up this morning to a sound which I took to be a wire or cable that some got banged up on a fan. I opened up the case and isolated the sound to the PSU...which didn't appear to have anything sitting/dangling on the fan.

Following the SOP of Techs everywhere, I turned off the comp and turned it back on...which caused it to make a lot more noise. So much that I flipped the AC input switch at the back of the PSU rather than wait for the comp to turn off through pushing down the power button. Afterwards I proceeded to randomly move cables, jostle the PSU, and go "hmmmm...." for 15 minutes. Turning it back on...no noise. Good as new.

Throughout this whole thing the OS was functioning fine(when I had it up).

What do you think? PSU dying? Anomaly?

Both are possible. If you start getting instability, replacement time. If not, well, you'll possibly get a nice fireworks display one day soonish that'll pop your home circuit breaker for the power socket - hope you have automatic (self-blast) ones or you'll have to replace the manual (thermal) ones . If you're willing to live with that, have fun, else replacement time.

Replacement time, immediately. A PSU kerplosion can take out everything on your machine with it and I would not want to risk that if I were you.

I'll repeat my recommendation for Seasonic.

Having actually lived through 2! PSU kerplosians, I can say that its not a guaranteed cataclysmic failure. The fact is, though, do you really want a 500 watt electric box deciding it's time to start spitting fire and brimstone? If the PSU's made a troubling noise, it's time to replace it.

By your description, it sounds as if the bearings in the PSU's cooling fan are going bad.

If you're brave you can take the PSU out of the computer, disassemble it, and replace the fan yourself.
If not, just buy a decent quality replacement.

The guys over at the Ars Technica forums favor Sparkle/Fortron Source PSU's for those who want a quality 'budget' unit.
If not, I second Beowulf's Seasonic recommendation.

Hey, didn't you just build your comp?

Corsair makes a good PSU as well (IIRC, it's essentially Seasonic with fewer frills).

Easiest way to see what the actual source of the noise is is to stop the fan from moving. Stick a pen or something in the blades, then turn it on (preferably without anything in the computer plugged into it). You can manually turn on a disconnected computer power supply by sticking a paper clip into the motherboard connector. Put one end in a BLACK wire, and the other in the single GREEN wire.
If it still makes a buzzing noise with the fan not moving, it's an electrical failure. Replace the PSU.

Beowulf wrote:Hey, didn't you just build your comp?

Yes. Which is making me peeved.

Yay! Warranty replacement time!

Unless you got really screwed on warranty.

It's an Antec so I'm surprised that it crapped out about a month into ownership.

The machine has been running all day(since I turned it back on) with no problems...I think I'll get another PSU just to have on hand.

Antec PSUs these days are apparently crap (it's outsourced, you know). Which is why I got my PSU and case seperately.