PCA Forums

Is my Enermax 430W PSU crapping out on me ?

A while ago my computer wouldn't turn on anymore at my 1.6Ghz clock speed so I had to put it back down to default at 1.33Ghz.

Just recently my comp wouldn't turn on unless I unplugged the power to one of my hardrives.

Also I checked the bios as well as SiSoft Sandra and I noticed that my +5V voltage has dropped to 4.48V. Around the time when I first got the Enermax PSU it used to be at around 4.80V, not that great but better than what it is now.

So can anyone tell me if I need a new PSU or if there is a way to repair my PSU ?

It sounds like that PSU could be fading out. I would RMA it with enermax i think they have a 3 yr warranty and claim that the 5v rail isn't within the 5% specs. Also the KK266 board u have is VERY hard on the 5v rail. I had one with a 300W psu and at default cpu speed it was 4.6v's on the 5 v line overclocking would drop it to 4.4 but it was stable so i didn't worry about it to much.

Yep - it's failing you. Get a 550 Watt monster for that rig.

Hopefully I can find the box it came in and return it. Isn't 550W a bit too much ?

these days its borderline... i have a 480W Antec True Power PSU very solid and very quiet... Mines actally the Trueblue with the blue led's inside of it...

I don't know how old your Enermax P/S is, but the first and second production runs of their 431W PS had a common problem with the 5V rail. There is a mod you can do, if you dig around google for a bit. The mod allegedly fixes the issue...but just be careful no to shock yourself if you disassemble your PSU.

The 5V rail is very important in system stability, expecially with faster CPUs that need more power to operate. If it is dipping below 4.9, it is way too low. Ideally you want it around 4.95-5.1. I am using a 550W Enermax PS and it works just great.