I experienced a power outage, and now my computer won't power on. I've tried several troubleshooting steps: first, I turned off the PSU power, held the button for 15 seconds, and then turned it back on. When I pressed the start button, nothing happened. Next, I removed the CMOS battery for 30 seconds and put it back in, but that didn't help either. I also tried using one stick of RAM at a time, switching their slots, but still no luck. There are no lights on the motherboard and no fan noise at all. I replaced my old Toughpower GF A3 750W PSU with a new SMART BM3 850W, but pressing power still yields no sounds or lights. I'm really frustrated and wondering if this indicates a motherboard failure. My PSU was supposed to be reliable, but this situation is maddening. What should I do next?
3 Answers
The Toughpower GF A3 750W has limited protection against power surges, meaning when it dies, it can easily take other hardware with it. It’s a common issue with their PSUs, and while they're efficient normally, they don’t handle power outages well. If it’s dead, it could have damaged other components in your system during the outage.
Your Thermaltake 80+ Gold power supply protects your components from its own failures, but it doesn’t safeguard against issues from outside power events. If you didn’t use a surge protector, your power supply probably got fried, and it might have taken other components down with it too. When there's absolutely no power, it's unusual, even if the motherboard’s dead—most times, you'd see at least a fan twitch. You should verify all connections to rule out any loose cables.
Have you made sure that the outlet you’re plugging into is actually working? Sometimes the simplest things can be overlooked!
That’s a good point—just double-checking the outlet is definitely a smart move.
Yes, I checked, and the outlet is live.
I really thought an 80 Gold PSU provided more protection. This build is just a year old, that's frustrating.