Burned Power Supply

Hi guys,
I have iMac intel based 20" 2006 and the house that i'm staying now is very old and the electrical infrastructure is messed up.
I didn't have time to get a surge protector and my imac exploded
My warranty is off and my country (Cyprus) doesn't have a real Apple Store or associate.
Therefore I opened it up myself and I found out that the power supply has exploded. Hopefully no other damage was done.
Does anyone know where I can buy a power supply from the web? since it impossible from my country...

Hello KamiMark and welcome to Apple Discussions
Check at: http://www.welovemacs.com/index.html
Please have an electrician test your house wiring!
Dennis

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Burned power supply replacement (MSI GX 700)

Hello,
My GX 700 power supply just burned tonight, it was really hot, I unplugged it and let it cool down, but it's not working anymore, I'm going to call the after sales service but, for right now, is it possible to use an other laptop powersupply ? The one I want to use is slightly different, 3,9 A unstead of 4,4 A, because it's a lower amperage than the original one, I suppose it won't hurt the laptop, am I right ?

I'm going to call after sales service today, my laptop has a 1 year warranty, so it's allright.
I was looking for a temporary solution, but after double checking, the connector is different so, It doesn't work anyway. For the powersupply, I don't know what happenned, suddenly the laptop switch to battery mode and when I checked the power supply it was really hot, it has overheat, so I deduced taht an electronic piece burned, I let it cool down and checked again, but this is not working.
MSI services will tell me what to do, thank you for the answers.
Regards

Power supply to FW port OK for disk burning?

I have a Freecom FW (and USB) mobile Lightscribe burner. The manual says user external power supply for burning. This would obviously be necessary for USB connection, but there is much more power available on the 12V Firewire port. I have successfully burned a disk in error without the external supply, with no apparent harm done.
I would not expect to be able to use Lightscribe without an external supply, but I wonder if Freecom have said 'you must use an external power supply for burning' to cover USB connection and any Lightscribe use, when in fact non-Lightscribe FW burning may well be OK. Simpler for them to say 'always use for burning' than go into variations.
I have just seen this useful reply to a related question. The reply prompts the question:-
If the power drain is deemed too large and hence the power cut to the firewire port, is any harm done? We're not talking blown fuses here are we? Is it just a matter of shutting down for 10 mins to let the FW bus reset? or not even that?
Thanks for any input.

Hi
When the 'power' is cut to a port it is done in hardware, you could imagine it like a breaker being thrown stopping the power to the port.
There are fuses used in some computers which are 'meltable' which means if too much current is drawn the fuse melts and in doing so stops the power. Then when the power is cut the metal solidifies and conducts again. These are often used on PC's on the mouse and keyboard ports, as you are not really supposed to unplug and replug these with the power on, but as everyone does they fitted these meltable fuses to 'save' any major problems from happening. But I digress, sorry.
Freecom are probably covering themselves when they say don't burn unless using external power, as it would only need a slight hiccup and another blank CD / DVD bites the dust. Also the drain on the laptops battery will increase and if you did not realise your laptop was low on battery, burning a CD / DVD could just cause a shutdown to happen. So up to you really and if you want to take the chance.
On my PowerBook G4, which is getting on in computer terms I suppose, a shut down FireWire port sometimes required you to turn the laptop off and leave it off for 30 minutes for the FW port to reset. I think they are a bit quicker now.
Phil

Power supply burn to upper-left screen

You may never notice this unless you look for it and I'm wondering if it's happening to other iMacs. It's not perceptible with the monitor on. To see if yours has this issue, put the iMac to sleep and shine a flashlight at an angle in the upper left corner.
When I purchased my iMac in late 2007 it had a problem with an overheating power supply that would shutdown the computer. Took it to the Apple store where the repair tech, with the iMac turned off, spotted burns in the screen that radiated from the upper-left corner and spread out across the left side of the screen. He said that he had never seen this before and determined that it was due to the overheating power supply. My iMac was replaced with another.
A couple of months ago I noticed a small burn in the same location again. I'm wondering if anyone knows what the operating temperatures of the iMac should be. Here are the temperatures (in Fahrenheit) that I normally see on my iMac. Are these typical or are any running too high?
Ambient - 81
Power supply - 150
Airport card - 148
Hard drive - 121
CPU - 108
GPU - 135
GPU diode - 140
GPU heat sink - 135
Memory controller - 117
HD - 121
Optical drive - 108
FAN SPEEDS (rpm)
CPU - 1199
Optical - 998
Hard drive - 1219
Thanks!

I assumed that the temperatures were normal. My main concern was with the screen burn but I have solved the issue. The burn is to the coating on the glass screen and not actually in the monitor itself. The only problem is that no amount of cleaning can remove it.

LaCie DVD-burner and iBook power supply problem

Hello guys!
I bought recently external LaCie DVD burner (USB). I experienced problem connecting it to iBook. It suppose to be possible to be powered up from USB but only possible way to power up burner only via external power supply. Is there is any possibility to adjust power in iBook so burner will work. I'v checked possibility to use it only powered form USB on MacBook of my friend - it works smooth only from single USB...
Thanks for any suggestions,
Ivan

http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=3006257#3006257
Look here for answer

HT2622 My Mac Mini serial # is C0*******JD0. The internal power supply burned. How do I know which one to buy? A1347?

My Mac Mini serial # is C0******JD0. The internal power supply burned. How do I know which one to buy? A1347?
<Edited by Host>

Also, this company may be able to help you identify the item from their database and your serial number.
http://www.powerbookmedic.com

Shock Therapy - An Athlon64 / FX Power Supply Guide

I used to make a hardware list of all the components I would like to incorporate in my next
computer build. Normally...at the bottom of that list would be the power supply, not that I
didn't think it was important, it's just that my other hardware was so interesting! Today, power supplys
seem to take a back seat to blazing-speed CPU's, Dual-Cored processors, glitz and glamour
video cards...not to mention supersonic, heat-sinked RAM and modular, gizmoe'd PSU's promising not
only over-achiever specifications, but eye-candy as well. The lowly PSU....tucked up somewhere inside
it's dark and lonely loft....effortlessly supplying us with the energy required for important 3D imaging
or just funning with the latest games.
What a power supply does is rather simple. It converts your office or home's socketed electricity to
usable 3.3v, 5.0v and 12.0v energy...that's all. A power supply that cannot efficiently do this will-
over time-cause computer crashes, continuous reboots and shutdowns, and worse...expensive component damage.
And now, with faster processors such as AMD's Athlon64 and FX line of CPU's, never has there been a time, when
choosing the right power supply is so important! This article is written for those using these high-powered CPU's!
Well...Do we have your attention!?
If you are experiencing these problems, or still scratching your head over that last RMA....could be
your PSU is trying to tell you something.
To begin with, a power supply's ratings refer to its maximum output under ideal conditions. No power
supply is 100% efficient. In high-quantity manufacturing, power supplys may not put out any more than 60% of
their advertised specifications. In any PSU, that rating can be further reduced by the effects of heat
and electro-magnetic radiation. That's where "switching" power supplys come in. A switching power supply draws
only as much current that is needed from the AC input. Buying a hefty PSU with this feature will guarantee
that you will be paying no more for electric service, than you would with a cheaper, less powerful unit.
One of the most common causes of power supply inefficiency, and ultimately failure is dirt. Dust and
foreign materials can cause the beginning of the end for a power supply, by attacking the fan first.
It begins by slowing the fan down...thus creating heat through friction, then ultimately burning it out.
PSU's with high-quality ball bearing fans are a must. They are far more durable, and not as likely to
become noisier as time goes by.
As a general rule...a failing PSU will usually emit abnormal sounds, followed by unstable voltage readings....
then the computer crashes or lock-ups, with random shutdowns, and sometimes...refusal to even power-up.
If you think your power supply is on its last leg...better to deal with it now, or face the more serious dilemmas later on.
APM (Advanced Power Management)
APM is a feature originally developed by partners, Microsoft and Intel. It relates to a systems ability
to utilize different states in regards to a systems utilization of power. On, Off, Standby and Suspend
are examples...these are BIOS features, not PSU functions. APM only requires of the power supply, the
function to turn power on or off through an electrical signal, and the presence of stand-by voltage.
All ATX power supplys are required to incorporate this feature. However, if some components in a computer
are not APM-compliant, your system may encounter errors or freezes when going into hibernate or stand-by
modes.
ACPI (Advanced Control Power Interface)
It's the latest power management control that was developed by a conglomeration of IT corporations. This interface
is O.S. derived, rather than BIOS, and all ATX power supplys should be ACPI-compliant. You should not have to be
concerned about this feature.
Line-Conditioning Circuitry
A power supply component that helps control power levels, spikes and surges in
the most unreliable of home sockets.
EMI Filter
This circuitry smooths the fluctuations of incoming AC currents, also known
as Electro-Magnetic Interference - EMI filters are usually found in higher-end power supplys.
PFCC
Power Factor Correction Circuitry...smooths out sudden, initial spikes in power
delivery - reducing amplitude and preventing circuit overloads.
Connectors
There are five main connectors found on the latest version ATX power supply.
1) ATX main power connector - 20-pin, 24-pin, and 20 to 24-pin adapter.
2) ATX 12v power connector (4-pin to CPU)
3) Molex peripheral power connector
4) Floppy power connector
5) Serial ATA power connector
On newer SLI-certified power supplys, you'll find two 6-pin video card connectors.
Know What You Need
When purchasing a power supply, make sure your parts list is all-inclusive...know ahead of time, what you expect to
install in your system. You should also visit the motherboard manufacturer's site, as well as the CPU's. Most of the
products will have specifics regarding power supply requirements needed for that specific component. Unfortunately, you
really won't know how well the PSU performs until it is installed and running your system (hopefully!) This is the main reason we
recommend the most popular brands - power supplys that have shown a duration of manufacturing quality over the years. Those are
as follows: Antec, Enermax, OCZ, PC Power and Cooling, Tagan, and a few newcomers such as SeaSonic and Silverstone are
worth looking into.
If you believe you have found the PSU of choice, remember this: AMD recommends a minimum 350 watt power supply to run
Athlon64 and FX CPU's. To that, add the 30% for power lost to heat, and the subsequent electro-magnetic radiation. Hold on with that
calculator...throw in an additional 40% to 60% for the "potential" inaccuracies of specifications inherent in mass-produced electronics.
Pay special attention to outputs on either single, or dual rail +12v lines. A motherboard, CPU, and graphics card can consume up to
150 watts alone - before hooking up your remaining components. If running an SLI configured board, look for a PSU that is certified
to run that configuration...there's only a few PSU's that lay claim to that!
Broken down, you can look at it this way: An Athlon64/FX processor can use up to 90 watts off the +12v rail. High performance RAM
can take in about 25 watts for each stick of 256MB system memory from the +3.3v line. PCI cards will use about 10 watts each, while
an AGP video card can consume about 50 precious watts alone from the +5v or +12v. Hard drives? A 7,200 RPM drive...about 15 watts
each, taken from the +5v and +12v rail. Finally, but not absolutely is the optical drives...robbing about 20 watts each, also from
the +5v and +12v lines. So you see....not only is the +12v amp ratings of concern, but also the +5v line!
In doing the math...on a system incorporating an Athlon64 (say a 4000+), 2 sticks of high-end RAM, 2 or 3 PCI cards, 1 mid-to-high
end AGP video card, 2 ~ 7,200 RPM hard drives, and a couple of CD/RW or DVD/RW opticals...you're looking at a "base" requirement of 270 to 325 watts. That's for a running system...now figure boot-up loads, 30% for heat and radiation bleed-off, then a 40% safety factor for manufacturing inconsistencies...you've got a power supply in the 450 to 520 watt range!
Modular Power Supplys:
The pins that are used for the modular plugs are not very good at passing current. It's basically electrical resistance between the male and female components, and voltage "drops" are likely. In real world events, they will become loose, dirty, corrosive, and eventually burn. You can figure about 10% less efficiency with a modular power supply.
Now you can understand how manufacturing "tolerances" that are inaccurate by 40% to 60%, can have such a devastating effect on
the performance of your new system. If you follow these simple guidelines, bearing in mind the hardware you will be using, and what
your intended use of the computer is for...then it will be one less dramatic incident when pushing the power button for the first time!
Here's a neat little tool....a bit out of date - that can give you a basic idea of what you'll need in a PSU.
You can apply the percentages above, for an even more accurate assesment of your PSU requirements!
http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply/Power_Supply_Calculator.php?cmd=AMD

Quote
In doing the math...on a system incorporating an Athlon64 (say a 4000+), 2 sticks of high-end RAM, 2 or 3 PCI cards, 1 mid-to-high
end AGP video card, 2 ~ 7,200 RPM hard drives, and a couple of CD/RW or DVD/RW opticals...you're looking at a "base" requirement of 270 to 325 watts. That's for a running system...now figure boot-up loads, 30% for heat and radiation bleed-off, then a 40% safety factor for manufacturing inconsistencies...you've got a power supply in the 450 to 520 watt range!
Well, except the CPU, my system has all that you mentioned there (I even have 3 optical drives). And my 350W PSU has been rock solid for more than a year (BeQuiet, = Tagan, IIRC). I don't think a 4000+ needs 100W more than my 3200+ . And that link you posted says that the minimum recommended PSU for my system is 506W xD. Come on.
Oh, and in the place I work there are 6 amd64 with GeForce 6800 GT and 2GB RAM with 380W Antec PSUs. All 100% stable, of course.
I would only go for >400W if I wanted to do extreme OC (with overvolting), or SLI. Otherwise, a good brand 350W PSU is more than enough.

Choosing the Right Power Supply

First things first. If you've got a poor-quality and/or faulty power supply, nothing else you do will work to solve your problems. Stick to the basics before you go further...The short answer is to buy a hi-powered, brand name supply, like the new ENERMAX line (430 W or higher) or ANTEC True550. Almost nothing else will do with today's computers. In over 30 years of electronic/computer service, I have found that 85% or more of problems were power-related.
If you want to know more, read on...
Choosing The Right Power Supply
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that one of my colleagues or I believe that you could be experiencing problems with your power supply, based upon the symptoms you mentioned in your post, and provided you with this link. Relax, you’re not alone. In 30 years of electronic and computer troubleshooting, I’d say that the majority of the electronic, mainframe, mini, and microcomputer problems I’ve diagnosed and repaired were with the basic power the problematic device was receiving. The symptoms often included random reboots, crashing, the BSOD, lockups, etc.
(As the national support technician for few major computer service companies, working US Defense contracts, I was often the person that had to fly in and correct the problem, or “walk through” the on-site technician as he closely followed my instructions. I achieved success in my career by carefully reading the manuals, knowing where to go for more information that was otherwise unavailable to me, and/or systematically troubleshooting until the problems were discovered and repaired. I never had the option of giving up.)
The most overlooked component when building or upgrading a PC is the power supply unit (PSU). Some people use their old case and PSU when they upgrade. Some use the PSU that came with their new case. Some people even buy a new PSU. And most inexperienced builders all make the same mistake: The PSU that they’re trying to use is simply inadequate for the job.
Suppose you’re upgrading to a new motherboard, CPU, ram, and video card, but still using the old case and PSU. It’s most likely that you’re upgrading in order to build a machine that is more powerful, faster, has a more colorful display, can number-crunch more quickly, play the latest games, etc. These gains in performance all have one thing in common: They require more raw power. However, have you thought about where that power comes from?
Suppose you’re building a new system with a new case and PSU. Has it occurred to you that the company that you bought the case/PSU from might make more money if they skimp on the supply, even if the supply has a large wattage rating? Most bulk power supply manufacturers don’t make good PSU’s. They use older, cheaper technology, and slap on labels that represent the PSU’s peak outputs, and not their continuous output rating. These companies are intentionally misleading you in order to sell you an inferior product. Brands I avoid when building/repairing my friends’ and family’s computers: Allied, Q-Tec, Chieftech, and many others.
For those of you who bought a power supply separately, did you know that you’re only supposed to run a power supply continuously at 30-70% (with 50% being optimal) of its continuous rating for maximum efficiency (which means less heat to you)? Most inexperienced builders either buy PSU’s that are matched to their equipment’s continuous power usage, or ones that are even less powerful than they need. Why? Because they’re trying to save money.
I mean, what’s the fun in a power supply? You don’t get any games with it, there’s no more storage, hardly ever any more bells and whistles, etc. A power supply is boring, and it’s supposed to be, because it’s supposed to provide a stable, reliable platform upon which the rest of the equipment can easily access the amount of power it needs, and when it’s needed. In almost EVERY review of powers supplies, the same point is stressed: Better safe than sorry.
But what does safe vs sorry mean? It can mean that you don’t have to waste money on the wrong PSU in the first place, but it can also mean that you don’t have to replace your expensive ram, CPU, video card, etc. NEEDLESSLY, or because your cheap PSU destroyed them. What? A cheap power supply can wreck your computer? YES IT CAN. A cheap power supply can cause thermal damage, not only from the heat it produces, but also the heat it can create in your components as well. RAM is especially sensitive to heat, and there’s RAM in your CPU, your video cards, and, well, your RAM too. A cheap switching power supply, run at its maximum, or peak, continuously can also destroy components by creating RF (Radio Frequency) signals on your power rails, signals which the components on your peripheral devices were not equipped to handle in the first place.
So this begs the question, how does one choose the right power supply? I’ll illustrate this using my own PC as the example. This is my setup that I use for video processing:
K7N2G-ILSR
Athlon 2500+ Barton @ 2125Mhz
AMD Retail Heatsink/Fan
2 - 512MB DDR333 w/Thermaltake Spreaders (slot 1&3)
MSI TV@nywhere Video Capture
ATI Radeon 9600
120GB Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 SATA
30GB Quantum IDE
TEAC DV-W50E DVD/CD-R/W
BTC DVD-ROM Drive
Artec CD-R/W
Using this Power Supply Calculator link:
http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply/
I plug in all my equipment values, but some of this can be a little tricky. For example, since I often run the CPU like an XP 3000, I choose the 3000 as my processor; it’s the same chip run at the faster rate. I also choose the ATI Radeon video card, and I select the RAM wattage for 2 sticks of DDR. I also choose every card I have, like my video capture card, but I also select the boxes for the separate cards that correspond to the functions that my ILSR provides as well (and that I use), like sound, USB, Firewire, NIC, etc. Although I use the onboard SATA controller, I don’t select the SCSI PCI card, because, in truth, I’ve probably made up for it by selecting all the other corresponding devices, including cards that the motherboard replaces. I check the boxes for the fans and drives I use, and I’m done, right?
Not yet.
I just remembered that I plan to upgrade soon, so I go back and change the values to reflect my impending changes. I mean, I want to make sure that I have enough power to begin with so that I don’t have to replace the power supply again, right?
Ok. Done. I look at the bottom and see that it tells me that I need a 468 watt PSU. So a 480 watt supply will do, right? Wrong.
Remember that, for efficiency, long-life, and less heat, you want your actual power consumption to fall between 30-70% of the PSU’s rating, so add 30% (minimum) to the 468, and you get 468 + (468*.30)= 608 Watts! Holy Cow!
However, I’d only need a 608-Watt supply if I was using all the devices at once, and I don’t. But, in truth, with video and audio processing, I often get close when I process, burn, and monitor at the same time. (Hardcore gamers also get close a lot, as they blast the sound and push that video to its limits.) So, let’s take off 10% (maximum) of 608, for a total of 541 Watts.
I need a 550 Watt supply, but not just ANY 550 watt PSU. I need a supply that can give me enough power on the critical 3.3, 5, and 12V rails combined. I also want a supply from a trusted, name-brand manufacturer, so I start hitting the many online reviews. Here are just two from Tom’s Hardware:
http://www6.tomshardware.com/howto/20030609/index.html
http://www6.tomshardware.com/howto/20021021/index.html
Read these in their entirety. I didn’t post them because they’re pretty links.
In the end, I chose Antec, because they’ve got the reputation, the recommendation, and because the Antec True550 has better specs than the rest of the 550 Watt competition. I also bought it from a reputable company I found on Pricegrabber.com, for the lowest price I could find, $95.00 shipped to my door. (In truth, I wanted two mini-redundant supplies, like the hospitals and military use, but they were too expensive.)
The result? Not only are the random reboots, crashing, the BSOD, lockups, etc., gone like magic, but I also now have “peace of mind” in that whatever might happen to my equipment in the future, I know almost for certain that the PSU is NOT the problem. I also bought an UPS, because the East Coast Blackout proved to me that even the Antec True550 isn’t going to provide me any power for emergency shutdown if it doesn’t get its power from somewhere.
Even if your problem doesn’t lie in the PSU completely, it gives you a GREAT platform for troubleshooting further. If you’re not reasonably certain that the supply is the cause, borrow one, or buy one that you can return once you’ve solved the problem. But, above all else, BUY THE RIGHT SUPPLY before you do anything else! Otherwise, you could be plugging and unplugging components, buying and blowing up expensive memory, and causing even further damage, until you give up or die.
I mean, I assume you built your own system to enjoy “more bang for your buck,” right? What’s the fun of a random reboot in the middle of Unreal Tournament 2003?
William Hopkins
Former Staff Sergeant, USAF
B.A., B.S., with Honors
The University of California, San Diego
[email protected]
P.S. It should be noted that while Enermax, ThermalTake, Zalman, Fortron, and others make great PSU’s, and I compared and considered them, the Antec still won out overall in my critical evaluation, like it did in so may others’ reviews. You’d probably be ok if you went with another reputable manufacturer as listed above, but pick a supply that gives you at least 230 watts on the 3.3 and 5V lines combined, and still meets the 30% criteria as stated above. Remember, if the manufacturers don’t give you maximum combined specs up front, they’re untrustworthy right off the bat. With power supplies, you definitely end up getting what you pay for. Don’t say nobody warned you.
P.P.S. Update! After recent developments, it looks like Enermax is the leader, but only the latest line of PSU's.

Ok, as an electrical engineer...I have to step in here! LOL
First, these amp rating are for 2 +12 rails. That is why you see a protection of around 15-18A on the +12 rail. That means each Rail is allowed up to 18A lets say for the new Enermax 1.2 version like the one I have.
Now, Lets say 18A for 12V....well as you know the Abit NF7-S uses the 12V for powering the CPU.
Lets say you have a Barton like me and you want it stable at around 2.4-2.5Ghz. You will have to put lets say around 2V to the cpu to get it stable at that kinda speed, specially if you have high FSB like I do. So 12V * 18Amps = 216W ....well the converter on the NFS-7 is really bad, its loss on the step down convertion is probably around 25% along with the PSU lost cuz its not running at 25oC (another 15%)....you will actually only get around 100-120W for the CPU.
Now, if you go into Sandra and see how much a Barton eats up at 2.4Ghz you will see its around 110Watts.
So, if you wanna push more, dont even think about it! Prime Power test fails and your +12 rail will drop as low as 11.60 Volts.
Now, lets say you got yourself a AMD 64 bit chip and you wanna overclock it....I bet it will need more than 110Watts.
So, what im saying is, dont buy nothing less than a 500 Watt PSU!
You really need around 20-22 A on the main +12 along with really really good cooling on the case and PSU so it is running at a 100%.
http://forums.amdmb.com/showindex.php?s=&threadid=287828
i found this quite interesting especially the bit re the power loss turning the 12v into 1.6v or what ever cpu needs

Power supply fan dead - help? (400mhz AGP G4)

Hello!
Unfortunately, my PowerMac G4, a 400mhz, AGP Sawtooth model, has a dead fan.
Over the last few weeks, I've noticed that my G4 has been running quite hot. I figured it was due to the hot dorm room that it's being used in. Then, I noticed that when it booted up, it would occasionally make a vibrating, or rattling noise - I figured the fan was wobbling. Since air was comming out of the fan opening at the top, I didn't worry about it.
Today, I used the "Temperature Monitor" widget to check the temperature of my SMART Hard drive (the G4 itself is not sensed). It was 133 degrees!!! This is the bay on the back-right, just under the CPU fan. I looked at the fan again - not much airflow. I pulled out a flashlight and pointed it in, and the Fan that's inside the power supply unit is dead.
So, how can I fix it? It's far far too hot, so it's not usable until I can cool it off. The first idea I had was to take a particularly powerful desk fan, and make a paper "tube" that connects both to the G4 and back of the fan - so it'll pull the hot air out. Needless to say, this is not a good log-term plan as it's easy to fall apart and will have leaks, but it works for now. I realize you can buy power supplies, but for ~$100, it's far too much for the old G4.
Second idea: The fan is inside the "non-user servicable" power supply, but it's also next to the back of the G4 - right inside what appears to be a panel that holds the power supply in. At the very least, I'd like to make sure that the cable is attached and not loose, but I have to open the back. Is that possible or safe? If so, can I replace the fan?
My third idea was to attach an extra fan to the inside of the G4, on the outside of the power supply - pushing in. Unfortunately, the IDE cable from the DVD drive is in the way, and there's not much room for a fan. Plus, there's no fan power supply. Is it possible to convert an ATA power plug (there are 7!) to a fan-power supply? I'd require a small circuit and a lot of resistors, obviously! If so, what would I need to do to convert it?
Thanks a bunch,
-Dan
15" 1.67 Powerbook G4 (Jan 2005), 400 mhz AGP Sawtooth G4 Mac OS X (10.4.8) 4G Clickwheel and 5G Vid iPods, 2G iPod shuffle

Thanks!
Interesting, this "Piggy back power adapter" will allow me to plug the fan into one of the ATA/IDE cables? Or do you mean the extra port on the power supply? (it has one plug for the outlet>G4, then another to support something like a monitor or similar) The G4 has a DVD burner, but no ZIP drive, so this is quite do-able if it uses the ATA power.
When you say "lower rear", do you mean at the bottom? Below the power supply, to the right of the PCI slots? If so, this is the inflow for the CPU fan! I can understand mounting it outside the current outflow-vent for the dead power supply fan, although I'm not sure the best way to proceed with attaching the fan.
Another question: what tools and supplies will I need? I may need to remove the plastic cover on the back of the G4 - the one that is outside the power supply - as there's a gap between the gray plastic and metal chassis that lets air from outside the machine come in. The screws for this cover use a funky, hexagonal screwdriver. If I need to take this cover off, what kind of screwdriver will I need? Also, should the fan not include screws/etc, what's the best method to attach it? Glue?
Secondly, to cut a hole in the G4, will I need some variety of drill? I don't have one, so i'll have to borrow one... Since there's nothing in the ZIP slot, I can run a cable out through here (assuming it's long enough), and make a new bezel to keep the airflow inside intact.
Ah! One other (somewhat related) question: my USB 2 card includes a power adapter, for use when several un-powered devices (flash drives) are attached. It works just fine with a flash drive and a small media reader, but it's slow to sense the drives - I think it's low on power. Unfortunately, this power plug uses the same variety of plug as the floppy disk drives found on many win-boxes - of which the G4 possesses none. Is there an adapter/cable for this purpose?
Thanks, this is a HUGE help, I appreciate it.
-Dan

IMac G5 bluetooth + airport + power supply problems - oh and the dvd drive

Yeah, seems like a lot is going wrong with my mac lately. I bought the iMac G5(no isight) model last year around july. I had some power issues (i.e. leaving the house with it turned on to come home and find it off) For the last year though that was all that was wrong. Once I had to reinstall OS X because it would not find the OS X harddrive during one of these power losses, but that was it.
Then about two weeks ago, I came home to a turned off iMac. I thought the power had gone out in my apartment, but the clocks were all right, and to my surprise the iMac would not turned on. Because I am not under warranty I searched online and found an extended exchange program for my emc model. (http://www.apple.com/support/imac/powersupply/repairextension/) I made an appt at the apple store and they replaced the power supply.
I got the machine back two nights ago and my bluetooth hardware wasn't recognized. And I now had a new "ink" system preference panel in the hardware section which aparently is some sort of handwriting recognition tablet. It ticked me off, but I just wanted to use my computer.
Well today I came home from work and my computer was acting funny. Everywhere I clicked brought up dashboard. This had never happened before and I had no choice but to force a shutdown. Powered it back up and poof, there goes my airport card. No hardware recognized. Now I have a 25 ft cable running the floor of my apartment. This was cause enough to call apple. I was told to make another apointment to bring the computer in. The guy made it sound like it was no big deal to lug a 30 lb bulky computer 40 miles and through a crowded mall. He also made no promises that the repairs would be covered under the exchange program.
I just wanted to hear any suggestions before I decide whether or not its worth it to bring in the computer. Nothing shows up in system profiler under bluetooth or airport. Should I just lie to the "genius" and tell them that my computer still shuts down randomly? I think that way they would at least replace the logic board (which I think is the problem) before telling me to sell my kidney and pay for repairs. I've tried reseting the SMU, and I looked at the bluetooth and airport cards to see if they had been accidently disconnected during the PS replacement. They are actually screwed into the logic board so I think their connections are efficient.
Oh and about the DVD drive. I have to use two cd's in order to burn a single disc. The first disc I put in the drive NEVER works. It spins for about 30 seconds then starts buzzing like blender and spits the cd back out. The second blank disc I put in USUALLY works, but sometimes it takes three discs. This problem has always been there since day 1, but I don't burn enough cd's for it to be an issue.
Thank you for listening to my gripes. I really don't think I'll make the mistake of buying the first issue of a model.
iBook G4 900mghz, iMac G5 20" 2.0 ghz Mac OS X (10.4.8)

OK, first thing -to restore your bluetooth, shut down, unplug for a few minutes and then reboot. Thay usually brings the BT back. You should also repair permissions. Reset your SMU nd your PRAM as well.
Try those four things and please post back,
Miriam

2008 iMac 8,1 still won't power up after replacing power supply

A few days ago my iMac powered-ON as usual at 8AM and was working normally, I checked email and left for a meeting. When I returned 30 minutes later my office had a slight odor of hot bakelite and the screen was dark, instead of displaying the screen saver. Thinking the power may have blinked, I pushed the start button on the back and nothing happened, tried several more times, then depressing and holding, still nothing - absolutely lifeless.
Presumed it was probably the power supply, so took it into the Genius Bar and my suspicion was confirmed; they checked the LEDs and advised that the power supply was mostly bad. Despite the hassle, the solution seemed simple enough: replace the power supply and I'd be back in business. That proved to be wrong!
Bought a new (NIB) power supply from a reputable dealer and carefully disassembled/reassembled the iMac feeling ever so confident that I'd hear the chime and fan whir when I depressed the ON/OFF Button. To my total disbelief nothing has changed! Its still dark and lifeless as before. Not discounting a theoretical chance that both power supplies could be bad I'm puzzled what to do next and where to look. Obviously, there isn't much in line ahead of the power supply, but given the fact there is no fan noise and no glimmer on the display, I can't fathom it could be anything other than something between the power cord and the power supply.
What could have caused the hot bakelite smell? The original power supply had NO bakelite odor and no burned chips, traces, scorched transformer windings or cooked capacitors. That had surprised me, so sniffed around the motherboard/backplane and detected a slight bakelite odor at or near the hard drive; I haven't cracked the case yet to examine the HDD - but, even if it were dead, I'd still hear the chime and fan, and maybe see at least a slight glow on the display, right?
And so, I'm calling on all you "pros from Dover" for some insights, wisdom and pointers to help me diagnose the problem and get the thing fixed. Your thoughts?
Thanks, much, compadres. AK

My assumption is the same as KT’s, the logic board fried. If the logic board is functional, even if the hard drive is dead, it should power on and perform the POST. Since it isn’t my advice is the same as KT’s - hope you don’t need Snow Leopard to run some older program(s).

Help I think my power supply is going bad! Where can I buy parts?

I am getting random reboots and it doesn't seem to be the OS... My first guess is the power supply but I can't seem to find one to buy... Does anyone know where I can buy one at? Is there a good place for parts for the MEGA 180?
Thanks
Mobile Bob

Quote from: Stu on 02-August-07, 06:19:52
you need to post more information about the problem you're having, before we start pointing the finger at the PSU, which is the one part that is difficult to obtain now
>> Getting help with random restarts and blue-screens <<
Post more info on the hardware in your Mega PC, refer to >> Moan Guide <<
Download Speedfan and use it to measure CPU temps both at idle and under load and post them here. >> How to use Speedfan <<
Test your memory using >> Memtest86 <<
The thing is that windows never leaves an error... I get nothing in the event viewer except windows was shutdown error no other errors are listed so I don't think it's windows... I ran a CPU Burn in test for over 24 hours and never had a problem so I don't think it's heat either... And the reboots are quite random I will go two weeks without one and then get them two and three times a day... To me the power supply seems to be the easiest answer but since there hard to get I guess it's not so easy to check eh...
I have done the fan mod (Turning it so it sucks in cool air) and I have a slot fan dumping tons of air out the back so I don't think it's a heat problem... I started to have the problem running Windows XP SP2 so I did a complete reload from scratch to Windows Vista (I know not completely supported but it works fine) and am still having the same problem... I have a Haugpauge 150 pci card, Haugpauge USB2, A usbuirt pluged into usb and thats about it... 2 gigs of ram 2x1gig sticks from Crucial, yes I have already run a memory check and it passed...
Is there not anywhere to get a power supply? Or is there another model that fits the mega 180 case?

Can i use an external power supply to power second graphics card?

hello. i currently have an ATI 5870 in my 2010 Mac Pro. I want to throw a Quadro 4000 in there as well, but i need one more 6-pin power cable. can i plop the quadro into the second PCI slot, buy a PC desktop power supply and just let it sit on the outside next to my Mac Pro, and then just run a 6-pin power cable from the power supply into the Quadro? i realize that the Mac Pro door would could not be placed back on...but i could figure out some way to cover up the opening so that dust doesn't enter.
would this work? anyone tried?

Hi,
Just want to ask a question that is not clear on everything that I have read. If you don't switch off the external power what do you take the risk for? Could you burn something or the card will just continue to work (spin the fan) after you turn off the Mac Pro? Where is the dangerous part?
Thanks!

How big of a power supply should I get? / ram question

Here's what I have
K7T266 Pro2-RU motherboard
Radeon 9800 pro
2 40gb hd's raided
1 20gb hd
cd burner
dvd drive
Audiophile sound card (forgot the model #)
and i'll soon have either 512 or 1024 of kingston hyper x pc2700 ram
right now my power supply is 300w and i'm pretty sure that's not good enough.
when i install the new ram, i'm also gonna install a new power supply. how many w should it be, and any recommendations on brands to get?

When I look for any part I always try to find the best deal, price/performance.
Are you in the UK?
I have the JSP sprite PSU 550W and I would recommend it to anyone.
Its a 550w PSU, the make is JSP.
http://www.jsp-tech.com/_english/2_products/2_detail.php?hMainTypeID=2&hSubTypeID=18&hProdID=50&PHPSESSID=e4f8f8d95cf38d9bd897cc82fb12a7ae
It cost me £26 on a special deal from http://www.aria.co.uk
Now look carefully at this PSU and tell me, does it look like the Levicom one.
http://www.aria.co.uk/ProductInfoComm.asp?ID=9628
http://www.aria.co.uk/ProductInfoComm.asp?ID=8823
they look the same, now have a look on levicom's website,
http://www.shopweezle-hosting.de/shop_levicom/login.php?caller=xlink&url=detail.php&sess=b4c1e20279ad56ad193ed0d344f76cd7&art_id=16&oldcaller=nav&startlimit=0&abt=8&itemgr=16
and finally pictures of my psu
http://www.holisticaroma.com/jsp.JPG
http://www.holisticaroma.com/jsp2.JPG

Upgrade video card and power supply or upgrade my pc?

I have a :
HP
Series Pavilion Model M8530F(KT334AA) Type Media Center / HTPC Processor AMD Phenom X4 9550(2.2GHz) Processor Main Features 64 bit Quad-Core Processor Cache Per Processor 4 x 512KB L2 Cache Memory 5GB DDR2 800 Hard Drive 750GB 7200RPM SATA Optical Drive 1 SuperMulti DVD Burner with LightScribe Technology Graphics NVIDIA GeForce 9300GE with Hybrid SLI Technology with 256MB dedicated video memory, DVI and HDMI capabilities, and support for Microsoft DirectX 10. Up to 1919MB Total Available Graphics Memory as allocated by Windows Vista Audio High Definition audio Ethernet Integrated 10/100/1000Mbps network interface Keyboard HP multimedia keyboard Mouse HP optical mouse Operating System Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Software Included Photo and Video
muvee autoProducer Basic: Automatically create professional looking home videos and burn to DVD
Entertainment
Cyberlink DVD Suite Deluxe: Automatically fix and edit videos and create CDs and DVDs. Edit, burn and archive data to discs.
Productivity
Microsoft Works 9: Includes a word processor, spreadsheet, database and calendar
Microsoft Office Home and Student Edition 2007 Trial: 60-day trial version
Adobe Reader 8: Read and print PDF file
PC Security
Norton Internet Security 2008: Protect your PC out of the box (60 days of complimentary live updates)
Online Services
Easy sign-up to major dial-up and broadband Internet Service Providers:
- MSN dial-up (offer included)
- NetZero Dial-Up (offer included)
- NetZero Accelerated Dial-Up (offer included)
- Juno Turbo Dial-Up (offer included)
- High Speed Internet Services Comparison Shopping
Motherboard Chipset NVIDIA GeForce 8200 Chipset
CPU CPU Type Phenom X4 Installed Qty 1 CPU Speed 9550(2.2GHz) L2 Cache Per CPU 4 x 512KB CPU Socket Type AM2+ CPU Main Features 64 bit Quad-Core Processor
Graphics GPU/VPU Type NVIDIA GeForce 9300 GE Graphics Interface PCI Express x16
Memory Memory Capacity 5GB DDR2 Memory Speed DDR2 800 Form Factor DIMM 240-pin Memory Spec 2GB x 1 & 1GB x 3 Memory Slots (Available/Total) 0/4 Maximum Memory Supported 8GB
Hard Drive HDD Capacity 750GB HDD Interface SATA HDD RPM 7200rpm
Optical Drive Optical Drive Type DVD Super Multi Optical Drive Spec SuperMulti DVD Burner with LightScribe Technology
16x DVD±R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 8x DVD+R DL, 4x DVD-R DL, 5x DVD-RAM, 16x DVD-ROM, 40x CDR, 32x CDRW, 40x CD-ROM
Audio Audio Chipset Integrated
Communications Modem 56K LAN Chipset Integrated LAN Speed 10/100/1000Mbps
Front Panel Ports Front USB 2 Front IEEE 1394 1 Front Audio Ports 2 Card Reader Front panel 15-in-1 memory card reader: supports SmartMedia, xD, MultiMedia Card, Secure Digital (SD), Mini Secure Digital, Compact Flash I, Compact Flash II, IBM Microdrive, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick Pro Duo, RSMMC, MMC Mobile, MMC+
Back Panel Ports PS/2 2 Video Ports 1 DVI, 1 HDMI Rear USB 4 Rear IEEE 1394 1 RJ45 1 port Rear Audio Ports 6 ports S/P DIF 1 port
Expansion PCI Slots (Available/Total) (2/3) PCI-E x1 slots
(0/1) PCI-E x16 slot
Mouse Mouse Type HP optical mouse
Keyboard Keyboard Type HP multimedia keyboard
Physical Spec Dimensions 16.54" x 15.16" x 7.60" Weight 32.00 lbs.
Manufacturer Warranty Parts 1 year limited Labor 1 year limited
Sorry for the long copy and paste. I read that I can upgrade the video card and power supply. But atm when I play world of warcraft at ultra settings, I tend to lag really bad in the new instances with the new cat expansion that came out. I wanted to know if I should upgrade the video card and power supply for better performance or just upgrade my whole pc tower. Fyi, I am running a Acer X243w lcd flat panel monitor if that helps too.

My brother has a high end laptop with a built in, high end gaming video card (I forget which one). He's able to run the game on full-on Ultra.
I have an integrated video card which games the game on.. 'cartoon'.. mode. It's lower then low. When someone shoots a powerful spell at me, I go into a DOS Prompt. (not really, but it's pretty bad).
Funny thing is, I can still kick my brother's butt in any PVP match he wants to set up.
But I guess his graphics are pretty....
As for which video card works best, I'd have to do some research. After that graphics update they did with CAT, it's kind of a toss up again.
I am a Bestbuy employee who volunteers on these boards on my own time. I am not paid for posting here, and you should understand that my opinions are exactly that - opinions. I do not represent Bestbuy in any way.
: Open Mailbox

Burned Power Supply

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