[Gllug] OT: Burnt out power supply

[Christopher Hunter]

On Tuesday 20 Jun 2006 20:50, Adrian McMenamin wrote:
> A few days ago (when the weather was at its hottest) I noticed my
> computer smelt bad when left off (!), so started unplugging it from the
> mains when the desktop was switch off. Forgot to do that last night and
> woke up to a non-functioning box.
>
> Took a gamble it was a burnt out power supply and in desperation nipped
> through the empty roads to PC World to buy a new (higher rated) one.
> And, thankfully it worked - making it worth paying the 50% premium.
>
> But why would it burn out when off? Dodgy transformer? Heat just got the
> better of it?

The switch-mode power supplies used in most computers can fail in an instant - 
usually at switch-on.  Your burning small was probably the transformer in the 
PSU - these sometimes break down internally, with the insulation coming off 
the windings causing shorted turns, which cause hot-spots, which causes more 
burning, more shorted turns, until it fails.

Chris

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