Thread: 650W PSU blew up my dual XEON setup

Recently I bought some used/new parts off e-bay.

Supermicro X6DVL-EG2 systemboard (almost new)
2 x XEON 3GHz 800FSB 2M CPU (used)
2 x 512MB DDR2 PC3200 (new)
2 x CPU fans (new)
650W PSU (new)
Case (new)

Pentium 3 systemboard (new, for a family friend)

I initially connected it all up as a single processor as I Im still waiting for the other one to arrive. On testing everything works fine for a few days. Today, the second CPU arrived, popped it in and all worked well.

I noticed, the PC have shutdown. It then refuse to boot up. The PSU appear to have a loose connection inside, each time I hit the supply the PC will shutdown. I can see it was only a connector so I decided to open the PSU and fixed it.

Booted up the PC again, all was fine until this time the power plug/socket on the PSU made a crackling noise. PC shutsdown again but this time it refuse to bootup.

Now am a little lost, I was thinking it must be a bad systemboard as it was a second hands.

Tried the new 650W PSU on the new P3 sytemboard for a family friend. Nothing, just flickering LEDs. Open up the PSU again and clean the powerswitch with a contact cleaner. Still, that new P3 board wont power up, it was working before with a different PSU. Im now conviced that theres something wrong with that 650W PSU.

Tried another old systemboard and this time the 650W PSU powered it up nicely. I knew I was in dip **** then

The bad connection on the PSU switch that made that crackling noise, sent some spike and must have killed both of the xeon and the P3 systemboard.

Im just hoping the 2 xeons and the mem are still ok.

Lesson learnt, just because something is new it doesnt mean its not gonna do anything crap. I knows its a standard way of substituting parts to find whats wrong but be very careful when doing so.

Now I have 2 blown systemboard + god knows what.

I know I shoudnt have open the PSU, it was an easy fix and I cant wait to get a replacement under warranty.


I been thinking about this before, does anyone know the situation if the PSU blew up the systemboard due to a manufacturing faults.