Fried Computer Tower

[nam-thip]

I was working on my computer last week when a bolt of lightning struck which cut the estates electricity, blew my wireless modem, USB mass storage device and the tower for my desktop computer.

I had an in-line surge protector which obviously never worked.

I take it the storage device and modem are dustbin fodder but any suggestions on where the best repair shop is to take my tower for some medical attention.

I live just outside of Pattaya.

I bought the computer from Tesco/Lotus on Sukhumvit road some 18 months ago.

It’s a SVOA model.

Cheers guys

[monty]

I was working on my computer last week when a bolt of lightning struck which cut the estates electricity, blew my wireless modem, USB mass storage device and the tower for my desktop computer.

I had an in-line surge protector which obviously never worked.

I take it the storage device and modem are dustbin fodder but any suggestions on where the best repair shop is to take my tower for some medical attention.

I live just outside of Pattaya.

I bought the computer from Tesco/Lotus on Sukhumvit road some 18 months ago.

It’s a SVOA model.

Cheers guys

You have a fair chance that only the power unit (PSU) will have to be replaced. I have had many of them die on me due to power spikes, but almost everytime it was the only damaged thing in the PC.

Available at pretty much every PC shop, prices range from 400 Baht (cheap Chinese, not recommended) up to a few thousand for a fancy brand name one (enermax etc, they will die just as easy with power spikes!)

Check out all your LAN ports, they are also easy damaged from the static in the air when lightning strikes close by.

[Johnxxx]

I had the same problem. My surge protector did not work too. But I had no earth connection - like in so many homes here... So I think it was my fault.

At my computer only the power unit was broken. Or better only the fuse in it. When you buy a new power unit than do not take one with very high power ratings. If you buy one with 1000 watts and your computer uses only 200 than you just waste your money for electricity. Your actual by the computer needed highest power should be in the range of 60-80 percent of the max power of the PSU. Best guess is to look at the old one and take one in this power range or a bit higher. If you buy a PSU with the rating 80+ then this means that it has little power loss in the range of 20 to 80 percent of the max power it can provide. But they are more expensive.

Very important is that it is quiet. Some shops switch it on for you in their shops so that you can listen before you buy. Look that you can connect all cables. If you repair yourself it is a good idea to take some photos of the old connections before you take the old PSU out. Normally you should be able to install the new one within some minutes.

You can get a new PSU and the repair in the Tuk Com in Pattaya. It is in the South Pattaya Road and has many shops for buying/repairing.

[thunder30101]

Ummm sorry but a 1000 watt or 200 watt power supply doesnt sit there and burn that power unless the system is calling for it meaning at idle it will only pull what the computer needs so there is no cost difference to run a 200 or 1000 watt power supply, (no load-no draw) simple laws of electricity here. I wouldnt spend the money on it though until i had the comp diagnosed, you could have burnt the processor or board. if it is the psu buy a quality one as you can always use the xtra power later for upgraded cards or peripherals and it can be reused if you decide to build a new machine down the road. Cheap psu's also suck because of the dirty unstable power they supply to todays high end systems, thats why quality psu's cost so much more

[Johnxxx]

Ummm sorry but a 1000 watt or 200 watt power supply doesnt sit there and burn that power unless the system is calling for it meaning at idle it will only pull what the computer needs so there is no cost difference to run a 200 or 1000 watt power supply, (no load-no draw) simple laws of electricity here.

This would be a dream power supply. If so a power supply never would produce any heat. And the other way round if it could produce heat without wasting/using power itself it would be the best heating system.

Like almost everything (even light bulbs) they have an efficency factor. The more efficient they are the less power they waste and so the less heat they produce. Good PSU have at least a 80+ rating for this reason but are more expensive than normal power supplies. Standard power supplies are rated between 65% - 75% in terms of their energy efficiency. This means that between 25% and 35% of the electrical energy which goes into the power supply is lost in the power conversion process and never arrives where it should go. And if a power supply is used only at a low level then it has the worst efficency. So a 1000 watt PSU used with 150 watt is a waste of power because of the low efficency at this level.

Edited April 24, 2009 by Johnxxx

[thunder30101]

Using theoretical numbers off the side of a psu ? Please calculate the cost difference between a 350 and 1000 watt for me, load/no-load. My point is he should buy alot more than he has in an off the shelf mass produced computer for future upgrading, doubt if you could even meter the difference.

[Johnxxx]

Using theoretical numbers off the side of a psu ? Please calculate the cost difference between a 350 and 1000 watt for me, load/no-load. My point is he should buy alot more than he has in an off the shelf mass produced computer for future upgrading, doubt if you could even meter the difference.

Good - let us say the cost of power is no problem (in my experience it adds up) and it does not matter that a more powerful PSU costs normally (a lot) more. But I would like to ask you what you want to do with a 1000 watt PSU? Perhaps I overlooked something or I do not know something and I am happy to learn. So please correct me if I am wrong.

An average computer runs in the range of 100 to 250 watt. Everyone can check - just go to your power meter and read the values for an hour or so when the computer uses FULL load. We want to find out the max consumption and not the average one - don't forget to switch of the fridge and other power suckers. How much does your computer really need - not included the monitor since this does not go via PSU? And what computer do you use? Might be a high end one as mentioned below - perhaps.

Future upgrade? A hard disk uses at full load (seek) something in the range of 7 to 15 watt. Idle 5 to 10 watt. The Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 at 2.66 GHz uses at full load max 202 watt and one of the most fancy CPUs (far too expensive) the I7 965EE at 3.88 MHz uses at full (peak) load 337 watt. Full load means that all cores are used 100 percent what is hard or almost impossible to achieve. But again - it is very expensive - more than USD 1000. Even if you add two top end graphic cards (normally you have only one...and not top end) you will be still away from 1000 watt. But you are in a price range for your computer without monitor of at least 80.000 to 100.000 Baht or even higher.

But the more important question is - can you for a private purpose really use this speed? I guess only if you play the latest games - if they are able to use all cores. But even then it might be very hard if not impossible to run the CPU, graphic card(s), hard disks, etc. with 100 percent load at the same time to reach the max power consumption for each unit.

For me it is still questionable if an average or even above average user/computer needs a 1000 watt PSU. Just for a better feeling?

[nam-thip]

Thanks’ guys for your comments but all the techy stuff confuses me.

That said, it’s always good to hear from others about their experiences and opinions.

Sorry I’m late in responding but its part laziness and part wanting to leave any repairs to the fried tower until Songkran was well out of the way.

I took the tower into Tuckom this afternoon (Sat 25th April) and after a couple of hours a staff member rang explaining “Have problem with mother board” and “Have mother board, can do for 2,900 Baht and it will be ready tonight”

I then received a further call saying the power unit was also fried and a new one will cost 650 baht.

I know nothing about the technicalities of computers which leaves me at the mercy of the repair shops.

What i do know is that over the year’s <deleted> Thai Electricity and lightning strikes has resulted in four repair costs of 6000 baht, 2000 Baht, 650 baht and now 2900+650 baht.

Amazing Thailand…………………Definitely Not

Edited April 25, 2009 by nam-thip

[Johnxxx]

Thanks' guys for your comments but all the techy stuff confuses me.

That said, it's always good to hear from others about their experiences and opinions.

Sorry I'm late in responding but its part laziness and part wanting to leave any repairs to the fried tower until Songkran was well out of the way.

I took the tower into Tuckom this afternoon (Sat 25th April) and after a couple of hours a staff member rang explaining "Have problem with mother board" and "Have mother board, can do for 2,900 Baht and it will be ready tonight"

I then received a further call saying the power unit was also fried and a new one will cost 650 baht.

I know nothing about the technicalities of computers which leaves me at the mercy of the repair shops.

What i do know is that over the year's <deleted> Thai Electricity and lightning strikes has resulted in four repair costs of 6000 baht, 2000 Baht, 650 baht and now 2900+650 baht.

Amazing Thailand…………………Definitely Not

How could he find out that the mother board was broken if the power unit did not work?! And after he replaced the mother board and the new one still did not work he found that the power unit was broken. The other way round would be more logic and cheaper ;-)

[thunder30101]

The only better feeling i am seeing is someone justifying their false logic on psu power usage, 1000 watts was just used as an EXAMPLE. maybe the range of 200-1000 watts was just too much too understand.

[Johnxxx]

The only better feeling i am seeing is someone justifying their false logic on psu power usage, 1000 watts was just used as an EXAMPLE. maybe the range of 200-1000 watts was just too much too understand.

To sum it up - in the end you just try to insult me. Or perhaps you meant that the range of 200-1000 watt was just too much to understand for you and not for me?! It is not easy to replace a feeling with facts... You did not deliver any.

Edited April 25, 2009 by Johnxxx

[thunder30101]

I dont need to insult you, you are quite capable of doing it yourself lol gee was a good guess about the mb wasnt it on my part, just trying to give the guy some advice, blah blah blah blah blah, end of line.