Power Trouble?

[Blues]

Ok so recently my computer has been giving me an erro on boot. I have since gone into the Hardware monitoring section of bios, this is where it tells me to check, and find no problems after the error message. However if I get into the same thing before the message comes up I have seen my Power fan RPM down to about half normal speed and once my 5V was down to 4.5V. I am wondering is there an actual problem. This is just recently begun and no changes have been made to the system. The power supply should not be the problem as it is a better quality then the 2 before it, yes this is the 3rd power supply on a 5 yr old computer.

[Bryce W]

What is the error message?

Based on what you said with your fan RPM down and your voltages low. My best guess is that your system is underpowered. I dont know for sure though until you let me know what the error message is.

[Blues]

The error message just says to check the hardware monitor it doesn't really say anything. I get no beeps or other warnings and I have had this power supply for a while now I don't know what would cause the power to drop suddenly one day. I had no problems before for months infact about a year. Would removings an optical drive I do not use lessen the power needs? I am going to remove one of the 2 HDDs later but that will be when I have a new machine until then I am not removing it. However as I said this power issue is new and the power supply is atleast a year old. The voltage and rpm do increase fairly quickly but for some reason it is as if it is taking longer then it used to for the power output to hit the normal ammount.

[Bryce W]

Alright, based on that message it means that your hardware monitor is getting something it doesnt like. Please post the following:

CPU Temp:
Mobo Temp:
CPU FAN RPM:
Case Fan RPM:
Any other Fan RPM:

I think this is going to be a dead or unplugged fan which is reporting 0 RPM's to the hardware monitor.

[Blues]

I don't have the numbers atm but its not reporting 0 on anything I will try to get them sometime tomorrow

[Bryce W]

Blues, I came across this problem on a clients PC today. It turns out the Power Supply was too hot (80C).

This clients PC is of a strange configuration as it is smaller than most. Because of its smaller size, it opens up like a book. The case fan is on the back and the power supply comes away on the other side. I was reinstalling XP with it opened up (because it had to remove its harddrive ,to back up their data and ill have to put the hdd back into it so i left it open). Anyway, it seems the case fan cooled the PSU, it wasnt getting cooled as the case was over so I got the error you did.

Check the temperatures in your BIOS.

[Blues]

Are you saying you got the error while the case was open because I got to lazy to ever put the side back on mine so It shouldn't be a heat issue. A side note I think the motors in the fans of the power supply are whats goin out I heard some clicking noise almost when I was booting up earlier.

[Bryce W]

No, the computer I was repairing was a special case, its power supply had no cooling fan and relied on the case fan (attached to the back of the case) to cool itself. Because I had the case open it wasnt getting the airflow it needed and the PSU was overheating.

Yours still sounds like something similar. Since you said this has only just come on even though you've had the computer for a while, it sounds like a dying power supply fan. If you let me know the temperature of your power supply I'd be able to confirm this.

[Blues]

well I don't have anything to monitor that temp on the power supply and it actually has 2 fans built into it

[Blues]

It is getting worse and I am thinking **** it I will just toss this computer when it dies.

[Bryce W]

Does this happen when you first boot the PC? (like for the first time in the morning?) or does it happen after you have been running it for a while and then reboot?

[Blues]

just on intial boot no problems after it has been running but it now takes longer and longer to boot

things like 4 years old now so **** it my laptop works great I can switch over to it and data on the 2nd HDD should be fine