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Boot, Baby, Boot! (Please?)

The Maximum PC Staff — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:30:53 -0500

Lately I’ve been having an issue on startup with my PC. During POST, my system will hang and fail to load past the Asus splash screen. My keyboard stops responding altogether, so I cannot hit Tab to see the POST messages. (I’ve changed keyboards and the issue persists.) When it does load past POST, it hangs just before the GRUB boot loader. When this happens, I usually have to hit the reset button and go through the process three times before I can load an OS. Other than the keyboard swap, I’ve made no major changes to my system that I think would prevent my PC from POSTing and I run everything at stock clocks. When I do load into an OS, everything is rock-solid and stable with no issues.

I have an Athlon 64 X2 4600+ on an Asus M2-N32 SLI Deluxe motherboard, 3GB DDR2 RAM, and an XFX 8800 GT. My keyboard is a Logitech G15. My PSU is a Cooler Master 600W eXtreme Power Duo.

My bet is on the PSU, but I really don’t have an easy way or the cash at the moment to test this. Please let me know if I’m on the right track.

—J.P. Allen

While it seems like the power supply is always the culprit, the Doc actually suspects it may be somewhere else down the line. If the power supply were indeed going bad, you should experience instability elsewhere when the system is under a heavier load and when the PSU is warmed up. Since you changed keyboards and the Logitech G15 is a USB keyboard, the motherboard may be balking at some USB device in the chain, the built-in hub in the G15, or the actual keyboard itself.

First, disconnect all nonessential USB devices including the front-panel USB ports and card readers plugged directly into the motherboard. Now with just the keyboard plugged in, try to reproduce the error by rebooting numerous times. If you cannot reproduce the problem, at least the keyboard is fine. You should now try plugging in one device at a time to see if the problem crops up.

If the problem leads you away from USB, you should consider pulling individual components from the machine to try to reproduce the problem. Since it’s happening so early in the boot process, it sounds like a bad piece of hardware is involved. If all of that fails, then it may be time to consider swapping out the PSU for another unit, but the Doc would not spend money until the “free” fixes are cleared first.

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION Are flames shooting out of the back of your rig? First, grab a fire extinguisher and douse the flames. Once the pyrotechnic display has fizzled, email the doctor at doctor@maximumpc.com for advice on how to solve your technological woes.

Corsair Launches Highest Wattage TX Series PSU Yet

Paul Lilly — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:30:30 -0500

Corsair on Tuesday announced the launch of its new TX950W power supply, which takes its place as the flagship model in Corsair's TX series. The only higher wattage PSU the company offers is the modular HX1000.

The company's PSUs have earned a reputation as being reliable, and Corsair says this newest unit is "built using industrial-grade components to ensure clean and stable voltages." It comes with a dedicated +12V rail rated at a whopping 78A (936W), which the company says equates to 98.5 percent of the PSU's total power output.

Other specs include 80 PLUS Bronze certification (at least 85 percent energy efficient at typical load levels), six 6+2-pin PCI-E cables, active PFC, and a five year warranty.

No word on price or availability, though we'd guess it to be in the ballpark of $225.

Image Credit: Corsair

Corsair Releases 650W Modular PSU, Targets Core i5/i7 Platform Builders

Paul Lilly — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:55:00 -0500

Corsair today added to its Professional Series of power supplies with the release of its HX650W modular PSU. The 650W unit edges out the HX620 and settles behind the HX750W, HX850W, and HX1000W, all of which boast a low profile modular cable set, low noise levels, and high efficiency ratings.

"The Corsair HX650W is ideal for enthusiasts and gamers who are looking for a highly efficient, quiet, modular power supply, but don't need the higher wattage offered by the other PSUs in the Professional Series," said Jim Carlton, VP of Marketing at Corsair. "The HX650W offers the same unmatched quality standard and 7 year warranty, but at a power level more suitable for mid/high-spec PC builds, such as those based on Intel's Core i5 and Core i7 'Lynnfield' processors."

The new PSU serves up 52A through a single +12V rail, which Corsair claims has been tested and guaranteed to operate at 100 percent load at an ambient temperature of 50C. Other specs include an 82 percent efficiency rating (enough to earn the 80 PLUS BRONZE certification), 4 PCI-E connectors, and support for both SLI and CrossFire X setups.

No word yet on price or availability.

Inmage Credit: Corsair

Help Cooler Master Design a Kickass Case, Cooler, or PSU

Paul Lilly — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:45:35 -0500

Nothing to see here, just an empty, desolate post.

BFG's New 1000W Power Supply Only Available at Best Buy

Paul Lilly — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:15:09 -0500

Adding to its EX power supply line, BFG this week launched its new EX-1000, a 1000 watt modular power supply that you will only be able to purchase at Best Buy stores or through BestBuy.com.

The modular unit boasts 80 Plus Bronze certification, which calls for PSUs to retain 85 percent power at a 50 percent load, and never drop below 82 percent at any load level. According to BFG, out of the 1,627 power supplies certified to be 80 Plus efficient, only 175, or less than 10 percent, are 1000W or greater.

Connectors consist of 12x SATA, 2x 4-pin floppy, 9x 4-pin Molex, 3x 8-pin (6+2) PCI-E, 3x 6-pin PCI-E, 1x 8-pin CPU 12V, 1x 4-pin CPU 12V, and 1x 24-pin (20+4-pin) motherboard. Other features include quad +12V rails, a "silent" 135mm intake fan, a handful of Velcro straps, and a lifetime warranty (when registered within 30 days of purchase date).

The EX-1000 is available now from Best Buy / BestBuy.com for $200.

Image Credit: BFG

OCZ Goes for the (80+) Gold (Certification) with Z-Series PSUs

Paul Lilly — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:07:29 -0500

Adding to its growing power supply line, OCZ this week announced the immediate availability of its new Z-Series Gold power supply line. Each new model boasts 80+ Gold certification, which means they must remain at least 90 percent efficient at 50 percent load, and never drop below 87 percent efficiency at any load level.

The new models are available in 850W and 1000W in either modular or non-modular form. Taking a page from PC Power & Cooling, which was acquired by OCZ in 2007, the Z-Series sports a single, beefy +12V rail (83A on the 1000W and 71A on the 850W) rather than spreading the amperage through multiple +12V rails.

All the other standard essentials are accounted for, including active PFC, a large cooling fan (135mm), oodles of SATA connectors, and SLI certification.

The Z-Series is available now for $300 (Z1000M), $290 (Z1000), $240 (Z850M), and $220 (Z850).

Image Credit: OCZ

Enermax Pushes For 90%+ Efficiency Power Supply Rating

Andy Salisbury — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:59:53 -0500

Currently, power supply vendors are rewarded by having power efficiency of 80 percent. But, Enermax is taking this one step forward by boasting efficiency rates of 90 percent and higher.

In today’s PSU market, there are bronze, silver and gold labels for 80-Plus certification, with gold landing anywhere between 87 and 93 percent efficiency. Enermax is suggesting that there be a true 90-Plus certification, so that customers can identify premium power supplies easier. They also plan to take a majority of their power supplies above 90 percent by Q4 of this year.

If you’re interested in one of these 90 percenters, be sure to check out PSUs from Enermax’s Revolution series, which are available now.

Image Credit: Tom's Hardware US

BFG Expands Trade Up Program to Include Power Supplies

Paul Lilly — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:04:21 -0500

For those of you not familiar with BFG's Trade Up program, registered owners of qualified videocards have 100 calendar days from the date of purchase to trade their card in for a faster, more expensive model and pay the price difference. Now you'll be able to do the same with BFG-brand power supplies, assuming you meet the criteria.

"This program only applies to BFG power supplies purchased after June 1, 2009," BFG states. "This program may not be available to all customers, and rules/restrictions may apply. The Program is currently only available in the U.S. and Canada."

For a limited time, BFG is extending the offer to include PSUs purchased as far back as January 1, 2009. The company doesn't say how long the offer will remain valid.

More terms and conditions here.