PSU at fault?

[Googalymoogaly]

Hi all,

 

I'm new to the forums so please go easy on me :-)

 

I've just built a new PC, my first water-cooled PC. After quite a lot of indecisiveness I decided to go for a Corsair TX750 PSU. It was (well still is) my first Corsair PSU.

 

Initially I installed Windows 7 using an air-cooler and onboard graphics. I ran Prime95 and monitored my temperatures. Then after fitting the water-cooling, a water-cooled graphics card and the side of the case that included a couple more fans. I then booted back into Windows to test my temperatures again. I ran Prime95 again and after about a minute the PC just turned off.

I thought I could smell something, but it wasn't strong and could've just been the small of the water tubing heating up a bit for all I knew. So I left it for a minute to cool and tried booting it up again. At this point one of the side fans sparked (and presumably died) and then a MOSFET or something on the motherboard sparked and caught fire!

I held the PC power button in to turn it off and like an idiot tried to blow out the flame for what was probably only a second or 2 but felt like longer, before finally turning the PSU off with the PSU power switch.

 

The retailer I bought the motherboard off seemed happy to replace the motherboard but I'm wondering if the PSU might have been at fault. The reason I'm wondering this is because the fan that sparked was connected directly to the PSU via a splitter cable and wasn't plugged into the motherboard at all, not even for rpm measuring.

 

Could this be a PSU issue? I don't want to connect up another motherboard if the PSU was to blame the first time.

What do you guys think, can this all be put down to a motherboard issue or is it likely to be a PSU problem instead/also?

 

Thanks for any assistance.

[RAM GUY]

If the fans were plugged in backwards, or a short was caused somewhere then that could cause the issues you describe. If there were a problem with one of the rails on the PSU then you would have likely had the same results with all the fans in the system, or at least all the devices which were connected to that molex cable. Its possible that the PSU could have caused the issue, but it would be hard to say for sure. Since you are getting the mobo replaced, it may be a good idea to get the PSU replaced at the same time just to be safe. Request an RMA

[Googalymoogaly]

Thanks.

 

I contacted the retailer I bought it from to see if I could RMA it to them, but they haven't responded to me in 3 days...

 

As it's only about 1 month old, does it matter who I try to RMA it to?

 

If I RMA it to Corsair where would I have to ship it to (I live in the UK)? The place I bought it from is based in Bolton, so if the postage will be cheaper I might try to return it to them initially. (I've heard heard there's no UK branch for Corsair and I'd have to ship the PSU to Europe, is that right?)

[Googalymoogaly]

RAM GUY,

 

The retailer I bought it from will give me an RMA but will charge £15+VAT (@ 17.5%) plus redelivery costs plus 'no fault found' cost (£10 I think) if there's nothing wrong with it.

As I think I explained earlier, I'm not sure there is a fault, I'm just nervous there might be. I could see the above cost running to about £35, which seems a bit steep.

 

Could I RMA it directly to Corsair and if so what sort of costs this process could incur?

[RAM GUY]

I would suggest that you request an RMA through us, and once you get the RMA number, please contact our customer service at (510) 657-8747 or email rmaservice@corsairmemory.com and they should be able to give you information regarding shipping.