PC components dying... PSU problem? motherboard problem?

[mikelata]

hi all,

I dont know if this is the best place for this post but since Ithink it is connected to the PSU, I will place it in here..
I have a big problem in my self built media center, which I think might connect several problems I had independently. ANd now I am desperate for help...

First, I had a problem in which the PC was not able to boot in the first installation. After checking everything, the problem ended up being related to the RAM. I had 2 RAM modules and the PC only booted when only 1 of the 2 RAM modules was inserted. I thought it was a RAM problem...

Then, a riser card I was using to connect the tv card suddenly burnt and smoke came from the riser card. I did not get any conclusion of why that problem occurred.

The same RAM problem reoccurred last week and the PC is not booting again. I took the RAM modules off the PC and I tried them in another PC. The RAM did not work in the other PC, is completely dead.



I include more info of the system as follows:
The idea of this media center was to make it fanless. So it uses some specific components to reach that goal:
Power supply: Mcubed EF28 external fanless 280W (http://www.mcubed-store.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=44_50&products_id=179)
It is an external fanless powersupply, which has a DC-DC convertor inside the PC case

PC Heat/Cooling: this was the key idea of the media center. The idea was to make it as silent as possible. So, it is fanless and uses the following cooling components instead:
BorgFX® CPU - Heatpipe Processor Cooler (http://www.mcubed-store.com/catalog/...roducts_id=289)
BorgFX® Extension - Heatpipe Extension Set (http://www.mcubed-store.com/catalog/...roducts_id=189), which disipates the heat the case heatsinks (http://www.mcubed-store.com/catalog/...roducts_id=197)
I monitored the CPU temperatures and they were within the accepted range

RAM: DDR2 2x2gb .Superfast

CPU: Intel Multi Core duo 2.33gHZ

Motherboard: fatality f-190hd


Conclusion: 2 RAM modules and 1 riser card have died since I started building the media center in the space of 2 months.
The risercard did look charred but not the RAM modules. Is there any link in here? Can this be a problem with the power supply? Or just a faulty motherboard?
Does anyone know how I could monitor whether the PSU is working properly?
Can excessive heat be a potential cause of RAM failure? if that was the problem, should the RAM module look charred?

Any ideas?

Thanks

[mikelata]

does anybody know how to check if the motherboard and/or PSU supply too high voltages?

thanbks

[mikelata]

hi again,

I have checked the PSU data sheet, and the PSU has over voltage protection, short circuit protection and over load protection.

I suppose that if those protection devices had worked, the components would not have died. I am going to check out the output voltages whenever I buy a multimeter to rule out or not the PSU problem scenario.

cheers

[The Wise Monkey]

I don't think that your PSU is powerful enough for your build - what other components do you have?

[mikelata]

thanks for your reply

i checked the power requirements of the targetted system and 280W was enough woltage. Also, when the RAMs died there were no PCI cards installed the system and the PC worked for a few weeks before starting to kill components.

When operational, the PSU will only have to power a PCI TV card apart from the required motherboard,RAM and HDD.

cheers

[The Wise Monkey]

Ah, ok then. Since the system was up and working for a while, I would think that it is a problem with the PSU.

Does the PSU work with your other PC? Just try switching it on, don't leave it for a long time in case it fries that one too. :/

[mikelata]

yep, that is the problem. I am afraid of using the PSU in another PC. Since the PC worked for a while, I dont know how to determine if the PSU works fine or not in another computer.
the media center PC worked for a few weeks. So, do I wait for a couple of weeks and if nothing fries the PSU is fine? That is the problem...

Thanks!