Dipping Voltages

[tonyromen]

I have an Asus A7V333 with a 2100+ on it. I leave it on all the time and remote desktop in. A few weeks ago I logged in remotely and noticed the 12 volt rail had dropped! (Asus Probe monitoring program popped up) As soon as I noticed, I called home and had someone turn off my machine. I had a 450 watt psu that came with my cheiftec case, so it was probably a cheapie. I replaced it with a Thermaltake 480watt beast., and everything seemed cool.

So, I remote desktoped in tonight and this time my 3.3 volt rail and 12 volt rail dipped! What gives! I had someone shut my machine off again. I know this Power supply is supposed to be reputable and solid! Could this be the motherboard itself? I've had it for about 2 years, and it's been nothing but solid... Are there any other things I should be thinking about? What could be causing this?

Thanks in advance.

.:T:.

[VHockey86]

how much a voltage are we taking about...any fluxuations under 5% are considered to be "ok"
My 12V rail always varies from 11.76 to 12.01 on my soyo hardware monitor.

I'd say more than likely though its just the sensors. The cheapo sensors they put in most systems today arent really to be counted on that heavily.
More than likely you will see performance issues such as random crashes and stuff if power is actualy an issue. To be perfectly honest I wouldnt worry about it unless u actualy notice more severe conditons than what a little monitor tells you.

---edit----
Re-read the post and noticed its was a little on the old side.
Kind of a real random throw-out here but, you mentioned the motherboard. Check it over to make sure you dont have any swollen capacitors or other visible defects.

[watchtower7]

imo it is the mobo

[tonyromen]

Originally posted by VHockey86
how much a voltage are we taking about...any fluxuations under 5% are considered to be "ok"
My 12V rail always varies from 11.76 to 12.01 on my soyo hardware monitor.

I'd say more than likely though its just the sensors. The cheapo sensors they put in most systems today arent really to be counted on that heavily.
More than likely you will see performance issues such as random crashes and stuff if power is actualy an issue. To be perfectly honest I wouldnt worry about it unless u actualy notice more severe conditons than what a little monitor tells you.

The monitor shows it going all the way to 0. way below the thresholds of normal operation. But, the 12v rails for the most part power the motors in optical and hard drives right? The computer seems fine, no crashes or anything, just what the monitor tells me....


The cheapie power supply fluxed a little, but the Thermaltake, stayed at a hard 12v ALL the time....except for the dippage that is...

.:T:.

[lukewarmdog]

ok not an entirely serious response here but..

Does it always dip? In which case it's fine until it isn't.. ie the PSU blows up..
Does it only dip a bit ie within parameters in which case it's fine (see above)..
Does it ONLY dip when you remote login in which case it's remote login that's the problem..

However whether you remote login at a set time every night, on a schedule for instance or randomly you are sat at work and think "I wonder what my computer back home is doing" you are missing a variable.. what everyone else in the house is doing.

Totally not claiming to be an electrical expert but is there any other load on the system such as a rogue mother hoovering that might explain the drop (in which case when you phone home she should stop hoovering and you'd notice it return to normal) or if you are phoning home during the adverts is someone boiling a kettle.. running a bath..

Surge protected extension leads are of course the way to go as long as nobody else plugs anything into them.

I looked at my rails today because I have just built a mate a computer using a nasty PSU (free with case.. his choice) and his rails were all over the place, all of them.
So I checked mine whilst doing a BIOS flash and mine have within parameter fluctuations. Still don't like them but going to let them stand for now.

My girlfriends PSU blew up so I'm not suggesting ignore rail fluctuations but they don't seem to be much of an issue until the PSU dies and then you bang a reliable one in. In her case she just replaced the PSU, there was no damage to any mobo components or add on cards or drives or to XP. Might have been lucky I guess but I imagine when the PSU goes the fuse in it goes first so subsequent damage to connected components is minimal.