PSU keeps failing?

[tarang]

hi,
i have Motherboard: ASUS M4A79T Deluxe ,Video card: A 7600 gt manufactured by pny.Ram: 4 corsair cmx512 [512mb]Powersupply: Raidmax atx12v I cant be sure about the cpu, all I know is that it's made by amd.it givig noise is definetly coming from my PSU,The fan is still running; i immediately stopped using the computer so I don't know if there was any performance degredation. Does it matter? Should I just get a new PSU?

[T.J.]

hi,
Using proper ESD procedures, connect the devices in your PC to the new power supply. The connections should be the same as they were before. It can require a bit of force to insert power connectors correctly, but if if you have to strain a great deal to push them in, you may be trying to connect them backward. It is very difficult to connect most Molex connectors improperly, but if you are determined (and strong) enough, it can be done. If you have to force too hard, try turning the connector around.

[deoWo]

The first step in power supply diagnostics is determining whether or not the power comes on. How can you tell if the power is on? Can you hear fans turning and drives motors spinning up, see little lights on the front of the CPU case or hear any beeps? If the system case is hot (if you get a shock) pull the plug immediately - you have a ground failure and a short. If your hearing isn't good, you can always check to see if the power supply fan is creating a breeze. Monitors are powered independently, so unless you're looking at a notebook PC, a live screen doesn't indicate a working power supply.

[RoninBlade]

If you remove the cover and run the PC that way you should be able to tell where the noise is coming from the PSU is normally located at the opposite end of the pc from the hard drive, if it is in fact the PSU then depending on the quality of the unit it may take out some other components if should fail Emachines are famous for having the PSU take out the mother board when they go bad for example.
Also check any other fans you may have cpu, case, video card etc.

[Maxforu]

Compare the motherboard connectors. First the 20 or 24 pin to a diagram for standard ATX. Does it match? If colors are different but consistent mapping to same pin positions, it may still be standard but being an OEM supply they just substituted one color. For example, often blue was used for 12V on some OEM supplies that were standard ATX.

Compare any other connectors to the Dell mobo. What are they? Colors, pin config, etc. Does a standard ATX have them?