P5B-VM DO or PSU bad???

[cool_runner]

Hi everyone,

 

I finally upgraded my unRAID server so that I can get the Pro license but I am having a strange problem with it.

 

After I first put it together and turned it on, the lights in another room turned off and a computer running in that room also shutdown. Last night the lights were also flickering in that room and I woke up today to find that the server had shutdown (the other computer was not running).

 

I have also experienced another strange behavior. When I was making changes in the BIOS and then exited, the server shut down and then restarted itself. This also happens when I turn off the PSU and then turn it on again. The fans and HDDs start spinning and then turn off. I have tested this with another PSU and it also does the same thing. Is this common behavior with this board?

 

I am really confused as to what the cause can be. Any suggestions? I have a feeling that the board is bad but it might also be the PSU (causing the first problem). Either way, I need to figure this out soon since I will be going on vacation on Dec 12 so if I need to RMA anything back to the stores I bought things from it has to be now.

 

 

Below is my parts list

 

CPU: Intel Dual-Core E2140

Motherboard: ASUS P5B-VM DO

Memory:  CORSAIR XMS2 1GB (2 x 512MB) DDR2 800  (this was from a desktop I upgraded)

PSU:  CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W

Case: CM Stacker

Backplanes: AMS DS-3151SSBK x 3

 

Edit: When I first started putting it together I upgraded the bios to 0903. Is this a stable bios? Should I be using another one?

[fatal]

well, your server was prob off b/c of the lights flickering as you said and you prob had a power outage or something.

 

As for the mobo/fans powering on and then off when turning ON the psu switch, i experience the same thing, so i'm guessing its a bios "feature", prob a little self test or something.

 

Nothing sounds out of the ordinary about your system to me

 

 

[cool_runner]

well, your server was prob off b/c of the lights flickering as you said and you prob had a power outage or something.

 

As for the mobo/fans powering on and then off when turning ON the psu switch, i experience the same thing, so i'm guessing its a bios "feature", prob a little self test or something.

 

Nothing sounds out of the ordinary about your system to me

 

 

 

thanks for the reply.

 

Good to hear that other people are experiencing the fans on/ff when the PSU switch is turned on.

 

There was also another computer in the same room as the server, which is my primary desktop and is on 24/7, and it did not shutdown. I have a feeling the reason for this is that they are connected to different outlets in the room which are connected to different breakers. That would mean that the power outage was isolated to only to one part of the house.

 

I will leave it on for now and see if the problem presents itself again.

 

Any other suggestions for the cause

[RobJ]

It seems to me that you are drawing way too much power, if you can cause your own in-house brownout!  I would consider the motherboard the least likely suspect.  You really need a Kill-A-Watt or electrical tester, to determine the quality of power your house is supplying, and how much the computer is drawing.

 

I am in no way an electrical wiz, so these are just my inexpert suggestions.

 

The first important question is whether it is a problem with the house current, or the computer.  As to the house, there may be too much plugged into this house circuit, or the house as a whole, or the wiring is poor, too thin, or there are too many extension cords, or the power company is not providing you enough currently.  If the house current is fine, then either the power supply is bad, or there is a short somewhere in the computer, or something you have added is faulty, drawing way too much power.  A tester should help you determine where the fault is.  If you are in the states, you should have house voltage between 110 and 130 volts (preferably 114 to 126), and it should not dip more than a volt or 2 when you turn this computer on.

 

Once you have eliminated the house current as a problem, I would disconnect everything in the computer but the bare minimum, then monitor the wattage drawn when you turn it on.  I would expect it to spike somewhere between 150 and 300 watts, then settle down to between 80 and 120 watts.  If the numbers seem reasonable, then begin to add components back and check the wattage change.  Each hard disk should draw roughly 20 watts on startup, then about 6 when idling.  The backplane and other fans should draw from 1 to 3 watts each.  I can't think of anything else to check...

 

[cool_runner]

Hi Rob,

 

I have a Kill-A-Watt meter and it has been connected to the server the whole time. I have posted the power readings in this thread. I just checked this again and it is the same as before. The voltage reading is ~117V and it is pulling a little over 1A at this moment.

 

After the hiccup during the build, it was operating fine for the last few days and then last night it shut down. And so far I haven't been able to reproduce it. I guess I will just have to wait and see.

[BLKMGK]

Check the temp settings in the BIOS, make sure there's not something there shutting it down thinking it's overheating. For that matter make sure it's NOT overheating...

[Billped]

The symptoms scream "short circuit" to me.  Make sure you didn't leave out any of the standoffs for the mobo as that could result in an intermittent short circuit.  You should also check all of the power connections to make sure they are all seated properly, without any conducting obstructions.

 

Shooting a stream of compressed air through the system (when off, of course) is also a good idea to rid the area of any random wire strands that could be sitting around.

 

I doubt if overheating would cause the power abnormalities you are experiencing, but certainly could be causing system shutdowns.

 

 

Bill

[cool_runner]

The first important question is whether it is a problem with the house current, or the computer.  As to the house, there may be too much plugged into this house circuit, or the house as a whole, or the wiring is poor, too thin, or there are too many extension cords, or the power company is not providing you enough currently.  If the house current is fine, then either the power supply is bad, or there is a short somewhere in the computer, or something you have added is faulty, drawing way too much power.  A tester should help you determine where the fault is.  If you are in the states, you should have house voltage between 110 and 130 volts (preferably 114 to 126), and it should not dip more than a volt or 2 when you turn this computer on.

 

Well, it seems the voltage is indeed dipping too low. Last night, the desktop running in the other room shut down and restarted itself again. The server was off with its power cable removed, eliminating it as the cause of the problem. I then grabbed the Kill-A-Watt meter and measure the voltage from the outlets. I got different readings but the average was 103V. I checked the outlets in other rooms, and they were normal 116-118V.

 

Does anyone know how I can fix this problem or what the cause is? It does not seem to be happening all the time, and only presents itself maybe once or twice a week.

[bubbaQ]

You need an electrician urgently.  This is a fire hazard.

 

The 110 volt AC in your house actually comes in on two separate 110 volt legs, that are out of phase with each other, so they will add up to 220 volts when used together.

 

If one group of outlets has good voltage, and another group on a different circuit has bad voltage, either a circuit breaker us bad (unlikely) or one leg of the AC is having problems (likely).  Such problems can be shorting to ground.  Dipping voltage is a symptom of things like failing insulation on that leg which can lead to a fire.  If it progresses, bad things can happen like the other leg will back-feed it through 220v appliances.  Some devices will pull over-current when they have a voltage dip, trying to make up the deficit, and act as a short.

 

 

 

 

[Joe L.]

You need an electrician urgently.  This is a fire hazard.

 

The 110 volt AC in your house actually comes in on two separate 110 volt legs, that are out of phase with each other, so they will add up to 220 volts when used together.

 

If one group of outlets has good voltage, and another group on a different circuit has bad voltage, either a circuit breaker us bad (unlikely) or one leg of the AC is having problems (likely).  Such problems can be shorting to ground.  Dipping voltage is a symptom of things like failing insulation on that leg which can lead to a fire.  If it progresses, bad things can happen like the other leg will back-feed it through 220v appliances.  Some devices will pull over-current when they have a voltage dip, trying to make up the deficit, and act as a short.

Or, as likely, a loose connection causing excessive voltage drop, or a bad neutral.  Both are equally unsafe, as the loose connection could arc and overheat.  The bad neutral could cause excessive voltage to be fed to your expensive electronics.

 

A call to the power company is in order if multiple rooms and outlets have the low voltage you discovered.  If only one breaker, or one oulet, it might just be a loose connection. You still might need an electrician to help with the repair, depending on your own experience level. 

 

Whatever you do, DO NOT WORK ON A LIVE CIRCUIT. TURN OFF THE MAINS or CIRCUIT BREAKERS feeding the bad outlet.  Do not kill yourself. (or we'll never know if you stopped posting because we made you angry, or because you can't type any more because your heart stopped beating )