High frequencies generated by switch-mode power supplies can damage capacitors too. Wet or paste electrolyte capacitors can not handle high frequencies even the high frequency versions does not have enough resilience, so the shape of them may become irregular or the paste might ooze out. Even high quality manufactures will pick these capacitors. Since several motherboard manufactures moved towards solid electrolyte versions for their capacitors, the problem should be minimized. In this case of switch-mode power supply design, the high frequency limits of the capacitor also have to be known before using it in the design. I know this while designing loudspeakers. Electrolyte capacitors creates their own distortions after 10 KHz.

DVM or VOM (VOM is the correct technical name) can only be used if only the user knows the minimum and maximum voltage of the ATX specifications. Probing a computer is not always easy for some people. Probing at the ATX, AT/AUX, and P4/12VATX connector is not the only spot to get readings. The source or drain of the MOSFET should also be probed to make sure on-board power supply is working. Motherboards with DrMOS power MOSFET makes probing harder. A grounded strap is a must when doing this.

Heat may not be the problem. Dust can also generate static electricity from the air moving through it. If the humidity is just right, the dust can generate just enough static electricity to discharge towards electronic components. Other causes is small fractures from metal fatigue.


Antec power supplies are not good any more. Their quality is going down hill. I had a Antec power supply that sing because one of its capacitors have leaked. I changed it with a power supply from Seasonic. The efficiency, being noiseless, universal voltage, and active PFC, is compensated for the high price that I paid for it.

Lord Xeb,
The BIOS uses the CPU, so if you can see a BIOS setup display, then the processor is almost certainly good. Within the first page of the BIOS, do you see your hard drives and CDROMS identified properly?

It would sit at the bios and I check the processor. I would just sit at the BIOS then, I would go into the BIOS to get a POST and it would say the processor wasn't working. Everything else worked just fine. The fan worked, The TC was fine. The compacitors were fine. There would be no boot at all. So I am replacing the Board, the processor and everything needed for the board to work just to be safe because they no longer make Processors for the 754 socket. I wanted to make sure the PSU was fine because I have had faulty PSUs in the past where I could get into the BIOS and get a POST but then when I would got to actually run it, it would fail and turn back on again. Thanks for all of your help.