Power Supply Cracking Sound

[Jigs]

Hello, my first post here...

So last night I transferred my PC from an Antec Sonata into a standard Inwin case. I did not add or remove any hardware, it was a straight transfer, including the 380W antec PSU. There were no motherboard standoffs for this Inwin case, and so I was told by the tech at the store I bought the case from to screw the motherboard directly into the "bumps" on the case. I have heard other people doing this with Inwin cases for years.

Anyway, I plug in the power, ensure it is set to 110 (not 220) and flick the PSU's power switch from 0 to I (on). Immediately there was a huge CRACKING sound, lights went off inside the PSU, and then followed another loud crack before I could turn it off. After I lunged for the power switch and hit it off, I could smell burning electronics.

What the heck happened?! I've never had this experience before and the PSU was working fine a day before...

[FLG]

Im not familiar with the case, but are these "bumps" made of metal? Can you please remove the motherboard and take a pic if possible. Personally, it sounds like you got some very bad advise, though i might be wrong. What model case?

Edit: Do the bumps look like the one pictured here? http://www.driverheaven.net/reviews/inwinalpha360case/index.php

[shadowpr]

sounds like you fried something.

try to inspect all the parts. see what smells like it burnt. look for anything that looks fried.

and i would try an out of case build with the bare minimum to see if anything would have to be replaced.....which will most likely be the psu.

[FLG]

I would do as shadow mentioned and inspect all parts, but i would NOT try to boot it out of the case until you replace whats fried.

[Chazell29]

I think I know what your talking about with these "bumps" and I think its alright to screw the motherboard directly into them, but I can't be sure without seeing them. This most likely isn't going to be your PSU, cracking, lights going off and burning, is frying components. I'm at work so I can't copy and paste links, but go to this build your own PC section, and in the stickies there is a post called Trouble Shooting your New Build or something along those lines. That will require you to take everything out of the case, and try booting it outside the case. Lets see if it boots first.

[Sound Mind]

By mounting the mobo straight to the "bumps" in the case, you most likely shorted out the mobo when you turned it on. Definitely a bit of bad advice.

[Katreat]

According to that link FLG posted it appears you are suppose to mount directly to those bumps. However, in my limmited experience, different MBs have different stand off placements so not sure how that would work with different boards. I agree with the others, at this point I would take out the MB and inspect it carefully. if you find something compair it to its case location and see what was touching. When you where installing did it use all of your MB mounting screws? Where there "bumps" that you did not need to mount too?

Kat

[Cricket]

The "bumps" in the InWin case are the motherboard standoffs and you do place the motherboard directly on them when mounting the motherboard into the case. The "bumps" are located in the proper ATX mounting locations so none of them should have contacted the wrong area of the motherboard.

I think it was just coincidence that the Antec died after switching cases...something was probably already loose inside it and possibly became dislodged while you were moving it from one case to the other. I've had Antec PSUs die on me in the past...luckily they have over-voltage protection and the rest of the computer wasn't harmed.

:) Cricket