Gateway Parts

Computer power supply problem?

For the past couple of days, my computer has been randomly turning off on me. It turns off and the power button just blinks. I'm not able to turn it on, no fans run, nothing happens. If I unplug the power cord from the computer for about 20 seconds or so and plug it back in, I'm then able to to turn the computer back on. However, it will eventually turn off on me. It could be in a matter of minutes, or hours. After doing some research, it sounds like its probably a power supply problem. But, exactly what does that mean? Does that mean the actual unit on the computer, the cord, or where its plugged into? And is it more than likely a power supply problem, or could it be something else? If it is a power supply problem, is it an easy/cheap fix? I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to computer parts and how to swap them and such, but is it something I could do myself, or should I just bring it to a professional? Also, when looking to get a new power supply unit, what do I need to know about which one to get? I'm not sure what kind of supply to get if I have to. Do I just have to get one thats compatible with the processor? Here is a link to the "specs" if that means anything? http://www.emachines.com/products/produc… Thanks in advance. sorry, this is the full link... http://www.emachines.com/products/products.html?prod=T6216

Public Comments

1. it's most likely a power supply problem. new PSUs arent that expensive, maybe around $100. I can't view the link with your pc specs, but a way you can figure out how powerful it needs to be is to add up the power needed for each component in the pc. Modern pcs usually use around 400-500W. Once you have a new psu here's how to replace it http://www.fonerbooks.com/r_power.htm hope it all goes well for you :)
2. If it's an emachine, I doubt if it's worth fixing. You could likely pick up either a new or preowned computer less expensively than you could get the emachine fixed. Even if you do get it fixed, something else will likely go wrong soon.
3. sounds like power supply,its easy to replace yourself.pull it out and see what the watts are and just go with one thats similar.no need in spending more on one thats bigger if you dont need to.cheap ones are 25 bucks and better ones around a 100.
4. One thing you might want to check is boot up and look at the bios. You might have to hit del key or maybe ESC to get to the bios. Once there, take a look at one of the menus for "system info". It should have things like cpu fan speed, cpu temperature, etc. A lot of times, when cpu temperature gets too hot, it will turn off to keep from frying itself. So it would be good to check the following: 1. Does the cpu fan spins freely? A lot of times, there is enough dust to slow down the fan from cooling the cpu heatsink. 2. How hot is the cpu when you first boot up? Anything higher than 45 degrees Celcius would be high on startup. That means it might not be the PSU but the conduction between cpu and heatsink. You might need to just re-apply some thermal paste and reseat it. Good luck.