help with freezing

[ccm001]

I'm trying to fix a relatives computer for them. First it wouldn't start at all, turned out to be the psu. I replaced the psu, turned on the computer, heard an electrical "pop", smelled a burned smell, but the computer started up.

Now it freezes and locks up all the time. In windows (xp), in safe mode, running diagnostics off a boot cd (so in dos), running an antivirus boot cd (norton),. I can't even run any full diagnostics or malware removal because it will lock up.

I know my cousin had trouble with it randomly shutting down and restarting - but that was probably the bad psu.

Its an old aopen system running xp, I'm not even sure the complete specs right now. I can post that later. I can't even find any identifiers or model number on the motherboard.

Any ideas or tips where to start? Could it be ram? Could the psu be too much? It had an old aopen atx 300w psu, I put in a thermaltake 430watt (Newegg.ca - Thermaltake TR2 W0070RUC 430W ATX12V V2.2 Power Supply). Should I go out and buy an older atx generic psu? Appreciate any insight.

[Dr_BenD_over]

Check the capacitors.

[ccm001]

Originally Posted by Dr_BenD_over

Check the capacitors.

Will do.

edit: they all look fine, none look blown nor leaking. I should mention that there is no longer a burnt smell, it was only on first startup with new psu.

[Perineum]

You can't overpower a computer with a larger PSU. The computer will only take from the PSU what it needs. The only concern is to pick a PSU with enough headroom for future expansion and large or small enough that the PSU is running at a load that it can run efficiently at. Some PSUs will run a computer fine but with terrible efficiency if the PSU is too big or too small. I only ever buy 80PLUS PSUs now for that reason.

My guess, if the motherboard caps are indeed fine, that the new PSU blew a capacitor. Somewhere a capacitor let out the magic smoke....

[ccm001]

So replace all the capacitors or replace the motherboard?

[crazyhorsejohnny]

Originally Posted by ccm001

So replace all the capacitors or replace the motherboard?

If it's an old PC there's a chance you might not find a board. Not new anyways.

[ccm001]

Originally Posted by crazyhorsejohnny

If it's an old PC there's a chance you might not find a board. Not new anyways.

Later tonight I'll see if it will run long enough to let me put cpuz on it so I can identify what socket (its an old amd chip), then I'll take it from there.

[martin_metal_88]

Can also be a VRM of other chip on the board. Look at all the little black square chip if there is a hole or any sign of burn of them.

[enaberif]

If anything failed on the board it'll be around the cpu socket generally.

[ccm001]

Originally Posted by martin_metal_88

Can also be a VRM of other chip on the board. Look at all the little black square chip if there is a hole or any sign of burn of them.

One of the little black square "caps", just to the left of the cpu heatsink, looks like it has a hole. It looks more like a rust spot, but there is a definite indentation when I run a precision screwdriver over it. So could that be the culprit? Can that be replaced?