My computer did it's second firecracker explosion. It survived the first one last month somehow. But this time, everytime I start it up, a new surprise awaits my screen in gibberish. It lasted 3 years upon my own build, not bad but not great. Anyways, I don't want to build another and have $2k budgeted. I don't need monitors, since I already have 2 healthy 26". So I will need dual outputs for the monitors. Which computer would you buy right now from a reputable vendor if you had $2k to spend for a trading station?
You can get a good one with lots of horsepower for about $1,050 - $1,300 from CyberpowerPC.com. Just run the X58 Configurator. (If you run the P55 Configurator, the end price is about the same as the X58 one, but the mobo and CPU are lesser.) Or, you can get a Dell T3500 from their Outlet site... with a decent Xeon CPU (W3530, or better) for about $800-$900. It has X58 mobo, too.
what was the cause of explosion? from what i've read "firecracker' type of sound can come from PSU with active PFC,when used with regular(not pure sine wave) UPS.
Yeah, could be that all he lost was the power supply. For <$100, could replace that himself. Suggest buying a decent PSU (like the 650W Corsair.. $62AR at Newegg) and try it. Even if it didn't fix his rig, it wouldn't be money wasted.. He'd still the the PSU for a backup.
I'd bet it was the power supply unit. I'd be curious to know the manufacturer of the OP's PSU just for curiosity's sake. Such an overlooked piece of computer hardware, but it's a killer when it goes.
I concur. Go to Best Buy and replace the PSU. If that does not work, return it for a full refund. Then begin your journey for a new PC tower.
Yes, has happened to me before with a crap PSU. Took the mobo out as well. Honestly, I think it should be a top priority for any build. Top of the line PSU's for use (outside of gaming) are available in the $60 range with modular connections, etc. (But I don't advise going to Best Buy. I'd go to NewEgg or TigerDirect and save 20-30% off of Best Buy's prices). Corsair, Antec, etc are some names to look for.
The PSU was a Rosewill 500W. It was highly rated at Newegg at the time and had more than enough juice. The computer now starts and powers up. But sometimes it will reboot at any time, or display all kinds of different gibberish on the screen. Is this (along with the couple of firecracker pops somewhere in the case) consistent with a failed PSU?