Hardware Insights Forum

Hello.
I have 2 pc's. At the 1st, ( which is always connected on a UPS -Cyberpower 1350VA), i have the Thermaltake EvoBlue2 650watt PSU.
http://www.thermaltake.com/products-mod ... C_00001927
At the 2nd pc, (which untill recently was not connected at UPS), i have the Thermaltake GRAND 650watt PSU
http://www.thermaltake.com/products-mod ... C_00001564
Recently, i also connected my 2nd pc at the UPS, and i noticed that sometimes, when i push the power button to start my pc, the UPS is being activated, probably by some electrical spike.
-Can you tell me if this is being caused by a power supply malfunction ? Shall i have to change my PSU?
-Also, what is your opinion? i'm unlucky and bought a single PSU with a problem, or is it a general failure of all the Thermaltake GRAND series?

My best guess is that it's some issue with that specific PSU and that UPS. You could probably swap either the PSU or UPS and it would be fine. It's also possible that the PC is, for some reason, loading the PSU more heavily than normal on start-up (which could be ruled out by trying the Evo Blue in the PC in question and/or the Toughpower in the other PC). I don't think that the Toughpower grand series are known for these problems.

c_hegge wrote:My best guess is that it's some issue with that specific PSU and that UPS. You could probably swap either the PSU or UPS and it would be fine. It's also possible that the PC is, for some reason, loading the PSU more heavily than normal on start-up (which could be ruled out by trying the Evo Blue in the PC in question and/or the Toughpower in the other PC). I don't think that the Toughpower grand series are known for these problems.

I don't think the UPS could be the problem, because the same UPS is connected with my other pc, with the EVO BLUE 2 PSU.
If the UPS was the case, shouldn't be also activating itself when i start my other pc? It's only being activated when i start the pc with toughpower Grand 650. (*not always but sometimes).
(The reason i also connected the 2nd pc with the UPS, was a malfuntion that i had with my motherboard's audio. It stoped giving audio from all my speakers, and because it was relatively newly installed on my pc, i suspected power/electrical problems as a possible cause for the problem. I changed mobo, i connected the pc with the UPS, and i'm noticing what i've told you in my 1st post).
P.S: Both of my pc's have very few power demands. I don't run SLI, and the GPU's installed are not "power hungry". Especially at the pc with the TT Grand 650, my GPU is only a Geforce 450GTS (*460GTX at the 1st pc).
Anyway, i have already ordered another PSU, and see what happens, i just posted this mail mostly to tell me your opinion about the TT Grand series because i have read your articles and i consider your opinion highly objective. The only review i have found so far for my Grand 650watt, is the following review which the comments are very high for my psu :
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2011/0 ... 600w-psu/1

powernod wrote:If the UPS was the case, shouldn't be also activating itself when i start my other pc?

Not necessarily. As I said, It may not necessarily be a fault, but more that PSU doing something which that UPS doesn't like. But yes, replacing your PSU *should* fix the problem.

c_hegge wrote:

powernod wrote:If the UPS was the case, shouldn't be also activating itself when i start my other pc?

Not necessarily. As I said, It may not necessarily be a fault, but more that PSU doing something which that UPS doesn't like. But yes, replacing your PSU *should* fix the problem.

UPDATE: I pulled off the Toughpower Grand 650 and i put an old Corsair HX620, and when i flipped the power switch at the back of the PSU from "off" to "on", the UPS activated itself again. Can i have a comment for this "behaviour" ? Is it normal when you flip the power switch, the UPS to activating itself?

Sound like it's an issue with the UPS then. The most likely explanation is that it doesn't like the inrush current generated by the PFC capacitor charging on the power supplies in question. The Evo Blue probably has a lower inrush current, which doesn't cause this behavior.

c_hegge wrote:Sound like it's an issue with the UPS then. The most likely explanation is that it doesn't like the inrush current generated by the PFC capacitor charging on the power supplies in question. The Evo Blue probably has a lower inrush current, which doesn't cause this behavior.

Thanks a lot for the info !