Memory shorting out a power supply?

[Matt²]

I've just run into an issue where for whatever reason, a customer who I sold a gig of DDR memory to, took the computer home (I had installed the memory and it worked fine) and it wasn't working up to snuff, so he took it to another business.. that business claims:

t-shoot computer, does not seem to like memory for some reason..R&R mobo, no improvement; R&R mobo to original, works great. Install new ram, it killed a power supply. recommend new power supply and removal of newer ram.........
troubleshoot computer, seems to run great without that defective stick of ram in it. Maybe it's that old ram, maybe it's the new ram. No documentation to know which is which. Should run great with new broadband internet

...

now... said customer brought back memory to me for a refund... me being a nice guy and since it was only $20, I obliged, but I wish I hadn't. I tested that memory and it was FINE. NOTHING wrong with it. Booted up Win 7 on it, did a full Memtest 09 on it, no problems..

So I am thinking: this guy (the other tech) either (a) blew up the PSU on purpose (b) the psu was going out and it happened coincidentally (c) the tech lied and wanted money out of him. This other business is known to do things shadily, and as my friend says, who knows him intimately, he is a wifebeater.


So has anybody EVER heard of memory causing a power supply shorting out???? I don't think I ever have!

 

[strawman]

Nope. Electrically I suppose it's possible, but only if the memory is destroyed in the process. Since the memory still works, then there's no possible way for it to harm the power supply.

However, powersupplies age poorly. While it may be rated for 400W, as time goes on it will derate to 80% of its claimed output, and then decline more slowly from there. It's possible that if you put in more/better/faster ram then the power usage of the computer went up which then caused the PS to fail suddenly - the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. You did the right thing (refund) and the customer probably got better service from you than they'd get from the other guy.

 

[Necronic]

Should run great with new broadband internet

lolwut?

Anyways, I can't imagine how RAM would short out a power supply short of growing legs and walking over to the PSU and kicking it in the nuts, then grabbing a water hose and spraying it everywhere. Afaik there is only one test for RAM. Prime 95. If a system passes Prime 95 then your RAM is fine, something else is wrong. Caught a bad stick of very expensive RAM that way, easy peasy, no way I would have found it otherwise.

Sounds like it was a bad power supply, when you consider how few people buy quality power supplies I wouldn't be surprised if that was the issue. But with regards to the customer, you did the right thing, although next time use the oppurtunity to sell him a 250$ silverstone powersupply.

 

[Chibibar]

RAM killing power supply? not likely, but I did have a powersupply kill a harddrive.

 

[GasBandit]

I guess there's a chance, but it's about the same chance as getting struck by lightning five times in 30 seconds. The ram didn't kill the power supply... something else the shop did did. Or it was just ready to give up the ghost anyway and the act of turning it on just one more time killed it. Power supplies just die. It's inevitable.

 

[Matt²]

I had a customer a couple years ago, blow out his entire system just with a loose power connection in his wall. Something slipped and fell from the desk right on top of the loose cord in the wall, it flashed and arced, and that was the end of that computer.

 

[Necronic]

Hey, that I totally buy, or a water cooling system loosing 1 drop into the wrong place could fry your whole system (which is why water cooling is....crazy). Just not the RAM thing.