Aurora R4, went bang now wont turn on

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@Parmageddonz wrote:

i heard a pop/clap/bang sort of sound. PC went off and wont come back on

1. Thats very likely to be the PSU, right?

2. and hopefully not the CPU and mobo too...... 

3. If I recall correctly, the PSU's on these are also specially wired up to the daughter board and case lights etc... 

4. so my only hope is to replace it like for like?

5. Do alienware still make these PSU's new?

6.  hopefully it isnt RIP... I love this rig.

 

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1. Not necessarily. Lots of things inside can explode.

2. Correct. If your Power-Supply loudly explodes, if will often kill (or at least partially damage) the motherboard.

3. Correct. To the MIO-Board (I think to help it read ON/OFF/SLEEP states).

4. That would be the easiest as you can use the stock wiring-hardness (unless it has been damaged/melted).

5. Call Dell Spare Parts and ask them. Get the (sometimes optional back then) 875w one this time (if you only had the basic 525w one before). Dell put this same 875w-PS into some Precision Workstations back then.

6. Yeah, they are nice. I have an newer Aurora-R6 , but I also have a Aurora-R1 (now with SSD and GTX-1070). However, if my Aurora-R1 exploded like this, I think I would finally (begrudgingly) retire it ... but it is a little older than yours.

7-ish years ago there was a storm & a power outage, next day turned PC on & it popped, dead, 'twas the PSU (main capacitor, caps are known to make a pop but other internals can too). Replace PSU is a good 1st step given u can get one on the cheap

R1-R4 525w/875w PSUs have a side label u can check the wattage & part# for; try eBay for the 'Corporate' 875w, search W299G & J556T, they interchange, both shipped from factory in R1-R4 etc. PSU chassis detaches from case harness by pulling 66pin black bulk connector out then back out chassis. See uTube, AlienServices 'Alienware Aurora: Disassembly Part1' @ 5m50s mark

When 875w can be had for $20-$30 shipped, whether u need a new pricier one or a pair of cheap used ones is up to u. Fastest way to test the 'popped' PSU is get a cheap used one, see if it resolves issue, it might. You'd then consider another used spare or a pricier new one (& keep your 1st ~$30 unit as the spare etc)

I wouldn't call the Aurora case harness 'specially wired up' to the AlienFX board (instead it's the Area-51 R1 which is); though condensed into a single 66pin, Aurora uses basic PSU cables & connector types found in any aftermarket retail type. The advantage of original case harness is short GPU cables (12" not 24") an extra-long CPU cable (32" not 24") & otherwise custom just-right cables sizes

Even if it turns out u don't need it, having a good (cheap) testing spare onhand is a good idea in a time like this. I'd invest into a used 875w as

I personally no longer use the stock PSUs here & haven't tried this method before in the past when I did, but more important I doubt I'd personally try it, ie force a bad PSU to power up my stuff, but the rear of the PSU has a self-test button u could try, search google/uTube for Dell PSU Self Test (or Built-in Self Test) & follow the steps if u like. What I mean is, get a cheap used PSU & after it gets there & if it too fails to power your system on, then yes I would follow Dell instructions, try its rear button in attempt to find the faulty part

Before I forget, buy from a trusted vendor. These are sold as a bare chassis or chassis + harness. Whether u need another harness would be determined if u inspect yours & see any burnt pins or burnt wires etc. NRHJ9 tends to be the part#, but u can check yours / find its part tag# & proceed w/ your search from there (a part of me wonders if the Dell Precision harnesses work in Aurora or not, IDK. The 'corporate' chassis would, yes). Cheapest, fastest, easiest way's to get another Dell PSU that u have now. Report back & good luck

Thanks both, plenty of good things to consider there.

Looking at my receipt, it looks like I had the 875w anyway. I'm going to proceed with trying to find a like for like replacement for the PSU and hope its just that that's gone, I mean this thing is as dead as a doornail. Power on does nothing.

Though I'm also looking at when I bought this back in 2012 and thinking it's had a pretty good run, you know? The only time anything went wrong was the MIO board a few years back but other than that, no issues. So im wondering whether its even worth trying to salvage this or just buy an R8/R9 and finally upgrade.... ha

Anyway few more questions if that's O.K? (it looks like you may have already answered some of them, but want to double check)

1) If I've got the 875w already and I buy a replacement off of eBay? its J556T im looking for right? (ive linked one at the bottom for my sanity)

2) If I had to purchase one of these from the U.S (i'm U.K) will I need to step it down, or will these PSU's work on both 110v and 240v?

3) Do I need to purchase anything else to connect it all up to the motherboard and MIO board? i.e if the stock wiring harness is still in tact, can this literally just be a swap of the PSU?

4) @Cass-Ole if you're using non-stock PSU now, have you done away with any connection between your PSU and the MIO board? is it even important. I don't use this rig for gaming any more so not massively fussed about active venting and colours etc....

(Link 
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dell-J556T-H875EF-00-Precision-T5500-Aurora-R4-875W-PSU-Power-Supply/163906537901?epid=1077910998&hash=item26299749ad:g:ssAAAOSw1pBdpeYv

thanks again,

P

1/2) Given you'll sooner or later back the chassis out (after watching the uTube how-to), you can unplug the 66pin & pull chassis out & find its part#, from there u can look for another of same part#. You can also verify on side label it's rated for 110v-240v. I looked up (goggle) for a side label, W299G says 110-240 range. So yes, back your chassis out (takes 5min or less), read side label then google J556T or W229G (find a side label pic) & they should be identical specs as yours (110-240). You can then look for J556T (HiPro) W299G (Delta) or if yours has a 3rd part# (U595G HiPro) (HNRP3 = potential 4th variant) then consider shopping for same part# u have now. I prefer the W299G Delta (brand name, good rep). In the end, all 3-4 part#'s will work, should all be 110-240v range for US/UK use

3) The time-saver quick-disconnect PSU chassis in Area-51 Aurora was marketed as a plus (ie a 5minute swap in/out). The idea is to quickly replace the chassis w/out need for case harness removal. Re-use case harness, yes. Typically, when an owner purchases the chassis + harness, owner may re-list harness for sale ($15 etc) to recoup $10 back or so, or save it as spare in case original is damaged in future use etc

4) MIO board gets power from stock 525/875 by a single-headed 4pin 'Molex' peripheral cable whose length is 20inches (51cm). If what you're asking is how to power it w/an aftermarket retail PSU, you can, since most cable lengths as an assortment in the new pouch can be what, 15"-24" I suppose. Typical Corsair Hx1000 4pin cable is a daisy-chain of 45cm+150+150+150 (stretch cable over to MIO, plug in head #2 (60cm) lay heads 1/3/4 to the side I suppose). Multiple owners have swapped out the factory supply for retail ones, I'm using Seasonic 1000w here

PSU swaps in Aurora R1-R4 are semi-well documented on this forum, the alternate archive 9read only) forum here & say AlienOwners.com forum; example, head there to their Aurora sub-forum, "Aurora Alienware R4 ALX shutting down unexpectedly" by Robertolito:  

I completed my upgrade to a Corsair RM1000x Gold PSU about a month ago. All is well now. No issues w/ shutting down. Thank you for the detailed instructions and for recommending the cable extender. I think I could have made it work but w/ the extension it was a breeze. For cooling I just mounted the PSU upside down and laid it on the bottom of the case. I don't take my machine anywhere these days so the fact that I can't screw it to the case doesn't bother me. So this is a must-have upgrade for adding hi-powered GFX cards to an Aurora. I am back to high quality graphics!

Use google or browse AlienOwners Legacy sub-forum for "Aurora R4 ALX case with 8700k and RTX 2080ti" where you'll find Luke's aftermarket mthrbrd swap. Assume 9900k/9700k etc is possible these days, Gen10 next etc for those wanting to keep their case and DIY build a modern desktop for less than pre-builts (upkeep, troubleshooting, warranty etc) falls on the builder. But yes, seen many PSU & mthrbrd swaps in Aurora/Area-51 since my time here dating back to 2012. All depends on your budget & skill-set I suppose, enlist help of friend who can swap in new parts if needed etc. Make a forum post & seek help also. My R4 is staying put, will get (micro-ATX) mthrbrd/cpu/ddr4/5 swap in a few years to stay current. I just swapped in an Asetek 570LC 49mm cooler in it (widest rad possible, similar to H80i V2), which is an upgrade from the 01YGW 38mm factory-optional cooler it had

In the end, what u wanna do w/an R1-R4 case is up to you: modernize it a little or a lot or sell it / gift it

You're welcome to look for a new or used retail PSU (remove old case harness & put in new one etc), it's been done many times. Fastest easiest cheapest way is to go back to the original

For eBay/UK I searched 'Aurora 875w' & filtered results by lowest price 1st & saw possible alternatives; unknown if an eBay/Europe type search can net lower prices or simple google search of W299G / J556T can from non-eBay sources. Here, $20/shipped could potentially answer if a PSU was dead or not (ie no hassle getting it in or out). Given the cost of importing one, in a sense a $5 PSU tester might reveal whether yours works or not. Unplugging all of the connexions - jump-start PSU on (see uTube: jump start psu on) - & using voltmeter to probe connexions for volts/grounds (before importing PSU we aren't sure you need but highly suspect it) might help. Would to buy one & have PSU not be culprit. I assumed you were a US owner where we can get answers for cheap here, & if old PSU's still good then u get a cheap spare in the bargain

I assume some owners (like me) have a basic aftermarket spare PSU they could temporarily use to see if system will turn on or not (thus rule in or out whether old PSU is dead or potentially alive), others have a friend they can borrow one from, others have dual-systems where they can take PSU out & attempt to power other (known-good) system with. Others by from a place like Amazon (liberal return policy) where they can return a new PSU if it wasn't needed but still have a new one to test with

Given those eBay/UK prices for the 875w, tough to point u in best direction given what's said above

@Cass-Ole  Thanks again.

Update - I got the PSU out and it is indeed a J556T

1) Does this mean it must be replaced by a J556T Or can I replace it with a W299G etc?

2) I can see this PSU is just a 66 pin connector, why is it that I can't just use any old ATX PSU to replace it? what part of this is communicating with the MIO board? If I just plug the cables in the harness into a different PSU, why wont that work?

I seen your explanation above about aftermarket PSU's and the four pin molex that powers  the MIO, so if I keep the wiring harness that I have now, can I simply change the PSU and all will be fine? including power to MIO? 

I guess what I'm asking is, what is the problem in using the official NRHJ9 wiring harness with any old PSU?  @Cass-Ole ?

thanks

P

1) J556T / U595G (HiPro) W299G (Delta) are all valid part#'s & interchangeable, 'identical' for all intents purposes, replace yours with any of those three (I prefer Delta as a brand over HiPro if given a choice)

2) U can replace it w/any old ATX retail PSU, if u remove the custom case harness it has now & install the new cables w/new retail-type PSU. Aurora R1-R4 (& Area-51 R1) 66pin / case harness / Dell PSU are proprietary, where a retail (modular) PSU will never have a single 66pin. In order to 'make' an Aurora case harness (NRHJ9) work w/a retail PSU, you have to disassemble it (remove 66pin) & apply your own connector-ends (& new PSU terminals) onto each cable-type & wire it up to be compatible (the pinout inside the double-row connector) as I've done here for popular models like Corsair & EVGA

Three choices: Keep Aurora 875w type. replace it w/retail-type PSU + all new cables, or 'adapt' (rebuild) an NHRJ9 harness to retail PSU specs as I did

Retail PSU modular cables arent 'universal' & almost never interchange. Corsair cant use EVGA, which cant use Seasonic etc, u must use their approved cables only. And your 66pin will only work w/another Dell PSU that has a 66pin input 525w/875w (& for instance, you could swap in the Area-51 1000W 1100w 1200w if u remove a hard drive bay since those also have a 66pin NHRJ9 is electrically compatible with, I believe one is on uTube)(This post has a link to NBR with post titles u could look up on google since the links are broken)

MIO is a USB device: though it gets power from PSU over a 4pin Molex-Peripheral cable, it communicates w/mthrbrd over their shared double-ended USB cable

Brilliant, that does make a lot of sense. I did not realize that brands harnesses were not compatible with other brands PSU's and etc! That does make this less of a unique problem.

1) Of your three options, if I went with option 2 "Replace with retail type PSU and all new cables" then I could still use this to connect the retail PSU to the MIO with no issues?

2) Out of interest what even happens if the MIO doesn't get power from the PSU? Would there simply be no lighting / active venting? or would it default to the last setting and be stuck like this?

ill be certain to check the links you posted.

1) Yes, retail PSUs have been swapped into Aurora several times, a google or forum search may net anywhere from 5-10-15 examples to go by; sometimes an 'image' search may put u on a path to someone's post or how-to etc, be it MthrBrd or PSU

All current retail PSUs come w/ 1-2-3 Molex 4pin Peripheral cables in the pouch w/ various lengths & head-counts (an assortment)(most PSU reviews & sometimes the .com page lists cables by size & head-count). In a sense, all retail PSUs can power MIO w/a 4pin ... now whether yours would be fine on arrival or need a ($5) 4pin extension or not, I guess depends on which u buy & what came in the box & how you routed it etc

My worry would be not reminding u I'm not sure if your PSU popped or not, is dead or alive ...

2) MIO receives then relays power to your radiator fan & cooling pump, so to not power the MIO is to not have CPU cooling = overheat w/in a minute or so. You'd need to provide power to pump & rad-fan from elsewhere. Other items like case fans & lights also won't work: everything plugged into it won't work

In a sense a non-issue since all retail PSUs currently come w/4pin power cable(s) & can power MIO with it

I can't say which PSU is best to buy, but I prefer Seasonic here, own a Corsair & have yet to try EVGA, but those three tend to be go-to brands, 750w 850w 1000w depending on budget & hardware used

In this 2018 post Aurora PSU replacement questions I fixed the NBR links

'Aurora PSU swap info' hasn't been condensed into a one-stop all-questions-answered single post, it's been smeared out in small & large bits over four or more forums the past 10years or so

The fact is, Aurora's a smallish PC case but in the end it's just a case & so it yes can have the factory proprietary PSU (& custom-sized case harness) swapped out for a retail aftrmrkt ATX form-factor type that includes 'one-size tries-to fit-all' cables

When swapping, standard Aurora case w/ front-connect SATA HDD tends to have it easier than ALX models which have rear-connect SATA HDD (solved in the post Aurora ALX (mid 2010) - PSU Replacement - Issue With HD Cages (+ the uTube vid SATA Power Cable Mod), which means for ALX models u should research the PSU cables included with any particular brand/model in an attempt to buy right-angle SATA connex (used in rear-mount HDD cage) or if it has 'normal long' SATA connex then u consider the SATA cable mod (right angle pass through connex)

Above & below are the caveats to PSU swaps

1) Aurora was designed w/basically unsleeved cables like for GPUs to improve cable management (& act as a cost-cut); retail 'sleeved' cables may get messy if using dual-GPUs & so flat 'ribbon' types might help out there and so might (optional sold-separate) individually-sleeved sets

Of course the original cables are like 12", so u at times need to stuff 24"-29" retail cables in there (aka case anaconda)

In the end, Aurora does best w/a single beast Video Card (lower temps & less clutter)

2) When retail sets include a 24"-26" CPU cable, u might need an 8pin CPU / EPS extension of about 6"-8", it depends on the PSU u choose relative to 8pin header since they can be designed to go anywhere on the front panel, depending on brand/model

3) PSU chassis, as all electronics over time, are shrinking, so a newer EVGA G3 w/short chassis may be an improvement on say older Seasonic w/longer chassis in-so-far-as room for your hands to plug-in/unplug cables during install etc

1) I can see why you went with the option to alter the NHRJ9 harness rather than going with a different one entirely. It does seem like more trouble than it's worth. I've just bought a replacement PSU J556T which i'll test when it arrives. I've also found a brand new one in Germany, which is £170 so not cheap either, but should my cheaper replacement do the job, i'll buy that too, as per your advice.

If they both go pop i'll take a look at something else I think, likewise if more of my components are damaged from this PSU failure, then it's time to just buy a new alienware R9 I think.

2) Interesting, I'd have to have a look how the pump is wired in mine, as the OEM one failed a year ago, its been replaced with a corsair pump and fan. I seem to recall that not being wired to the MIO.

1a) A person who bought a bare used chassis w/ out cables (yes that's a thing) might buy my set, or they might set the new cables to the side & try to go back to 'factory cables' using my set. The other option is to forget mine & just use what comes in the new pouch (in fact I've yet to sell a hand-made set for Aurora which means all PSU swappers are on / have used the set they got in their pouch as is normal

1b) My advice would be to get a cheap original 875w. If you're then faced with buying a new PSU (at seemingly considerable cost), I might go aftermarket given it'd have a 7-10-12year warranty, something that might not or won't be available w/ a new-old-stock J556T type (if u get 30days you did good in a sense while others might not have any warranty attached). Here I'd just get x2 used for $60/shipped & call it a day. I could buy x2 aftrmrkt used ones for good price too, it all depends on where u are & what your budget is. Regardless I hope this post points u and others down a path that's the easiest & cheapest possible given all the scenarios that exist

1c) New or used pre-built is ok if u need one 9sell old to help pay for new); building your own with hand-picked parts & extending the life of your R4 is equally ok

2) Original alien-coolers are powered by top light strip (using Molex SL 7pin), light strip gets power from MIO. There are other connexions on light strip for fans & so yes an aftrmrkt cooler could get power from light strip. If an owner by-passes the light strip/MIO (removes MIO 4pin power) then they'd have to power their cooler motor & rad-fan from an alternate source like from the mthrbrd fan header(s) or use an adaptor like unshielded 4pin Molex-to-Fan for cooler

(see AlienOwners, Aurora sub-forum: Aurora Alx liquid cooler directly into board? or search in google)

If other fans (like mini Chipset / VRM fans) are unplugged from mthrbrd fan headers to make room for cooler & rad-fan then those mini-fans could get power from (shielded) 4pin Molex-to-Fan adaptor (ie constant 12volts = full rpm)

(oops) > The CPU_Fan header on mthrbrd, MIO fan cable plugs in there (then relays signal to top light strip, then to rad-fan)(MIO handles rpm control etc) you'd disconnect it then plug rad-fan into there as happens in a normal PC mthrbrd (get a 4pin pwm fan extension if needed if it can't reach CPU_Fan header); then yes, to power a cooler you could unplug either the chipset fan or VRM fan & plug a Corsair-type aftrmrkt cooler into that header, then use an adaptor (photo) to get the fan back in action (shielded is best). But for that matter, leave it all as-is & just use adaptor (photo) to power aftrmrkt cooler with, all are valid

Mistake in last post: alien-coolers w/7pin need unshielded 3pin fan adaptor to work (photo) | Corsair-types can / should use shielded type

@Parmageddonz :

If they both go pop i'll take a look at something else I think, likewise if more of my components are damaged from this PSU failure, then it's time to just buy a new alienware R9 I think.

All I can say is they don't make Aliens like how they used to make them (pre-R5). Do more research on this R5-R9 generation first before deciding if it's your cup of tea.