Broken Computer Curiosity

[BrianG]

There wasn't a spot for the 4 pin molex connector on this mobo, and besides, that connector just has 12v and ground. I never measured the input voltage on the switcher section, but it is your typical 3 phase converter. I just assumed it used 12v as the input simply for efficiency...

The CPU is an AMD AlthlonXP 2600+. Worked quite well for what the kids did with it until it went belly-up. The CPU and memory still looks fine too, so it would be nice to find some way to still use those parts.

Do you also happen to have a bad PS unit? All I need is the mobo connector and about 6" of wires. It'll be a PITA to connect all those wires, but the PS is actually in good condition except for the blackened/melted spots. Holds stable voltages even under heavy loads (most PS units drop v quite a bit when near their rated output).

I'm still thinking it was just a poor connection that simply got too hot. And once one connection went bad, the load was forced to the others making them get hotter. A sort of domino effect.