Antec NEO HE Issues

Status
Not open for further replies.
SomeoneWhoIsntMe said:
I got a NeoHE 550w, and my system with a LanParty NF4-Ultra doesn't boot. Could it be the culprit?

Which specific motherboard? The more info we have the better.
 
I'm interested in buying one of these power supplies. Are all the neohe power supplies experiencing these problems with Asus or just a certain group? Was there a recall for the defective ones? Should I be worried about what version I have if I were to order one right now? I don't have an Asus board at the moment but I'de like my power supply to work with them if I decide to purchase one at a later time.
 
AntecRep said:
Which specific motherboard? The more info we have the better.

I know you were specifically asking the DFI dude, but mine was a Epox 9NPA+ Ultra board. It's in my sig, but thought I'd post it here since it's not an Asus.
 
Antec P150 enclosure w/ NeoHE 430W
Asus A8N-SLi Premium 1.02

Runs for 10-20 minutes on average and spontaneously interupts power, even sitting in BIOS.

Blame Asus? Blame Antec? Someone's hardware is misinterpreting or missending voltage signals. SeaSonic 500W and a Zalman VF700Cu VGA cooler on order overnight from NewEgg, should be even quieter with the 120mm fan and god is the 6600GT's fan a noisy s.o.b. Stop that guy with my finger and it sounds like my computer is off. I'm gunna miss the modular cables from the NeoHE.

Why can't someone make a 120mm very quiet, high quality, modular cable, ~400-500W PSU? And if you mention anything with t3h sh1ny L3Dz! in them, I will kill you. It's a god damn computer, not a laser light show.
 
I've been following this thread since the beginning and with misgivings ordered the infamous duo (see sig) early this month anyhow because I really liked the specs and reviews. For what it's worth, so far I haven't experienced any problem with spontaneous shutdowns, or any other problems for that matter. This during many hours of MemTest, WD disc diagnostics, Win XP install, and just plain "on". Maybe too early to tell tho.
BTW my mobo is v. 1.02
 
Well, like I've posted in SPCR I have the shutdown problems as well with an Asus A8N-SLI Premium rev 1.02 and a 430W Neo HE. For me it shuts down after maybe 20-30 seconds just sitting in the BIOS and watching the CPU temp. Rig is 100% stable with a noname "400W" PSU with 16A on the 12V line.

Maybe the 550W (the only two here that seems to be working with the Premium) is different? Even though it seems like it doesn't work for some...
 
Well, I've now replaced my old Jeantech 400w (that was running fine, but was really noisy) because I just wasn't satisfied with it being an old 20-pin PSU. (ATX 1?)

It now houses a Seasonic S12 600w, and is steady as a rock, with zero shutdowns since. Antec CS have just stopped responding to my e-mail's now, and haven't sent me the RMA number they promised. I may use the NeoHE 430w in my wife's rig, and see how it fares in there.

In a side note, when I posted earlier in the thread about the voltages seeming a bit low (11.4 - 11.7v) this seasonic is showing as only 11.7v too, so maybe that part of my issue is purely the sensors in the motherboard, I'll have to take some readings with my DMM. The Jeantech and the Seasonic have never dipped below 11.7v though, so maybe with the NeoHE putting out 0.3v less than the others, coupled with the inaccurate sensors on the mobo, combined are enough to trip it?
This S12 really is lovely and quiet, even more so than the NeoHE imo, and the 120mm intake fan underneath really does suit my system well, with the air pushed up through my Arctic cooler (ultra quiet) it goes straight up into the PSU and out the back. Nice.

And power to Antec (pun intended :) ) for the P150 case design, even with all the wires from the Seasonic, they are all hidden from sight due to the space behind the rh panel, making for very undisrupted airflow. This case really is impressive.

note: Sorry if this post rambles and changes direction a bit, (lot?) but, I'm nursing a mother of a hangover at the moment, and my hands aren't typing exactly what my mind wants them to type. :)
 
So here's the new final answer. It took Asus awhile to get back to us about the changes they've made and what they could think of to help with the last remaining stability issues.

We would have been much happier if Asus had seen fit to make sure all their techs in their various locations knew about this completely to better help our mutual customers. As it stands it looks like in most cases a BIOS rev will solve the issue for many people, replacing the NeoHE is the final step.

Testing with Asus shows this:
Older Asus BIOS + original Neo HE, 80% had a compatibility problem
New Asus BIOS + original Neo HE, 20% had a compatibility problem
New Asus BIOS + updated Neo HE = no compatibility problem.
Any Neo HE + other premium brand boards = no problem.

For anyone who still has Neo HE + Asus A8n-SLI motherboard issues, please contact Antec at 1-800-222-6832 and ask for a replacement unit that has the Asus fix implemented. We'll set you up to get a replacement power supply that along with Asus's latest BIOS (1009 very important!) should fix the problem.

We've had no reports from other motherboard manufacturers like Abit, MSI, Gigabyte etc.

We're a little curious as why folks use the 430 with an SLI board (ie the P150) unless they're planning on adding the 2nd card later.

edit: We're still checking if this is the same issue with DFI and Epox, but we've only had a couple reports of issues with these so we're still working on getting all the info.
 
Do all retailers have the updated neohe now? How would I be able to clearly tell if I had the older neohe since I do not have an Asus board right now? I dont want to find out after the warranty expires that I have the incompatable version.
 
edit: We're still checking if this is the same issue with DFI and Epox, but we've only had a couple reports of issues with these so we're still working on getting all the info.

Maybe the update would fix those as well, though I've gone with Enermax for now.
 
AntecRep said:
We're a little curious as why folks use the 430 with an SLI board (ie the P150) unless they're planning on adding the 2nd card later.

AntecRep, thanks for the info and help in this matter.

As to an answer to your question, I've built one of these "bad" systems (ASUS A8N and P150) for a friend who wanted a very fast CPU and disk subsystem, but cared almost nothing about video*. BUT it had to also be very quiet. Spending $40 more on a MB that had no NF4 chipset fan was a no-brainer in this case. Believe me my DFI Ultra-D convinced him of that.

Thus the P150 was an excellent match for this project. Its too bad things didn't work out though. I ended up having to buy an Antec 430 Truepower 2.0, since I could not get his 1.02 A8N and the NeoHE to work together even with the latest Asus bios. :(

BTW, I just ran across this thread yesterday after spending 4 days talking to Antec support about this problem, and they never even whispered a word about this being a known issue. :mad:

What recourse do I have at this point?
Thanks

*He will be using the system as a development platform running the latest Mandrake.
 
I tried the NeoHE 550 with the ASUS K8N4-E rev 1.02 motherboard and it works fine. Thank goodness.
 
I updated my BIOS on the Asus and it still had the same problem with my NeoHE430. I must have had the 'old' version of the Neo.

I got a SeaSonic S12 500W and it's sliiightly quieter but works.I was neat with the cables so I won't miss the modular bit too much. I know the Neo will go inside another computer great the next time I need a PSU. To be honest this has soured me off Asus moreso than Antec.

With the Zalman VF700 as the final peace I can't even tell it's on!

P.S. the heatpipe northbridge cooler is neato yes, but a vantec replacement NB cooler is a worthwhile investment to any loud northbridge cooling solution.
 
Frederf said:
P.S. the heatpipe northbridge cooler is neato yes, but a vantec replacement NB cooler is a worthwhile investment to any loud northbridge cooling solution.

Lets see you put that on a DFI NF4 Lanparty without blocking the first PCI-E slot. :rolleyes:
 
I just found this post after spending about 2 days fighting with my A8N-E (BIOS 1.06) in my brand new P150 case.

Has anyone had success flashing the BIOS up to v1.08 or Beta v1.10.003 ?
 
In answer to AntecRep's question, I wanted the Premium board because of the silent northbridge cooler, being quiet was the primary concern. The SLi bit just came along with it. :)

It does raise the question of why Antec haven't offered options of no PSU or upgrading to a higher output PSU, as a case this cool, (in both ways,) warrants a wider audience, and I'm sure some wont purchase because of this limitation.

Anyway, I digress, thanks for the reply and help, and Antec have now issued me with an RMA number, but with no mention of this, now recognised, problem. Should I note a request for the updated NeoHE?

Thanks again.
 
Hi, my first post here. I have a Antec Neo HE 380 and an Asus A8N-E. I have the same problems as many have described here:

When I play games, the computer will switch off suddenly, like if
somebody pulled out the power plug. Sometimes I can play 1 minute, but
never more than 10 minutes before it happens.

While doing normal applications(surfing, office, email etc) it seems
to be more stable, but the PSU have switched off a couple of times
also for those type of applications

PSU Antec Neo HE 380W
Motherboard Asus A8N-E Rev2.00
CPU Athlon 64 3200+
Graphics, Asus N6600 Silencer
My heatsinks and fans are ok, All temperatures are below 40C.

I've upgraded to latest Bios v1010.003, but the problem remains.

I've now emailed both Asus and Antec for support about this. I bought the products in Sweden, I hope AntecRep can send me one of those updated Neo He!
 
The Neo HE 500W will run my Asus A8N-E for about 10 seconds then shut itself off. Boy, what a great product Antec. You'd think they'd test their new flagship line of power supplies on one of the most popular enthusiast motherboards before releasing it. I guess I'll have to start looking elsewhere for quality products since Antec seems to have withdrawn from that market and sunk down into the generic market.

:rolleyes:
 
erichsen13 said:
The Neo HE 500W will run my Asus A8N-E for about 10 seconds then shut itself off. Boy, what a great product Antec. You'd think they'd test their new flagship line of power supplies on one of the most popular enthusiast motherboards before releasing it. I guess I'll have to start looking elsewhere for quality products since Antec seems to have withdrawn from that market and sunk down into the generic market.

:rolleyes:

Way to take the high ground, champ. It is pretty clear they are dealing with the situation, and you make sweeping statements without all of the facts. Yes, clearly Antec has "sunk down into the generic market" by releasing a high efficiency power supply with modular cables. This thing has Emachine written all over it.

Is this frustrating? Yes. I'm sure it is just as frustrating for them, if not more, since they are probably looking at a fairly large replacement program and thousands of power supplies that they will need to replace. But they are doing it, and they are working with the problem. I'm getting a power supply shipped out to me today. Do you think a generic vendor would do this? Do you think you would even find their phone number, let alone one of their reps actively pursuing a problem on several enthusiast forums?

I don't mean to thread crap or to flame, but lets not dramatize this like Antec is breaking into our houses or something. They have a problem, and having used their power supplies almost exclusively for the better part of a decade, I am confident they will deal with it.

-Jeff
 
Goatbert said:
Way to take the high ground, champ. It is pretty clear they are dealing with the situation, and you make sweeping statements without all of the facts. Yes, clearly Antec has "sunk down into the generic market" by releasing a high efficiency power supply with modular cables. This thing has Emachine written all over it.

Is this frustrating? Yes. I'm sure it is just as frustrating for them, if not more, since they are probably looking at a fairly large replacement program and thousands of power supplies that they will need to replace. But they are doing it, and they are working with the problem. I'm getting a power supply shipped out to me today. Do you think a generic vendor would do this? Do you think you would even find their phone number, let alone one of their reps actively pursuing a problem on several enthusiast forums?

I don't mean to thread crap or to flame, but lets not dramatize this like Antec is breaking into our houses or something. They have a problem, and having used their power supplies almost exclusively for the better part of a decade, I am confident they will deal with it.

-Jeff

Wire looms and "high efficiency" written on the box doesn't make it any less of a piece of shit. I'm glad Antec is investigating a problem after they've already released it. Gee, that really does a lot for me and this $130 pile of worthless known as the Neo HE. Oh wait, no it doesn't. I still have a $130 paper weight complete with wire looms and a "high efficiency" design. :rolleyes:
 
Smash said:
In answer to AntecRep's question, I wanted the Premium board because of the silent northbridge cooler, being quiet was the primary concern. The SLi bit just came along with it. :)

It does raise the question of why Antec haven't offered options of no PSU or upgrading to a higher output PSU, as a case this cool, (in both ways,) warrants a wider audience, and I'm sure some wont purchase because of this limitation.

Anyway, I digress, thanks for the reply and help, and Antec have now issued me with an RMA number, but with no mention of this, now recognised, problem. Should I note a request for the updated NeoHE?

Thanks again.

As long as you mentioned that ASUS problem it shouldn't be an issue. I'm a paranoid sort so when you send your PSU, include a note about it being for an ASUS motherboard and that you need the updated NeoHE. It shouldn't be an issue, but it doesn't hurt to be safe.

As far as different power supply options that might happen down the road, it'll depend on demand/customer requests that we get. We typically don't offer a lot of variety in case/PSU combo's since many retailers would only stock 1 or 2 sku's and we'd have a bunch of other SKU's just sitting in the warehouse (so we'd waste manufacturing capacity and warehouse space on SKU's that aren't selling that well).
 
just unstable power, i know u shouldn't read into it 2 much, but with my new asus premium a8n, rev 1.02, power was just unstable. 12v read 11.7 or below. which while within spec was very low, esspically on a test setup( mobo, ram, video, cpu).
5 volts was at 4.8, and cpu went from 1.3 to 1.4 volts...

switch to an enermax liberty. 12 volts with a hard drive, and 2 dvd drives attached with all my fans. 12 is at 11.88 volts. 5 is at 5 volts, cpu still moves to much for me, 1.34 to 1.36 volts.

maybe next time around i'll get another antec. but i must have been one of the 1st to buy it. bought it the day it came out on amazon. i thought it was funny ur sli bage was covered with a dual video card ready sticker.
 
Got this from Antec Europe support about the updated PSUs:
We are currently expecting shipments for the power supplies in our Europe facility. We will keep you posted as soon as it is available.
 
AntecRep said:
As long as you mentioned that ASUS problem it shouldn't be an issue. I'm a paranoid sort so when you send your PSU, include a note about it being for an ASUS motherboard and that you need the updated NeoHE. It shouldn't be an issue, but it doesn't hurt to be safe.

I just ordered the HE 500 and the Asus A8N-Premium :eek: .

AntecRep how will I know if my PSU will be the updated version?
Is there a revision or serial number that I can look up on the sticker?
I still want to try and make it work, but if not will Antec honor my RMA if I specify the asus issue?

Thanks.
 
DeepGrey said:
I just ordered the HE 500 and the Asus A8N-Premium :eek: .

AntecRep how will I know if my PSU will be the updated version?
Is there a revision or serial number that I can look up on the sticker?
I still want to try and make it work, but if not will Antec honor my RMA if I specify the asus issue?

Thanks.
1) right now I don't know.
2) same as above
3) yes. 3 year warranty, but if you do have problems please specify that it's because of the Asus issue.
 
AntecRep, any word on other boards with similar issues, Epox, DFI?
 
AntecRep said:
As long as you mentioned that ASUS problem it shouldn't be an issue. I'm a paranoid sort so when you send your PSU, include a note about it being for an ASUS motherboard and that you need the updated NeoHE. It shouldn't be an issue, but it doesn't hurt to be safe.

As far as different power supply options that might happen down the road, it'll depend on demand/customer requests that we get. We typically don't offer a lot of variety in case/PSU combo's since many retailers would only stock 1 or 2 sku's and we'd have a bunch of other SKU's just sitting in the warehouse (so we'd waste manufacturing capacity and warehouse space on SKU's that aren't selling that well).

Thanks for the reply, AntecRep, I'll stick a note in with my PSU.

Yeah, good point, I didn't think of the stocking issues, retailers are hardly going to stock 3 or 4 differently powered versions of the P150 are they. :rolleyes: However, I'm sure if you were to ship the case without a PSU, the price drop wouldn't be the same as the value of the PSU, so why not ship it PSU-less, with a discount voucher for a PSU from the NeoHE range? Win-Win.
 
Smash was yours rebooting during installation? I just got my PSU form newegg today. Still waiting for the board to arrive. Should be in on Wednesday. I will try to see if it works.

What are some stuff to look for off the bat so I know if I need to send it in or not?
 
DeepGrey said:
Smash was yours rebooting during installation? I just got my PSU form newegg today. Still waiting for the board to arrive. Should be in on Wednesday. I will try to see if it works.

What are some stuff to look for off the bat so I know if I need to send it in or not?

DeepGrey, no, I'd already installed in a different case, then transhipped the lot over into the P150 w/NeoHE 430. Mine fell over under heavy 3D apps, ATItool and Quake4, and sometimes when booting.
 
Thanks for the quick response. I'll keep a look out on that. My PSU shipped yesterday with my CPU and 7800GT :D .

My board arrives today. I will try to get it up sometime tonight after work.
 
I just put a system together with an Asus A8N-E (rev 2.00) and an Antec Neo HE 500. I'm having the same issues although shutdowns have only occurred after 2 to 10 minutes of playing games or during nVidia Demo playback (I've so far had no interuptions while installing OS, navigating the BIOS or general computer use). I started out with bios v1006 and I've since updated to v1008 with no improvement, as it's been stated before that the 1010.003 beta doesn't help I stopped short of going that route.

I used the Antec supprt page and requested advice stating that I knew it was a known issue at this point, the responce I got was something that looked decidedly like a previous AntecRep post:

"Trouble Ticket ID: *****
Description: Problems with Neo HE 500 connected to an Asus A8N-E

------------------------------------------------

Comment: Hello,

Testing with Asus shows this:
Older Asus BIOS + original Neo HE, 80% had a compatibility problem
New Asus BIOS + original Neo HE, 20% had a compatibility problem
New Asus BIOS + updated Neo HE = no compatibility problem.
Any Neo HE + other premium brand boards = no problem.

If you still have Neo HE + Asus A8n-SLI motherboard issues after updating the Bios to v1009, ask us for a replacement unit that has the Asus fix implemented. We'll set you up to get a replacement power supply. With Asus's latest BIOS (1009 very important!) your problem should be fixed.

We do not have any of the new PSU's as of yet, but they should arrive within the next week.

Until then, update your Bios to v1009 as that fixes most system setup issues.

We've had no reports from other motherboard manufacturers like Abit, MSI, Gigabyte etc.

Thank you..."

Ok, a glass of milk and a cookie for the first person to spot the small but important fact overlooked in this reply....ok I'll have the milk and cookie myself, I don't actually have an A8N-SLI, and there is no v1009 BIOS for the A8N-E.

I'm sure these guys are pretty busy with this problem and it's understandable that something thought to be obvious by some could be overlooked in the hurry to reply to all the incoming tech support requests, just gotta chuckle really. :)

I anxiously await said v1009 or 1010.004 beta BIOS for the A8N-E but I wonder what the bios updates are really doing, are they simply bypassing the built in safeguards or are they able to improve the accuracy of the motherboard sensors?..seems to me I would rather drop the HE 500 than lose any built in safeguards the motherboard should rightly provide.

Oh and sorry for the long first post!..I only bought these items three days ago and it kinda sucks because I was initially after the NeoPower 480 and a DFI Ultra-D, stocking issues and advice from an in-store clerk led me to my current situation. :(..No hard feelings Mr PC-Cyber employee, you couldn't have known, individually I'm sure these two products are great.
 
I'm here to pass along some bad news about another Asus combination people might be considering: A8N32-SLI Deluxe . I just installed this power supply (Neo HE 500, purchased yesterday 11/22 at retail) into my new setup using that motherboard along with a 7800GTX 512MB, replacing a working Cooler Master eXtreme 430 PS.

Two spontaneous shutdowns so far after a few minutes of use, one while idle, the other while running NVidia's Nalu demo for 3-4 minutes. I'm currently trying at stock CPU settings and avoiding running any 3D app to see how long it will go.

edit: the motherboard has the latest BIOS, 805.
 
Quick update (that didn't take long)... it shut down shortly after posting the message above, with everything at stock speed+voltage. Bummer... and I just had the cables routed perfectly, too. Back to the crappy-but-works solution until Antec responds to the voice message I left on their answering machine.
 
Does anyone know if we'll be given the option of having the replacement supplies cross shipped? I would much rather do that than wait for them to get mine to send me a good one.

Anyone know?

-Jeff
 
I am also having problems with my Antec Neo HE430, though mine is combined with a Asus A7N8X-VM/400 mobo.

The P150 case with HE430 was purchased to move across a working system (from a Coolermaster case with Tagan 480 PSU) and make way for higher spec system.

Motherboard, CPU, memory, hard disk etc work fine before and after move to P150, as long as the Tagan is used.

When the Neo is used, system will not even post - fans whirl for a few seconds and then nothing.

One thing I have noticed (and please note I do not claim to know much about power supplies) is that one terminals on the ATX motherboard block (20 pin) does not have any cable in it - is this common?

For reference, according to my motherboard user manual (Asus A7N8X-VM), this pin should be for -5.0VDC. The manual can be found at http://dlsvr01.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/socka/nforce2/a7n8x-vm_400/e1857_a7n8x-vm_400.pdf

This has really dampened my enthusiasm for my first Antec purchase, up to the point of hitting the power switch I was impressed with the P150.

Any suggestions/comments (newbie - so please be gentle) :)

Darre11
 
My Enermax Liberty 500 is working great. Very nice PSU. I've always liked Antec and I hope they can get all of this sorted out. I think the NeoHE line will eventually be a great line, but I needed something that worked now. You guys waiting for replacements I think will be waiting for a while, just my 2 cents.
 
darre11 said:
One thing I have noticed (and please note I do not claim to know much about power supplies) is that one terminals on the ATX motherboard block (20 pin) does not have any cable in it - is this common?

For reference, according to my motherboard user manual (Asus A7N8X-VM), this pin should be for -5.0VDC.

darre11, I believe that the -5v is no longer utilised, and doesn't form part of the ATX2 spec. I'm pretty sure one of the resident experts here will correct me if I'm wrong though. :)
 
Smash said:
darre11, I believe that the -5v is no longer utilised, and doesn't form part of the ATX2 spec. I'm pretty sure one of the resident experts here will correct me if I'm wrong though. :)
Correct.

If you've got a A7N8X of sorts, you shouldn't be using a newer-spec ATX12V PSU. You'll want something with a beefy +5V rail to cater to the older setups, something the NeoHE doesn't have.
 
Smash, _Korruption_

Thanks guys, I realised the errors of my plans soon after my first post and doing some further reading. I guess I was latching onto a possible cause of the problem other than my own inept bungling! :)

Luckily I have some older, more suitable PSUs for the job and will be doing some juggling around between cases. I just wish I could remember how I got my Tagan into the CM case, as I do not seem to be able to remove it! Oh, what a comedy of errors :D

Darre11
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top