Um, HELP!? Wanting to avoid electrocution here

[SamuraiInBlack]

Ok, my most recent build in a computer involved getting a case from my work that had a power supply coming with it because I couldn't afford to get the power supply I want separate. But now it seems I've come to a point where I will have to whether i want to or not. Thankfully I've been able to get my tax returns in finally.

What's happening is at the back of my case you can touch one of the screws on the case itself or the one that mounts the power supply and you can get an actual tingling shock. A more intense one on the power supply mount itself. Yay for Allied! Not. The case itself is a piece too, but when I was building it I figured what the hell, I just need someplace to house all the parts and I can worry about a bling bling case later.

I'm wondering if this is a bad case design or if the power supply is making contact with its metal housing. Either way, here's what I'm running:

AMD Athlon64 Winchester 90nm core @ 2GHz (2080MHz according to CPU-Z) with stock heatsink
1GB (2x512MB sticks) Corsair XMS PC3200/DDR400 w/ platinum heat spreaders
Gigabyte K8NS-Ultra 939 nForce4 motherboard (AGP board btw, not PCI-E)
120GB Western Digital 7200 RPM drive
200GB Maxtor 7200RPM drive
Lite-On 32X CD-RW going to be replaced with Lite-On 16X DVD+/-RW drive
BFG Tech GeForce 5500 OC 256MB

I'm looking at the Antec Truepower 2.0 430W or the 480W to power this ring. Alternatively i'm also thinking about the 480W Neopower instead. Anybody have an idea of what will be better? I'm probably going to stick to this rig for awhile. I may change some of the configuration over time, like change out the WD but everything else I'm pretty sure will stay the same for the next 3-4 years, unless AMD releases quad processors in that time for PC.

 

[jonnyGURU]

LICK THE CAPS!!! LICK THE CAPS!!!!!!!

Seriously, though.... The buzzing is not normal. The PSU is SUPPOSED TO BE grounded to the chassis (or rather chassis grounded to the PSU grounded to the Earth ground via the plug.) But it seems there may be a short inside the PSU that's putting a bit of hot to ground.

That brings back memories. In Denver, there used to be a water park called "Celebrity Fun Center" and they had an arcade. We used to go swim and then go play some games but our feet were still wet and so was the floor in the arcade. When we'd hold the quarter up to the coin slot, we'd get a little shock from the games.

Yeah, the Antec TP II's are a good power supply.

 

[Ice Czar]

When we'd hold the quarter up to the coin slot, we'd get a little shock from the games.

woah

flashback to the hockey tournement in Salt Lake
the whole team spent most of the time building up static electricity and shocking the "pong" in the lobby for free games
the management never did catch on (probably too distracted by all the other crap we where pulling)

while the PSU enclosure might be contacting an internal component and making the case "live"
its not the only possibility, unplug all components and see if its still "live"
(plug in a drive thats not contacting the case for a load then short the green to black wire to start the PSU, a paperclip would work fine)

 

[[Spectre]]

LICK THE CAPS!!! LICK THE CAPS!!!!!!!


That brings back memories. In Denver, there used to be a water park called "Celebrity Fun Center" and they had an arcade. We used to go swim and then go play some games but our feet were still wet and so was the floor in the arcade. When we'd hold the quarter up to the coin slot, we'd get a little shock from the games.

Yeah, the Antec TP II's are a good power supply.

Reminds me of how to tell if you are getting spark to a cylinder with a distibutor? You pull a sparkplug wire, then take a screwdriver and insert it into sparkplug wire, then have someone crank the car Never fails.

 

[jonnyGURU]

Reminds me of how to tell if you are getting spark to a cylinder with a distibutor? You pull a sparkplug wire, then take a screwdriver and insert it into sparkplug wire, then have someone crank the car Never fails.

Yeah... Do you touch the car's chassis as your holding the plug wire or keep your hands clear of the chassis... I can't remember.

 

[SamuraiInBlack]

Well I just found out there may be a possibility there is no need to change my power supply at all.

It may in fact be the outlets themselves in this house that I moved into with my girlfriend. Apparently there is no actual ground even though there are three prongs in the outlet. But see, here's what i don't understand, and this is because I don't mess that deeply with electricity itself, just things that operate on it: Why is there no shock when I first start up? Why do I have to run the computer for awhile before there is an actual shock involved when touching the screws?

This problem never happened at the old house where there was a ground. And the reason why I think this may also be the case? I touched my girlfriend's HP on the screws in the corner holding the supply, and even the case screws holding the panel themselves, and it's still doing the same thing. So I am thinking that if two computers are doing it then it can't just be the power supplies. I'm thinking the ground wire that is supposed to be in the outlets, may be involved. I'm not sure to what extent but then again I'm not educated in how that operates.

 

[Elledan]

If those PSUs are not grounded, then they can build up a potential compared to your body, although it would seem to me that one should be able to more easily build up a positive potential compared to the PSU than the other way around.

Then again, I've been shocked by Thinnet connectors and plugs (the ground/shield part) on the back of audio/video-equipment more often than I'd like to remember

 

[jonnyGURU]

Then again, I've been shocked by Thinnet connectors and plugs (the ground/shield part) on the back of audio/video-equipment more often than I'd like to remember

I do phones. Nothing sucks more then your wedding ring hitting a loop start circuit just as ring voltage is coming across the line. Uhuhuhuhuh..... I'm getting chills just thinking about it. Happens to me about two or three times a week and I'll never get used to it.

 

[Elledan]

I do phones. Nothing sucks more then your wedding ring hitting a loop start circuit just as ring voltage is coming across the line. Uhuhuhuhuh..... I'm getting chills just thinking about it. Happens to me about two or three times a week and I'll never get used to it.

Horrible, isn't? It's kind of like getting shocked when you get out of your car. You know it's going to happen, but you simply can not prepare for it. Perhaps some heavy-duty rubber gloves are in order?

 

[The_Mage18]

It may in fact be the outlets themselves in this house that I moved into with my girlfriend. Apparently there is no actual ground even though there are three prongs in the outlet. But see, here's what i don't understand, and this is because I don't mess that deeply with electricity itself, just things that operate on it: Why is there no shock when I first start up? Why do I have to run the computer for awhile before there is an actual shock involved when touching the screws?

That and if the Hot and Neutral are reversed that will also cause a mild shock. Your best bet is to stop by Lowe's or Home Depot and pick up an electrical outlet testor. A basic one should run about $5 and has three lights on it. It's clearly labled and will tell you if the Hot and Neutral are reversed and whether or not there is a ground.

No ground = build up of potential electricity and no where for it to go. When you're touching the case, YOU become the ground. You can temporarily half-ass patch the problem by running a wire from the Neutral side of the outlet to the ground prong but it's best to get a few quotes from electricians to rewire those outlets.

My guess is that if there's no ground, the wiring is probably old knob and tube (Read: saftey and fire hazard) and you have bigger things to worry about than mild shocks.