I applied almost 500 degrees Fahrenheit for 2.5 minutes using a rotating motion of a SMD station. At this point I really had nothing to lose because it didn’t work anyway. I decided to add some solder past and do a reflow of the AMD GPU. The computer would not start, but the caps-lock would flash. And, there was a similarity with this and the HP G62 which suffered a similar fate. In the back of my mind, the GPU issue of the 2011 MacBook Pro was always present. I did a number of tests looking for shorts and other irregularities on the logic board but found nothing. Other Mac Minis that I have do not do this. I also noticed that as the unit was plugged in, the power indicator would flash momentarily even without pressing the power button.

I’ve been working on this on and off for about 4 months… not wanting to give in. It exhibited exactly the same symptoms as other here are experiencing where the computer power indicator (sleep indicator?) comes on only for a brief moment when the the power switch is pressed. If you’re troubleshooting a ghost-in-the-machine type problem that seems unsolvable no matter how many times you reseat hardware components, reinstall drivers (or even the whole OS), or otherwise deep dive into fixing your PC, you absolutely should test your PSU.I see that this is becoming an old post but I wanted to add some testing that I’ve been doing on a 2011 Mac mini that was given to me. Whether it’s fan grinding (the fan in most PSU models is not user-serviceable) or high-pitched whining or buzzing from the PSU, any noise beyond the slight hum of the fan is usually a bad sign. If your computer errors out or crashes intermittently on boot, there’s a good chance your PSU is on its way out. If you can’t pinpoint it to a software problem or a new piece of hardware like a GPU, it’s possible issues with your PSU are causing voltage drops and shutdowns. Your computer randomly shuts down or blue screens.The shielding and grounding in your computer have failed somewhere. Smoke or burning smells can indicate component failure and electrical arcing, even before a complete PSU failure.But if you have unstable power, you’ll have numerous small and difficult-to-diagnose problems cropping up all over the place. The power supply unit is often overlooked in the PC troubleshooting process.

These are worth investigating and potentially replacing your PSU to avoid bigger problems like hardware failure or data loss. Is Capacitor Aging Really a Concern in PSU Longevity?īefore we talk about testing your computer’s power supply unit (PSU), let’s talk about common signs your PSU is failing. If You Upgrade Your GPU, Do You Need a New PSU?Īre the PSUs in Prebuilt Computers Low Quality? What Do '80 Plus' Power Certifications Mean?ĭoes PSU Quality Really Matter That Much? Power Supply Unit Frequently Asked Questions Testing Your PSU with a Basic Jumper Test

How to test mac mini power supply