PSU Burned Out After RAM Upgrade (5 beeps and no boot) on HP Compaq 8000 Elite SFF

[Arthsw5]

Hello everyone,

I tried upgrading my HP Compaq 8000 Elite SFF with 4x4GB Kingston DDR3 1333MHz RAM (dual-sided, 16 chips), matching the manual’s specs. However, after installation, the PC wouldn’t boot, giving 5 beeps, and the PSU fan went crazy.

After reseating the RAM and plugging it in, the PSU burned out without pressing the pc power button.

Current setup:

**Motherboard: HP 3646h

**PSU: HP 230W

**Original RAM: 2x2GB (one dual-sided, one single-sided)

Could the PSU be too weak, or is there an issue with the RAM? Is there a way to upgrade the PSU and/or the RAM?

Thanks for the help!

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

I don't know the specs of the memory you installed, but I can tell you that it is very difficult to find the right memory that will work in the 8000 Elite and 8100 Elite model series.

This is the 4 GB memory I used in my HP 8000 Elite CMT, and it worked perfectly with no issues whatsoever.

I bought 4 of them.

Patriot Signature DDR3 RAM 4GB (1X4GB) 1333MHz CL9 UDIMM Desktop Memory Module - PSD34G13332 at Amaz...

If the PSU fried, you can probably get a used but tested and working PSU on eBay.

The SSF power supplies are different than the ones used in the CMT.

Here's the parts list:

Planets II SFF IPSM.fm (hp.com)

You have the option of the stock power supply or the better 89% efficient one.

[Arthsw5]

Hi, thanks for your response.

Would it be possible to install a non-HP PSU with a higher wattage as long as it uses the same connectors as the motherboard?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome. 

Not that I know of because the power supplies are proprietary.