Hey everyone! I just moved into a new house, and I'm having an issue in my gaming room where the lights start flickering—both the ceiling and floor lamps. The house is pretty new, built in 2019. I've got a surge protector and have been monitoring the power usage of my setup, which includes a 13900K CPU and a 4090 GPU, pulling around 215W and 375W max, respectively. I've also used a 1000W platinum power supply, so I don't believe that's the problem. I tested the outlets with a tester and they all read accurate at 120V. Just to be sure, I even tried different bulbs in my lamps, but nothing has helped. Lately, even a new floor lamp tripped the breaker while I was gaming. The flickering happens especially when I'm quicksaving in games like Cyberpunk. It's frustrating because my old place didn't have any of these issues, and it was built in the 1940s! What else could be going on here?
2 Answers
It sounds like your setup might be drawing enough current to cause voltage drops, which would explain the flickering lights. A good way to track your power usage would be to use a meter, like a Kill A Watt monitor, to see how much your PC is actually pulling. If you find that your PC and a lamp are enough to trip the breaker, it could be a wiring issue or a faulty breaker to look into. Also, it might help to check whether there are any other high-demand devices on the same circuit as your gaming room.
Since you’ve tried different power supplies and tested the outlets, this might indicate an issue with the electrical wiring itself. I'd recommend switching off that circuit at the breaker for now and calling an electrician to take a look. It’s not worth risking overheating or sparking, which could lead to a fire hazard. Better safe than sorry!
That’s a good point! The breakers in my house are 20AMP, and other rooms have their own circuits for high-demand appliances. I mostly have my PC, three monitors, and a lamp plugged in, and I don’t run the AC while gaming. Even with everything off, the flickering persists, so I’m really puzzled.