I just experienced a power outage while using my brand new RTX 4090, and I'm concerned about whether this could have damaged my graphics card. I didn't have a surge protector in place. How likely is it that the outage could harm my GPU?
5 Answers
Most outages are just that—outages, not surges. So the odds of damaging your hardware during a simple power loss are quite low. You might encounter some data corruption if it happened while saving files, but otherwise, you should be okay. Just make sure to get a good surge protector in the future, as that's crucial for any high-end equipment.
Just keep an eye on your GPU. If it still works, you're probably fine. Personally, I've had components survive outages. But hey, if you can afford a 4090, you can spare a few bucks for a surge protector or UPS, right?
Highly unlikely, but there's always a chance. I've run into power outages with my own graphics card, and it survived without a scratch. Still, it's a good idea to consider getting a UPS for future incidents. It gives you time to save your work and properly shut down your PC.
It's pretty unlikely that the power outage hurt your RTX 4090, especially if you have a decent power supply unit (PSU). The PSU is designed to handle surges and protect your components. That said, you really should invest in a surge protector for peace of mind. Given how much you spent on the 4090, a surge protector is a small price to pay!
There's a difference between power outages and surges. When the power goes out, it usually doesn't damage components. You'd need a quality surge protector to guard against surges, like from lightning. I recommend getting a UPS, which can protect against both surges and give you backup power for a safe shutdown.
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