My 8–10-year-old hand-me-down computer suddenly shut off during a game, and I found that the old 500W power supply had a damaged NTC component. I replaced it with a 700W Thermaltake unit and had to remove a fan and what appears to be a radiator or cooling assembly to reach the power connectors. The computer turns on, but Chrome and games such as Overwatch now lag even though they worked normally before the replacement. The new power supply also produces a constant hum, and I can feel a slight electrical tingling from the back of the case. I am new to PC hardware and would prefer not to spend more money, so I would appreciate advice on what to check first.
3 Answers
The part you removed may be the CPU liquid-cooling radiator and fan. If you only moved the radiator and did not detach the pump/block from the CPU, thermal paste probably was not disturbed. Still, check CPU and GPU temperatures while idle and during a game. If the CPU is overheating, the cooler may not be mounted correctly or its pump/fan may not be connected. Overheating can cause severe lag and performance throttling.
A tingling sensation from the case is the most urgent issue. Shut the computer down and unplug it until you verify that the wall outlet and the PC are properly grounded. Do not keep using it if the case is carrying noticeable voltage. Also make sure the power cable is fully seated and that the replacement PSU is not connected through an ungrounded adapter or questionable power strip.
The wattage rating alone does not determine whether a PSU is good. A low-end 700W unit can be worse than a quality 500W model, and a failing old PSU may also have damaged another component when it died. Confirm that every connection is seated, especially the CPU power plug and graphics-card power plugs, and make sure the monitor cable is connected to the graphics card rather than the motherboard. If possible, test with another known-good PSU instead of continuing to use one that hums and is associated with electrical leakage.
The replacement PSU is a Thermaltake 700W model, and all of its permanently attached cables are the ones currently installed. I will recheck the connections and the monitor cable.
I did not remove the round block attached directly to the motherboard. I only moved the fan and the honeycomb-like radiator so I could reach the CPU power connector, but I will check the temperatures.