Did a Pop and Display Flickering Damage My HP Power Supply?
Asked by
MellowOrbit42
I recently installed a GIGABYTE Radeon RX 9060 XT GAMING in an HP Z2 G4 workstation. The system has an HP proprietary 500 W 80 Plus Gold power supply, part number L07304-001. The graphics card ran normally during a Unigine Superposition stress test, but after reconnecting my usual peripherals, one monitor began flickering and showing white blocks while I heard matching popping noises. After swapping cables and disconnecting the second monitor, the problem got worse. Later, with the computer's side panel removed, I heard another quieter pop that seemed to come from inside the PC. There was no burning smell, and the computer continued running. Disconnecting several USB devices seemed to stop the issue. Is the power supply likely damaged or overloaded, and how can I safely check it?
Answers
Do not open the power supply. Its capacitors can retain a dangerous charge even after the PC is unplugged. A popping sound from the PSU, graphics card, or a cable is a reason to stop using the system until you identify it. Check the GPU power connector, adapters, motherboard connections, and monitor cables for looseness, scorching, melting, or damaged insulation. If anything looks or smells burnt, replace the affected part.
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The flickering and white boxes could be a bad monitor cable, monitor, GPU connection, or graphics-card fault rather than proof that the PSU failed. Test with one monitor, a different known-good cable, and no unnecessary USB devices, but only after checking the hardware while powered off and unplugged. Since you heard a real pop, I would not continue stress-testing the machine; have the PSU and GPU tested or replace the PSU with a confirmed-compatible model before risking the new card.
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The 450 W recommendation is generally for the whole system, not necessarily what the graphics card draws by itself. Your CPU, drives, fans, USB devices, and the GPU all share the 500 W supply, and an HP proprietary unit may not support the required GPU connector or transient loads. Also, 80 Plus Gold describes efficiency, not overall build quality or available headroom. A larger standard PSU may be appropriate, but proprietary HP wiring and motherboard connectors mean you need a verified compatible replacement or the correct adapter—not just any 800 W unit.
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QuietRiver_31: Before buying anything, check the exact GPU power requirement and the CPU model. The card’s recommended system wattage should be compared with the entire computer’s load, and the PSU’s actual 12 V output and connectors matter more than the Gold label.