Is My Be Quiet Dark Power 13 1000W Power Supply Failing?
Asked by
TechieTurtle42
I'm having a really strange issue with my PC's startup and I think my power supply might be at fault. Here are my specs:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
- GPU: ASUS RTX 4080 SUPER TUF Gaming OC
- Motherboard: ASUS ROG STRIX B650E-E GAMING WIFI
- RAM: G.Skill Flare X5 32GB DDR5 6000 CL32
- PSU: Be Quiet Dark Power 13 1000W
- Storage: Samsung 980 Pro (1TB + 2TB)
- Cooler: Noctua NH-D15
The problem is that occasionally my PC won't turn on at all—no fans start up, but the motherboard RGB and front panel lights do turn on. This suggests there's standby power. I noticed a few behaviors:
- If I leave it unplugged for several hours, it might start again.
- Once it's on, everything runs perfectly fine (gaming, restarts, etc.).
- Restarting works, and sleep mode doesn't seem to trigger the issue.
- The problem mainly arises after the PC has been fully disconnected from power.
What I've done to troubleshoot:
- Checked all power cables (24-pin and CPU).
- Tried starting the PC by shorting the PWR_SW pins with no luck.
- Minimal setup (only CPU and one RAM stick, no GPU) shows the same behavior.
- Voltages look stable under load, and there are no overheating issues.
Interestingly, I sometimes feel a slight "tingle" on the case, even after testing in different outlets, but everything else in my home works fine.
It seems like the PSU may have a cold-start issue—once it's running, it's reliable, but after a shutdown, it can take a day to start again. Should I be replacing my PSU, or is there anything else I can check? Thanks!
Answers
Have you tried just flipping the PSU switch off and back on? Sometimes, that behaves differently than a full power loss. And about that slight tingle—does it feel consistent or does it change at different outlets?
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This sounds like a classic sign of a failing power supply. I had a similar experience with an older XFX PSU that showed issues during cold boots, and replacing it solved the problem. Since you've already ruled out issues with the power button, you really need to test with another PSU to confirm. Just so you know, the Be Quiet Dark Power 13 has had various reports of issues as well, so you might want to consider picking up a solid backup PSU while you sort out the warranty.
PCFixer99: I just called Be Quiet support, and they mentioned the testing could take a day or more. It’s a hassle when you rely on your PC for work. I'm leaning towards getting the 14 Pro 1000W too, but it feels wrong to shell out cash when I'm still covered by warranty.
GamerGuru88: Yeah, I totally get that. It’s frustrating when you're without your system for testing. I hope they actually put it through proper testing and don’t just turn it on and say it works.
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TechieTurtle42: Not really—flipping the PSU switch doesn’t seem the same as fully unplugging it. It's like it needs to be completely powered down for a while to reset. The tingle is pretty sporadic too.