A few seconds after I powered on my PC, I heard a loud cracking or popping sound from inside the case. The system shut down immediately and has not powered on since. I cannot see any obvious scorch marks or damaged components, but there is a faint burning smell coming from the power supply. The motherboard also flashed a light briefly when the pop occurred, although I did not identify the diagnostic code.
The PC was built in 2021 and had generally been reliable, but recently its fans had started becoming unusually loud. I initially assumed they were the case or CPU fans, though the PSU fan may have been struggling instead.
What is the most likely cause of the pop? How likely is it that the motherboard, CPU, graphics card, or other components were damaged? I also need a reliable, reasonably priced replacement PSU because my budget is limited. My system uses a Ryzen 3 3200G, Radeon RX 480 4GB, ASUS PRIME A320M-K motherboard, and an AeroCool Cylon 600W power supply.
4 Answers
The burning smell and loud pop strongly suggest that the PSU failed. Do not keep trying to turn the PC on or open the PSU itself. Replace it with a reputable model first, then test the rest of the system. The failure might be limited to the PSU, but a low-quality unit or a surge can also damage the motherboard, GPU, or other parts.
There is no reliable way to know whether the other components survived without testing them with a known-good power supply. In some cases a PSU dies dramatically while everything else is fine; in others it takes a major component with it. Start with the PSU and inspect the motherboard and graphics card for burnt areas or damaged connectors.
When replacing the PSU, remove every cable from the old unit and use only the cables supplied with the new one. Modular PSU cables are not universally wired the same way, and reusing the old cables can destroy components. Also check the wall outlet, power strip, and surge protector before reconnecting everything.
I would spend as much of the budget as possible on a decent PSU rather than replacing it with another cheap unit. Look for a well-reviewed model from a reliable manufacturer, ideally with protections such as over-voltage, over-current, short-circuit, and over-power protection. A quality 450–550W unit should be sufficient for this system, assuming it has the connectors your RX 480 needs.
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