I'm in a bit of a pickle here. I've gone through two power supplies in under a year and might be looking for a third. Here's the situation:
The first PSU lasted several years but it started making loud noises and eventually smelled like burning plastic, so I had to remove it. I replaced it with a 550W Gold-rated PSU from an old PC because I'm tight on cash. Just a couple of days after installation, the new PSU started making loud noises too, even when my PC wasn't running anything. Now, months later, it's giving off that burning smell again, and I'm too afraid to turn the PC on.
I keep my PC spotless and always clean it without letting the fans spin. Am I missing something here? Is there something I'm doing wrong? I'm really worried about trying to get a new PSU, only for it to fry again within months.
5 Answers
You may have dirty power coming into your home, which could be affecting your PSUs. But don't forget to check if the PSUs are of good quality to begin with!
Have you checked the power coming from your wall outlet? Sometimes if the power fluctuates too much, it can fry PSUs. Using a surge protector or a UPS could help stabilize things.
It sounds like your first PSU just wore out over time, but going from a 750W to a 550W might be part of the problem here. You should check a PSU calculator to make sure your setup warrants the wattage. If you're running high-end components, you might need more power than you're giving it now!
I have an i9 10900k, a 4070 Super, 32GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD. I can't find the PSU boxes, so I don't know the brands, unfortunately.
Be on the lookout for the quality of the PSUs. Not all are created equal, and cheaper models can lead to issues. Also, make sure you’re using the original cables; mixing them up can cause serious problems too.
You might need to consider the overall wattage; sometimes the PSU simply isn’t strong enough for the components you're using. If that’s the case, it can lead to random shutdowns or failure to boot. You might want to invest in a higher wattage PSU or get your home’s electrical system checked out.
How would I go about cleaning up the dirty power?