If a computer just doesn't turn on and gives no sign of life, the power supply has almost certainly broken . A faulty power supply can give some clear signals, for example a stink of burning, but there are also less obvious symptoms that indicate that it is about to break definitively.
The factors that can lead to PC power supply failures are above all: the age which also depends on how much the computer is used, electrical problems such as lightning, voltage overloads or even voltage drops, dirt and more often the dust, continuous overheating also caused by fan problems.
To be ultra synthetic and not to get lost in rarer cases, there are three ways to understand if the PC power supply has problems and is about to give up leaving us with a PC without more energy.
READ ALSO: How to turn on the PC if Windows does not start "> Change the PC power supply: cables, connections and connectors
4) The computer turns on and off after a short time .
In this case it is not said that the fault lies with the power supply, there may be a problem with the RAM memory or with the processor fan.
Furthermore, it may be that the problems depend not only on the CPU but also on the RAM memory or even on a burnt motherboard.
It is therefore not easy to understand if there is actually a power supply failure and you must therefore study other symptoms and check several things such as:
- System startup errors or sudden freezes
- Significant change in the amount of time it takes the PC to start and shutdown
- Spontaneous restart or intermittent shutdowns during normal operation (small voltage drops)
- Memory errors
- Decrease in the speed of the disc or fan which, at the same time, almost seems to stop and then resume.
- USB devices have power problems and a message saying "your device may go faster" appears.
- Excessive overheating.
- Small electric shocks when touching the case.
- Smoke or burning stench (even unnoticeable)
- Beep codes (a beep) emitted by the BIOS as soon as the PC is turned on.
So if you have these symptoms, almost certainly the power supply is about to break completely or, in any case, the computer has serious problems. It is therefore necessary to immediately save all important data before this happens and to replace the part.
If the computer turns on and can work, there is a program that allows you to test the PSU and check if the power supply has problems. It is OCCT, free for Windows.
The tool shows, in real time, all the details on the hardware functioning of the computer, also including the voltage and the internal temperature. You can take a test using the box on the bottom left, selecting Power and then pressing on Play. The text could last about an hour, during which all programs must be closed and without doing anything else on the PC.
In another article we have already written a short guide on how to replace the computer power supply and on Youtube you will find many step by step tutorials with which you really can not go wrong. For branded PCs you can try to search the manufacturer's website, for example HP, and find guides complete with photos to be guided safely when changing the power supply.
For the purchase of the new power supply, on the other hand, it is necessary to open the computer case and read the power output on the label or make hardware checks by going to buy one up to 100 Watts more powerful.
After replacing an old or faulty power supply, the computer will show at least two significant improvements: it will turn on and off much more quickly and the fan will make less noise, because new and dust-free and with less need to turn to cool the new transformer.
READ ALSO: Guide to repair your computer without going to the technician
