If you think that you are having problems with your power supply, do your best to check it as soon as possible because it can affect, and eventually kill, your whole system. The worst-case scenario would be when the power supply starts to send irregular amounts of voltage that would fry and short-circuit your computer’s components. That would render the part instantly unusable. You will actually detect this either because of the following: system hangs, burning smells accompanied by smoke, crashes, and erratic and inconsistent system behavior.
If you have recently upgraded or even just modified your computer’s specifications (i.e. hard drive, video card, etc.), then you better check if your power supply is being overloaded. A power supply calculator will most likely do the trick. If the issue still remains unsolved, do the following steps:
- Check the power supply connectors.
- Ensure that all the cables are wired into the motherboard.
- Check if the power cable is connected to the power supply.
- If your power supply has a power switch, be sure to turn it on (many people forget this basic step).
- Now inspect the fan. It should be spinning normally. If it is very dusty, grab a can of compressed air or a vacuum and clean it up. Dust kills computers, believe me.
- Check if the power supply is giving out enough power supply for your entire computer’s hardware. If you can pass through boot up, go to the BIOS menu and look up at the voltage the power supply is giving. The normal power supply usually gives -12 volts DC, +12 volts DC, -5 volts DC, +5 volts DC, and +3.3 volts DC.
If after that the problem remains unsolved and you still have your power supply’s warranty, send it back to your manufacturer.
