[SOLVED] Can a bad PSU simply have lower wattage than advertised?

[AllWhoPlay]

Ive been building a computer and it was going completely fine until i attempted to install windows. the bios opens without problem but when i try to install windows the computer reboots. the time at which it reboots is seemingly random too, most of the time it crashes before it gets to the purple install windows screen but the few times it has gotten to the gui the pc has rebooted mid install. from the research ive done this is likely a symptom of the PSU not being powerful enough. the point is i realized i dont have any knowledge on the ways that PSUs can fail.

 

[Ralston18]

Can a bad PSU simply have lower wattage than advertised?

Yes for any number of reasons.

However there can be other causes.

What to do:

1) Update your post to include full system hardware specs and OS information.

2) Include PSU: make, model, wattage, age, condition (original, new, refurbished, used).

3) Read the following link and run 2 or 3 of the calculators.

Best Power Supplies of 2022 - Top PSUs for Gaming PCs | Tom's Hardware (tomshardware.com)

4) New build: double check all connections, card seatings, RAM, and jumpers. No one wants to force anything on a new build but what may seem tight and connected may not be tight and connected.

Carefully unplug and replug (seat and reseat) a few times to ensure that everything is fully and firmly connected.