[SOLVED] Having problems figuring out why my girlfriends computer is responding poorly to changes in house power.

[jabartone]

Hey everyone! I have been having a problem either with my girlfriend's PSU or my house power.

We both have gaming computers in the same room.

I have a 1000w Gold unit that's about a year old.
She has an 850w Gold unit that's around 6 years old.

We have them connected to 2 different circuits in the same room.

Whenever I turn on or off my computer while she is using hers, her computer freezes for a second. Sometimes it even goes as far as crashing and restarting.

I don't understand why this is an issue, since they aren't even on the same circuit.

We both have surge protectors connected to our computers.

Is this an issue with my girlfriend's power supply? should I think about replacing it? What other options should I consider? I was thinking about investing in a UPS anyways. Would buying two UPS work?

 

[rgd1101]

doesn't sound like separate circuit. have an electrician check it out

 

[Ralston18]

First: update your post to include full system hardware specs and OS information for each system.

Include the PSU's : make, model, wattage, age ( 6 years and 1 year old noted), condition. A 6 year old PSU is a likely trouble source. However, other common household devices can and do demand power that leads to problems.

Second: Ensure that each computer is indeed on a separate circuit versus just separate outlets on the same circuit. Still a sudden high power draw can cause dimming etc., in other circuits. Especially in older dwellings - a family member is currently having their older home "heavy upped" to be able to serve the power demands of house as a whole.

Third: Surge protectors are intended to stop/block/or reduce sudden spikes in power that can damage electrical devices. The ability to do so is measured in Joules but is not endless. A number of small hits or just a couple of large hits will degrade the protection to the point where there is little or no protection.

Fourth: UPS's are not intended to allow continued game play, etc.. The purpose is to allow end users some amount of time to gracefully shutdown the system so it will properly (hopefully) restart when power is returned. Separate UPS's will be needed if the computers are proven to be on separate circuits. Read the UPS documentation carefully; many manufacturers recommend against daisy chaining in other components, power strips, surge protectors, and so forth.

There are any number of calculators to help you select/size the proper UPS for your system and time requirements. Costs will go up with both the required wattage and the time that that wattage needs to be available.

And if you have lots of other electronics: stereo systems, game boxes, network devicec, etc. you must be careful with the overall connectivity to avoid setting up ground loops.

FYI:

https://tmb.com/docs/tech-tips/TT22-DealingwithAudioGroundLoops.pdf

Just my thoughts on the matter.

There may be other suggestions and comments.