[SOLVED] New PSU: loud pop, sparks, then dead, what happened ?

minun

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May 27, 2010
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18,690
Hi there!
My current 1200W PSU is dying and I need a new PSU
My computer is old so I did not want to spend too much and ordered this 1000W PSU
I received it today and swapped it out with my current PSU, less than a minute after logging into Windows, there was a loud pop and sparks coming from the PSU housing compartment, my computer shut off immediately and I unplugged everything, it fried my surge protector (Thank god for it, I never thought I would see the day)
Good news is that I put my current PSU back in and it is working, nothing dead (except my surge protector /sadface)
I would like to treat this as a life lesson, what could of caused it? A few things I could think of but quite not understand
  1. Was it because I bought a no-name brand PSU? There is not a lot of information about their brand but enough to gamble that it would work
  2. Was it because I bought 1000W instead of 1200W?
  3. My GPU used 2 x 8-pin PCI-E cables with my current PSU, with the new PSU I noticed there is 2 x 8-pin on the same cable and opted for that instead of two separate cables, did that cause it?
  4. There were not enough Molex cables for my sound card, Asus Xonar Essence STX, so I decided not to use my single Molex cable for it but left it attached to my MoBo
  5. I did not change the pin connector for the fan connected to CPU FAN on my MoBo
Any recommendations for a 1200W PSU that won't explode?
 
Solution
  1. Maybe, but I would only stick with reputable brands like Seasonic/Corsair, see the PSU Tier list. I would also avoid buying Refurbished PSUs. Strictly brand new only.
  2. Not likely, please list your system specs.
  3. Please specify your GPU. It might be the case. If you were using a RTX 30 series GPU, this could likely be the case. It's always recommended to use separate PSU power connectors for GPU rather than pigtail (or aka daisy chain)

    There was not enough Molex cables for my sound card, Asus Xonar Essence STX
  4. Curious how many molex power connectors does this sound card need, this must be a power hungry device..
  5. You don't need to change your CPU fan's cooler on your mobo when changing the PSU...
  1. Maybe, but I would only stick with reputable brands like Seasonic/Corsair, see the PSU Tier list. I would also avoid buying Refurbished PSUs. Strictly brand new only.
  2. Not likely, please list your system specs.
  3. Please specify your GPU. It might be the case. If you were using a RTX 30 series GPU, this could likely be the case. It's always recommended to use separate PSU power connectors for GPU rather than pigtail (or aka daisy chain)

    There was not enough Molex cables for my sound card, Asus Xonar Essence STX
  4. Curious how many molex power connectors does this sound card need, this must be a power hungry device..
  5. You don't need to change your CPU fan's cooler on your mobo when changing the PSU. CPU Fans aren't directly connected to the PSU, they draw power from the motherboard.
 
Solution
Hi there!
My current 1200W PSU is dying and I need a new PSU
My computer is old so I did not want to spend too much and ordered this 1000W PSU
I received it today and swapped it out with my current PSU, less than a minute after logging into Windows, there was a loud pop and sparks coming from the PSU housing compartment, my computer shut off immediately and I unplugged everything, it fried my surge protector (Thank god for it, I never thought I would see the day)
Good news is that I put my current PSU back in and it is working, nothing dead (except my surge protector /sadface)
I would like to treat this as a life lesson, what could of caused it? A few things I could think of but quite not understand
  1. Was it because I bought a no-name brand PSU? There is not a lot of information about their brand but enough to gamble that it would work
  2. Was it because I bought 1000W instead of 1200W?
  3. My GPU used 2 x 8-pin PCI-E cables with my current PSU, with the new PSU I noticed there is 2 x 8-pin on the same cable and opted for that instead of two separate cables, did that cause it?
  4. There were not enough Molex cables for my sound card, Asus Xonar Essence STX, so I decided not to use my single Molex cable for it but left it attached to my MoBo
  5. I did not change the pin connector for the fan connected to CPU FAN on my MoBo
Any recommendations for a 1200W PSU that won't explode?

  1. Yes. Aresgame is an absolute garbage brand.
  2. No
  3. No
  4. You mean you used a Molex cable from a different brand PSU?
  5. Well... considering that has nothing to do with the PSU (it's not hooked up to the PSU).
 

minun

Distinguished
May 27, 2010
155
0
18,690
  1. Maybe, but I would only stick with reputable brands like Seasonic/Corsair, see the PSU Tier list. I would also avoid buying Refurbished PSUs. Strictly brand new only.
  2. Not likely, please list your system specs.
  3. Please specify your GPU. It might be the case. If you were using a RTX 30 series GPU, this could likely be the case. It's always recommended to use separate PSU power connectors for GPU rather than pigtail (or aka daisy chain)

  4. Curious how many molex power connectors does this sound card need, this must be a power hungry device..
  5. You don't need to change your CPU fan's cooler on your mobo when changing the PSU. CPU Fans aren't directly connected to the PSU, they draw power from the motherboard.

https://outervision.com/b/wOggbk

Sound Card needs one Molex but it did not reach because I used it for something else