Question PSU clicking noises, is PSU wattage too low for my setup ?

Apr 11, 2023
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Hello :)

I noticed today that my PSU is doing some strange noises, they sound like this:
https://files.fm/u/npxj93e3p
This sounds a bit like a cable is sticking to a fan but i checked a couple of times and it doesn't seem like there is any that does it.
I also unplugged my GPU form the power supply and checked if the noises are not coming from it - they were still there so i am pretty sure it's the PSU that does it.

This is my current setup, it was doing mostly fine for some time now:
https://ibb.co/TLhjN5D

The PSU is a Corsair VS Series VS650 (CP-9020172-EU) 650W, it's more then 4 years old now.
From the things that changed recently:
  • I noticed i get my CPU temperature up to 100 degrees Celsius so i replaced the cooler with an AIO
  • I updated to Windows 11 (but these sounds are also in BIOS)
I was also wondering about if i should invest in a better PSU, i noticed everywhere that people recommend 750~850W but my PC ran just fine for the past 2 years when i upgraded my GPU.
 

DSzymborski

Curmudgeon Pursuivant
Moderator
A cheap entry-level office PSU with an RTX 3090 is an absolutely ludicrous combination. You're basically in a race to see what dies first.

This should never have been even turned on with this PSU. An upgrade is absolutely necessary. This is the PC equivalent of drunk driving; that you've survived is good fortune, not good design.
 
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You have one of the worst power supplies that Corsair has ever produced, being used with a very high power draw graphics card. So it SHOULD be a no brainer that you not only need a higher capacity unit since yours is grossly underpowered for that card based on the recommended capacity it needs to have but also that whatever you get needs to be of MUCH better quality as well. Both, not one or the other. It does you no good, at all, to get a 750w unit that you can't trust to power a light bulb or has poor voltage regulation or high levels of ripple.

As both the members above have already stated, it's only a matter of time before either your graphics card or your power supply dies a horrible death and it would not be surprising if, in the process, they took out some other hardware as well. If you value ANY of this hardware, you will replace your PSU immediately and with something reliable. Name brand does not make a power supply reliable. Choosing a model with good reviews done by a reputable PROFESSIONAL review site, does.