PSU popped, all other components are ok, but...

[Mk56TClaire]

My build is just two days old, and suddenly the PSU popped + there was a flash at the rear (but I didn't smell something weird nor saw any smoke). And the power in my house went down (not quite sure which happened first, power down first or psu broke first).
I didn't do anything, no games, no strenuous tasks. The PC was idle.
Power cable was not directly plugged to the wall, I'm using UPS (Prolink PRO700SFT).

Here's the spec:
Mb: Asrock A320M-HDV
CPU: Ryzen 3 2200G
RAM: 2x 4GB Apacer Panther DDR4
HDD: 1TB WD Blue
PSU that broke: Seasonic ECO-430

I've brought back the PSU (along with whole PC) to the seller, who was also assembled my PC. He will RMA the PSU tomorrow.
I've tested my PC with his PSU, thank God all other components are safe and it can boot into Windows. Although I haven't test my HDD with programs like CrystalDiskInfo or something like that.

So, the questions:

• First, will the other components last longer like there was no incident like that?

• Second, I heard if the PSU died it can bust the whole system, in worst case scenario. Do modern hardware nowadays like PSU and motherboard have some kind of protection to prevent that?

• Last, I'm sure a few days later I will get the replacement unit. But if I bought another one at the price range of ECO-430, what PSU is good for me? The price of ECO-430 here is IDR 650000 / around USD 45.

 

[redgarl]

1. You should be fine. Usually, computer part work or they don't. By the way, since a computer shop build your system, they have a responsibility. In that case, they chose a bad power supply to cheap out. It is their mistake.

2. Yes and especially anything attached to the motherboard.

3. A better one? Never cheap out on a PSU, you know why now.

 

[bignastyid]

While a PSU failure can take out other parts it's fairly rare for a Seasonic or other good quality units to do this. Usually when a PSU takes out other parts its a low quality unit.

 

[SkyBill40]

You should be fine given that your rig has been tested with another PSU. As for a failure taking out your entire system, yes, that does happen occasionally. Given that the manufacturer is a reputable one, you've been spared the pain of having to rebuild. Keep that in mind when you look into buying a replacement PSU in the future. The mantra of "Buy nice or buy twice" is quite fitting in this situation. Don't forget that.

 

[photonboy]

PSU protection varies by the PSU. It's called "overvoltage" and "overcurrent" protection.

Overcurrent is what matters most. You can never be 100% certain of no damage though its increasingly rare. That's partly why I tell people to spend more on a better PSU.


If you click "specifications" you'll note that it does have OPP which is essentially over-current protection (to prevent too much current spiking through the rest of the PC.. again how quickly it can shut down those electrons varies by the quality of the OPP):
http://www2.seasonic.com/product/eco-430/

 

[Mk56TClaire]

@all thanks for the answers,
yeah they say in various forums that Seasonic products are good, and the seller said none of his customers before me had problems with Seasonic PSUs (including this type). Maybe I got a faulty unit?

PSU protection varies by the PSU. It's called "overvoltage" and "overcurrent" protection.

Overcurrent is what matters most. You can never be 100% certain of no damage though its increasingly rare. That's partly why I tell people to spend more on a better PSU.


If you click "specifications" you'll note that it does have OPP which is essentially over-current protection (to prevent too much current spiking through the rest of the PC.. again how quickly it can shut down those electrons varies by the quality of the OPP):
http://www2.seasonic.com/product/eco-430/

At the Specifications tab, the input is fixed AC 230V, but we have 220-240V here in my country. Will the replacement unit ok for the future?

Also, if I buy another PSU just in case, what brand/type good for me?
I won't OC and SLI/CF so there is no need for overkill PSU (but I'm saving money to buy a GPU later).

 

[SkyBill40]

Buy a PSU that's capable of supporting your future GPU purchase so long as said graphics purchase isn't unrealistically far out. It's always better to have more power available than needed than to need it and not have it which leads to unexpected purchases later.

Just buy quality components and you should be set.

 

[photonboy]

@all thanks for the answers,
yeah they say in various forums that Seasonic products are good, and the seller said none of his customers before me had problems with Seasonic PSUs (including this type). Maybe I got a faulty unit?

PSU protection varies by the PSU. It's called "overvoltage" and "overcurrent" protection.

Overcurrent is what matters most. You can never be 100% certain of no damage though its increasingly rare. That's partly why I tell people to spend more on a better PSU.


If you click "specifications" you'll note that it does have OPP which is essentially over-current protection (to prevent too much current spiking through the rest of the PC.. again how quickly it can shut down those electrons varies by the quality of the OPP):
http://www2.seasonic.com/product/eco-430/

At the Specifications tab, the input is fixed AC 230V, but we have 220-240V here in my country. Will the replacement unit ok for the future?

Also, if I buy another PSU just in case, what brand/type good for me?
I won't OC and SLI/CF so there is no need for overkill PSU (but I'm saving money to buy a GPU later).

If it still matters since I'm late:
a) 230V etc... doesn't matter. The 220V to 240V is a range since power delivery isn't perfect. The 230V switch is basically choosing that vs the approx. 115V delivery in other countries.

b) ask back if you have problems with the replacement unit since it depends a lot on what is available. You can also go to NEWEGG (even if USA) for available models to see what kind of user feedback is given which is a rough indication of reliability.

So if it got say 257 people averaging 4.3/5 eggs then that's probably good. But if it's 3/5 score average stay away.

I'd also make sure to get at least a single "6+2" (8-pin or 6-pin for graphics card) connector. Ideally it provides 2x(6+2) which some 450W models do.

If you buy a graphics card with 2x6-pin but only have the capability for 1x6-pin from the PSU there are adapters for MOLEX or SATA to provide the 12V power to the other 6-pin... they work fine provided you know your computers power requirements.

Mostly they are cautious on GPU power to accommodate the worst-case draws of CPU power since both share the same 12V source... so if you only use say 100W peak/max CPU power but can provide 400W then you have up to 300W for the GPU (I'd never ever cut it that close... just giving an example).

I prefer to never exceed 75% on paper to allow for spikes and due to fan speed. Anyway, see if replacement works first.

 

[Mk56TClaire]

Thanks for the extra explanation. Actually I've already bought another PSU, Seasonic Focus+ Gold 550W.
The replacement unit (not yet arrived) will have another use though, I will put it on my old Athlon II PC (currently it runs on $10 /150K IDR psu).