[SOLVED] PSU sparks occasionally when switching on

[Luka_P]

Hi There,

Recently I've been noticing that when I switch on my system after having it switched off and unplugged for a while it makes a loud-ish spark.
This doesn't happen every time I switch on, only occasionally and the system itself never has any trouble powering on and performs completely normally.

The power supply is EVGA 1000G which I'm pretty sure is a good high end PSU.

This has been happening rarely for a few months now and I was wondering if I should be concerned.

Looking up similar cases I can see people saying that it's a faulty PSU and I should replace it before it fries my system but I've also seen people who say it can simply be static electricity due to cold weather.

I think it actually started happening around when the weather started getting cold but I'm not entirely sure.

Is there any way I can test the PSU to make sure it's not faulty?
Could something else be causing the occasional spark? (bad cable, etc.)

If it is being caused by static electricity, is there something I can do to prevent it?

Thanks a lot

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

The original EVGA G series weren't great PSU's , the G2 , G3 , P2 and T2 series are very good. I wouldn't be using it under those conditions.

 

[PC Tailor]

You could test the PSU - but frankly the best forms of this mean taking it out of the case and powering it up, which if it is sparking - I wouldn't attempt.

Return or replace it - the last component to play with is the PSU.

 

[RedneckCoffeeBeanPooper]

I would get a new high-end PSU from EVGA, but also get a surge protector to plug your power cable into. They're cheap and it could help your situation out. Also if for some reason a bad thunderstorm occurs and lightning screws up the power, that expensive PC won't get fried.

 

[Luka_P]

You could test the PSU - but frankly the best forms of this mean taking it out of the case and powering it up, which if it is sparking - I wouldn't attempt.

Return or replace it - the last component to play with is the PSU.

Is there any other way to test it? perhaps something simpler?
The PSU has never failed to turn on or sparked while it was on or anything like that. Just occasionally sparks when it gets power after it's been unplugged for a while.
This PSU wasn't cheap and it doesn't seem to have any other fault except this occasional spark. It would be a waste if I just replaced it if it's just a static spark or something like that.

 

[ko888]

The sparking is most likely happening in the PSU's AC power switch due to the high inrush current (i.e. somewhere around 40-50 Amps) that happens when charging up the PSU's primary bulk capacitors.

 

[oczdude8]

The sparking is fine. As noted previously, its just a side effect of the charging of the capacitors. There is no need to replace it. Many DC appliances with large capacitors exhibit the same behaviour. If you prefer to have it spark less, do not unplug the unit, rather use the switch at the back to power it down.

 

[Luka_P]

Thanks for the replies everyone.
I had decided to just brush it off as inrush current sparks however I decided to do one last test by switching the power cable and power strip just to see if it happens again and this time I actually could see the back of the psu where the spark sounded to be coming from.

On powering it on I saw a HUGE orange ish spark. The kind that can light up a room and sets stuff on fire in movies. It also smelled a bit. I turned my pc on just to check everything is fine and everything worked properly however then I shut off everything and I decided to get a new PSU and try to RMA this one.

That being said I wanted to ask for some opinions on what PSU I should get?
I think going 1000w is a bit overkill for my system so this time I would like to get a smaller wattage. Not to save money but maybe it can be smaller since this PSU is huge.

Here are my specs:
MSI X99 motherboard
5820K @3.3GHz overclocked to 4.0GHz
32 gb ddr4 corsair (4x8GB)
Asus 1070 strix
2x 250gb samsung evo ssd
1tb crucial ssd
H100i v2 cooler

Can you recommend a good PSU preferabbly fully modular or at least semi modular. Or at least please recommend a good wattage to look at as what I’m finding online is really conflicting.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Power Supply: Antec - Earthwatts Gold Pro 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $59.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-02-26 17:22 EST-0500

 

[RedneckCoffeeBeanPooper]

https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Superno...+supernova+g3&qid=1551222092&s=gateway&sr=8-3

EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G3, 80 Plus Gold 750W, Fully Modular, Eco Mode with New HDB Fan, 10 Year Warranty, Includes Power ON Self Tester, Compact 150mm Size, Power Supply 220-G3-0750-X1

EVGA SuperNOVA power supplies are well known for their extreme efficiency, performance and reliability. In fact, over the last 3 years EVGA SuperNOVA power supplies have won over 70 awards from leading review sites. It is EVGA�s dedication to performance that has created the latest power...

www.evga.com

I have this and it's pretty small, fully modular with 80+ Gold, and a 10-year warranty. You can get it on Amazon for $102.95 free shipping.

 

[PC Tailor]

The G3 series are a good line of PSUs.

 

[oczdude8]

If you get another 1000W+ PSU, it's very likely it will also have the same sparking "issue", as they have larger capacitors/inrush current.

Since your system doesn't need it, save yourself some money and get one of the 750W ones mentioned above. You can also go lower than that, but I don't recommend it, especially because you will not see much cost savings from it.

If you are interested in monitoring the power/voltage levels, I suggest the corsair i series PSU (such as the corsair HX750i), which gives you real time voltage and current measurements, enables you to tune the psu fan speeds, as well as efficiency measurements through the corsair software. Obviously they are more expensive, but its cool if you are interested in knowing those things.

 

[Luka_P]

Thanks to everyone who replied with recommendations.
In the end however I bought a Corsair 850X because it's the best I could find from local retailers as I do not afford to wait for delivery from abroad for other models.
This PSU seemed to be pretty well reviewed and so far I'm very happy with it.

@oczdude8 While it may be true that 1000W+ PSUs all give out sparks due to inrush current, I can guarantee that the spark that my EVGA 1000G was giving out is not normal, not to mention it occasionally also gave out a burnt plastic ish smell. I've had that PSU for 3 years and it only recently started to make the huge spark with the loud noise and bad smell so if anyone else starts noticing the loud pop and bad smell, please stop using the PSU as it is a serious fire hazard.

I am currently trying to RMA the evga psu as it is still under manufacturer warranty.

Thanks again for your replies.