Question Sound after slowly flipping PSU switch

[Contour]

Hi everyone,

I tried turning off the PSU by flipping the switch and heard a noise when I did. I paused for a second, then continued flipping the switch and heard the same noise, but it stopped once the switch was fully in the "off" position. I’ve since learned that you’re not supposed to flip the switch slowly—kind of like with light switches. Since this happened twice in quick succession, should I be worried about any potential damage to my PC? Do you think I need to replace the PSU?

I've definitely learned my lesson and will make sure to flip the switch quickly from now on. In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have turned it off in the first place since I was only swapping DisplayPort cables.

Also, if it makes a difference, my PSU is Superflower Leadex VII (A-tier according to https://cultists.network/140/psu-tier-list/)

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

Do you think I need to replace the PSU?
First, include the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model. BIOS version for your motherboard at this moment of time.

Second, might want to include an audio/video clip to illustrate what you're hearing/experiencing.

I've definitely learned my lesson and will make sure to flip the switch quickly from now on.
Third, if you flip it without hesitation, you won't be hearing an arc/crackling sound(which is what I'm assuming you heard).

Do you think I need to replace the PSU?
The sound doesn't warrant a PSU change/swap.

 

[Misgar]

I’ve since learned that you’re not supposed to flip the switch slowly—kind of like with light switches. S

Correct, when the switch contacts are not firmly closed or fully open, a high temperature arc forms which can lead to melting, pitting and degradation of the metal contacts over time.

A friend came round with a PSU problem. The ATX PSU switch made "fizzing" sounds and the PC would not start properly 9 times out of 10.

I recommended a brand new PSU and told him not to flip the switch each time he shut down the PC (to make it safe). He was doing this 3 or 4 times a day and after 5 years it killed the PSU switch.

When I disassembled the old PSU (don't do this if you're not trained) and opened up the switch, the contacts inside had melted and surrounding plastic was badly charred.

The inrush surge flowing into an ATX PSU is typically 20A to 100A and the poor little switch is often rated at only 16A, 10A or even 6A continuous current. No wonder the contacts wear away slightly each time they're asked to cope with such large peak currents.

In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have turned it off in the first place since I was only swapping DisplayPort cables.

It's not a bad idea to switch everything off completely before connecting cables, but I don't always follow this practice. I did blow up a computer many years ago when I connected a parallel port printer and the PC was in standby mode. It took out a TTL chip which was easily replaced, but from then on I unplugged the computer from the wall before connecting any cables.

 

[Contour]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

Do you think I need to replace the PSU?
First, include the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model. BIOS version for your motherboard at this moment of time.

Second, might want to include an audio/video clip to illustrate what you're hearing/experiencing.

I've definitely learned my lesson and will make sure to flip the switch quickly from now on.
Third, if you flip it without hesitation, you won't be hearing an arc/crackling sound(which is what I'm assuming you heard).

Do you think I need to replace the PSU?
The sound doesn't warrant a PSU change/swap.

First, include the specs to your build like so:
CPU: 7800x3d
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE
Motherboard: Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX ATX
Ram: G.Skill Ripjaws S5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory
SSD: Western Digital WD_Black SN850X 2 TB
GPU: 4090 FE
PSU: Super Flower LEADEX VII XG 1300 W
Chasis - Lian Li LANCOOL 216 ATX Mid Tower Case
OS: Windows 11
Monitor: AW3423DWF

Age of PSU - Bought the PSU in like November 2023 and built the PC in December 2023.
BIOS Version - Honestly don't remember

Second, might want to include an audio/video clip to illustrate what you're hearing/experiencing.
I'll try to find a clip that matches what I heard. Though it's been a day or two so it might be misremembering.

 

[Contour]

I recommended a brand new PSU and told him not to flip the switch each time he shut down the PC (to make it safe). He was doing this 3 or 4 times a day and after 5 years it killed the PSU switch.

When I disassembled the old PSU (don't do this if you're not trained) and opened up the switch, the contacts inside had melted and surrounding plastic was badly charred.

It looks like his issue was caused by prolonged abuse of the switch. In my case (arcing), I should be fine using the same PSU, right? I also don't flip the PSU switch everyday.