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Questions tagged [power-supply]

A power supply is an electronic device that supplies electric power to another device, such as a computer, monitor or printer. This is achieved by converting wall power (or mains power) to a lower voltage, and in most cases also from AC to DC. Most power supplies also provide protection from overload, power surges and other potentially problematic or hazardous conditions.

11 votes
6 answers
317k views

My computer doesn't start - it is stuck in a turn-on, turn-off loop

When pressing the power button, my computer starts making start-up noises, but after a few seconds it shuts down. Then, after 2-3 seconds, it automatically starts turning on again and a few seconds ...
snakile's user avatar
  • 1,449
11 votes
1 answer
8k views

Why does disabling active power management in BIOS double NVMe speed?

I bought a secondhand Dell OptiPlex 5060 Micro. It seems to be limited in speed to PCIe 2 (2 GB/s) despite clearly being PCIe 3. This is documented to happen on the 3070 OptiPlex micro here: https://...
farta4452's user avatar
  • 115
11 votes
4 answers
54k views

How can I tell how healthy my PSU is?

Simple enough question, I have a hunch that my PSU isn't powerful enough based on a couple of clues: One of my screens flickers, and I read on a couple of websites that this could be caused by the ...
JMK's user avatar
  • 3,310
11 votes
2 answers
461 views

My 386sx refuses to start in cold days

My old computer refuses to start in cold days. So, in really hot days (about 40ºC / 104ºF ) or even hotter, this PC usually starts, but in cold days, it wont. When the temperature is not in the "...
RSilva's user avatar
  • 211
11 votes
2 answers
9k views

What happens when laptops reach 100% charge?

I have been reading alot of mixed views on how Lithium Ion batteries work when it comes to laptops. I have the new dell xps 15, with an intel i7 cpu, 16gb ram, and a 512gb ssd. Is it bad for the ...
Sylvoo's user avatar
  • 329
11 votes
6 answers
3k views

are consumer grade power supplies designed to run 24/7?

I know many of you run machines at home 24/7 (servers, maybe even desktops) that run on standard consumer grade hardware/PSUs. Is this safe? Is there even a remote risk of fire hazard? I'm curious ...
NoCarrier's user avatar
  • 3,507
11 votes
1 answer
99k views

How to judge if a laptop charger noise is a safe "hum" or a dangerous "crackle"?

I've read existing questions and answers on noises coming from laptop chargers (e.g. https://superuser.com/a/104860/112639 and https://superuser.com/a/832501/112639 and have learnt that there are two ...
user56reinstatemonica8's user avatar
11 votes
3 answers
28k views

Does a laptop computer charge faster when off?

A laptop power supply can supply a limited amount of power. Conceivably, then, when the computer is running, some of the power must be diverted to the processor and other components, leaving less to ...
Mechanical snail's user avatar
10 votes
5 answers
4k views

Should the UPS output be exactly same in normal and battery backup modes? Or it is normal to have a slight variation in voltage or something?

My 10 months old PC ran into a problem some days before. My system specs are as follows: Intel Core i7-8700 Processor MSI Z370-A PRO Motherboard 8GB RAM Here are the details about the issue. Most ...
Bertram Gilfoyle's user avatar
10 votes
3 answers
30k views

Why does my MagSafe power connector only work one way round?

It's not a major problem, just a little niggle, but just lately the MagSafe power connector on my white 13" MacBook only seems to charge one way up. Previously it didn't matter which way up it was. ...
Rob Cowell's user avatar
  • 1,463
10 votes
6 answers
16k views

Is UPS necessary to have for a PC?

Can my computer components ( Monitor, Motherboard, RAM, HDD, CPU, SMPS) become damaged due to a sudden power flux. It's only needed to shut down Windows properly. Can I solve both Hardware and ...
metal gear solid's user avatar
10 votes
3 answers
167k views

What happens if a video card cannot get enough power?

I am wondering what will be the symptoms if high end gaming video card does not get enough power because the PSU is not powerful enough. Some high end video cards list their requirements as lets say ...
Stilgar's user avatar
  • 223
10 votes
5 answers
6k views

Computer boots when I switch off the lights

I have more details regarding My computer boots up during the night. I got a used halogen lamp with a transformer and can reliably reproduce the following: Computer and lamp are running I shut down ...
Alexander's user avatar
  • 765
10 votes
4 answers
11k views

Does my 1000 watt 80gold+ (90% efficient) PSU pull 1111 watts, 1000 watts, or 900 watts from my wall receptacle at 100% load?

Does my 1000 watt 80gold+ (90% efficient) PSU pull 1111 watts, 1000 watts, or 900 watts from my wall receptacle at 100% load? When I plug my 200 watt video card into one of the PCIe power connectors.....
darkAsPitch's user avatar
  • 1,066
10 votes
4 answers
22k views

Disable "Slow Charger" warning in Windows

I have several laptops which support USB-C charging, and a 65W GaN PD charger. It's nice to have a compact power supply that works on a bunch of different laptops, even if it can't deliver the full ...
Coderer's user avatar
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