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my windows desktop power supply which is 450W, has been burnt out couple of times now , doing a physical check on the unit it does not show any obvious signs like burning smell or anything, last time the computer was running and suddenly it just switched off.

the desktop is 6-7 year old, but nothing is added over the OEM setup.

my question is, can there be anything within the desktop that is drawing too much power that can cause power supply to get burnet.

in case if I decide to by a 600W will it have any ill effect on my PC

please let me know if I can get you more specific information.

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  • Please expand on what you mean by "burnt out"... you cannot typically "burn out" a power supply and use it again without repair.
    – Attie
    Apr 17, 2018 at 18:17
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    If your only symptom is sudden power off, there could be multiple causes, and the power supply may or may not be the cause. It is possible that this is some other hardware issue that's causing the motherboard firmware to shut off the power supply.
    – alex.forencich
    Apr 17, 2018 at 18:21
  • I used 'burnt out' because the unit stopped working and I have replaced the power supply 3 times now,
    – Great88
    Apr 17, 2018 at 18:26
  • Something could be tripping the power supply's internal fuse.
    – I say Reinstate Monica
    Apr 17, 2018 at 19:01
  • What brand of power supply was this? Because it sounds like it is not a good one.
    – psusi
    Apr 17, 2018 at 19:51

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Consider to check the voltage being supplied to the power supplies. Also note that some power supplies will have a 110/220v selector switch, although that isn't as common as it once was.

If you don't have a voltmeter, borrow a friend's and check that you have correct power for your region.

I recently had a failure in the form of unbalanced 220/240v in the household. As I'm in the USA, it meant that one set of breakers was providing lower voltage than the other. A number of computer controlled devices experienced problems in operation, including a clothes washing machine that believed it was low on water.

If you have unbalanced electricity being supplied to your power supply, it can burn it out, independently of the computer load.

Check your household electricity before investing in another to-be-destroyed power supply!

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  • i reside in US and the power supply is ranged from 100-240 V and 50-60 Hz, so its good on that end, there are various other electronics in the household that are hooked up never had any issues,also I have monitor hooked up on same socket where the power supply was drawing the power.
    – Great88
    Apr 17, 2018 at 19:09
  • @Great88, what?! Voltage at a normal outlet must be 110-125v and exactly 60 Hz.
    – psusi
    Apr 17, 2018 at 19:50
  • @psusi, I think Great88 means that is the PSU rating; it's labeled that it can operate from that range of power inputs.
    – fixer1234
    Apr 21, 2018 at 10:23
  • @fixer1234, ahh, of course! ;)
    – psusi
    Apr 23, 2018 at 17:48

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