Pro tip: always check the power supply before you blame the main board

Last week in my shop, a customer brought in a gaming PC that wouldn't turn on, and he was sure the motherboard was fried. I pulled out my multimeter and found the 12V rail on his Corsair PSU was dead, so I told him he just needed a new power supply, not a whole new build. How many times have you seen someone jump to the most expensive fix first?

3 comments

3 Comments

emma_baker617d ago

Totally agree, it's crazy how often that happens. People see no lights, no fans, and immediately assume the worst case. A quick voltage check can save so much time and money. Honestly, a dead PSU is one of the most common failures I see.

craig.viola6d ago

Oh man, @emma_baker61, that reminds me of my friend's whole drama last month. He was totally sure his motherboard fried after a storm, you know, no signs of life at all. Spent a week looking at new parts online and everything. Turns out he just borrowed a PSU tester from work (the cheap kind) and found out the power supply was just completely gone. Felt pretty silly after all that worry, but he was so relieved it wasn't something bigger. It really is the first thing to check.

abbyp617d ago

Right? @emma_baker61 is spot on. I've seen so many folks panic and buy a whole new motherboard when it was just the power supply the whole time. My buddy was convinced his gaming rig was toast, but a cheap tester showed the 5V rail was totally dead. Saved him like two hundred bucks right there. It's always worth checking the simple stuff first.