Rant: My cheap power supply habit nearly killed a build

I always thought power supplies were just about wattage, so I'd grab any cheap one that fit. Then I built a PC with a high-end GPU and it kept shutting down under load. After panicking, I watched a build guide that stressed checking the PSU's 12V rail and efficiency rating. I swapped it for a better unit from the guide's list, and now everything runs perfectly. My lesson is to always follow the guide's PSU recommendations, even if it seems like too much. It kept me from buying another graphics card. Now I never skip that step.

3 comments

3 Comments

rowan_dixon1mo ago

I've run several systems on off-brand power supplies for years without issue. Those guide lists often over-spec what you actually need for basic stability.

iriswest1mo agoMost Upvoted

Listen to @alice900, that cheap stuff will bite you later.

alice9001mo ago

My old Thermaltake literally popped and smoked like a firework once. I used to be like rowan_dixon thinking any black box with cables would work. After that meltdown, I check 80 Plus ratings and single rail specs like my life depends on it. Never again trusting a power supply that costs less than a pizza.