Current Events > If you have no computer knowledge, how hard is replacing a PSU?

(+) Yeah! (+)

So my PC has stopped working, I've narrowed the problem down to needing a new PSU (this is what I get for leaving my PC on all the time.)

When I opened up the tower, I noticed several cords coming form the PSU and felt overwhelmed enough to consider going to a place like best buy and having them replace it...

How hard would you say it is to change a PSU?
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On a scale of 1-10, one being easiest, maybe 3
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not hard at all. just tedious if you have all your cables properly routed and tied up since you gotta undo it all. and there might be a lot.

all the plugs will be the same and obvious where they go.

im considering getting a new PSU since the new ones have a 0RPM mode where the fans are off under light load and i just got a new graphics card which is getting me close to my psu's wattage limit

but when i think of all the time i spent managing the cables... and having to do it all over.. ugh..
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Not really. I mean, you can build a PC from scratch even if you have next to no knowledge beforehand by just following online video guides. Replacing a PSU is just that, but with far fewer components.
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Thanks!

Late Night GAMEFAQS CE is BEST GAMEFAQS CE!
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I'd say it depends if it's modular or not.
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The hardest part is remembering to unplug it first, then letting it sit for a few minutes for the supply's capacitors to fully discharge. All the cables are keyed so they will only fit in one way, at one specific place. It is one of the easier pieces to replace.
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the hardest part is remembering that there are two cords that plug into the mobo. the first computer i ever built i forgot about that and lost $100 in diagnostic fees when my dumbass self thought it was a faulty mobo

and then my co-worker made the same mistake when replacing a psu in a computer at work
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Not hard. Go modular and for god's sake, don't be lazy with it. Replace every cord with the new ones in the PSU box, otherwise you could risk voltages being off. I killed my HDD doing that.
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Uh oh what do people mean by "modular"?
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Modular PSU means that all the cables are detachable.
There's also semi-modular PSU where some crucial cables are attached, but the rest are detachable.
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Thanks i guess the first step is finding the right type of psu for my PC (it's a prebuilt Asus) and then going from there. I've seen some for around fifty dollars so the price point and isn't bad and I'm not really playing anything that graphically intense.

Thanks again for the help
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Get a PSU from a reputable brand like Corsair, you don't a want sketchy PSU to mess up your other components in the long run.

There are also several ratings like Bronze, Silver, Gold, etc. but I don't know the differences between them myself.
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KYOJIROKAGENUMA posted...

Thanks i guess the first step is finding the right type of psu for my PC (it's a prebuilt Asus) and then going from there. I've seen some for around fifty dollars so the price point and isn't bad and I'm not really playing anything that graphically intense.

Your video card is probably the most power hungry part. Look its specs up on the vendor's website, it usually lists a recommended wattage for a power supply.

davidg4l posted...

Get a PSU from a reputable brand like Corsair, you don't a want sketchy PSU to mess up your other components in the long run.

There are also several ratings like Bronze, Silver, Gold, etc. but I don't know the differences between them myself.

Agreed, a PSU is not something to cheap out on. The Silver/Gold ratings show its power efficiency (but not necessarily quality).

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