Effect of Insufficient Power Supply in a PC

by Steve Lander Google

Most casual business users don't give a lot of thought to their computer's power supply unless they use a laptop and lose its AC adapter. However, desktop computer power supplies are crucial components. In a run of the mill computer, they determine whether or not your computer turns on and works at all. In a performance-oriented computer such as a computer-aided-design or financial modeling workstation, the power supply's limitations determine how much computing power the system can have.

Avoiding Upgrades

Every additional component that you add to your computer requires more power. While a hard drive might only require between 3 and 10 watts, some graphics cards consume hundreds of watts. If your power supply is already insufficient to power your computer's needs, it won't be able to meet the demands of additional or upgraded components.

Rule Out Overclocking

One way to squeeze more performance out of an existing CPU or graphics processor is to run it at a faster speed than its original design specifications. Called overclocking, this process can result in significant performance gains from existing components. However, running components at higher speed means running more power through them. This not only requires a higher-wattage power supply but also one that provides clean power and is not running near the limits of its capabilities.

System Instability

When your power supply is nearing insufficiency, your computer will experience occasional hiccups. For instance, if your computer crashes when an optical drive starts back up or when you connect a USB device that draws power, like a hard drive, it could be a sign of an overtaxed power supply. Frequent crashes when you are doing computationally intensive tasks are another potential sign of power supply issues.

Major Crashes

If your power supply is wholly insufficient or if you run a borderline power supply for too long, it will eventually fail. If your computer absolutely won't power up and you can't even hear the power supply fan when you turn the system on, it's a sign of a dead power supply. If you see smoke or smell burning components, immediately pull the computer's wall plug and either replace the power supply yourself or have a technician do it for you.

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