3 Power Supplies blown up (Need Help)

[Punisher_]

I've had two replacements power supplies blow up (AX1200i) and another spare (RM850) from a friend which blew up also. I've been using these on my main wall. 

 

I've built my PC around 2014 and never had these issues untill Jan 2020. This was when I received a black screen (no display input) but the PC remained on. I had to perform a hard reset by holding down the power button to use my PC again. Also, prior to receiving my replacement PSU I've always been using an extention plug. 

 

Scan UK confirmed that there was an issue with the AX1200i so I presumed everything was resolved once I received my first replacement but it wasn't. Once I received the replacement I plugged the PSU to the main wall instead of my usual plug extention. Within 6 hours of use, it blew up (loud pop noise and white sparks). I sent it back for another replacement but this time I received my replacement from Corsair. In regards to the second replacement I switched back to my plug extention and the PSU and PC were working fine for 2 days then I plugged it back to the main wall and it shut down after 12 hours. Only the standby lights on the motherboard were visible as I was unable to turn the PC back on as the PSU died. 

 

I borrowed an RM850 from a friend and it popped within 5secs of bios post. I don't know what the cause of the issue is as I've used the main wall for other devices such a phoner charger, lamps and etc as they all work fine. If anyone knows or have a rough idea of this issue I would really appreciate your help. Thank you for reading this post. 

 

PC Specs 

CPU: I7 4960X

MOBO: ASUS RAMPAGE IV BLACK EDITION 

RAM: Corsair Dominator 16GB 2400Mhz

HDD: Samsung 850 Pro, 2x Seagate Barracuda 3TB

GPU: STRIX 1070

PSU: Corsair AX1200i

 

 

 

 

[WereCatf]

4 minutes ago, Punisher_ said:

If anyone knows or have a rough idea of this issue I would really appreciate your help.

At this point, I'd suggest you contact an electrician and have them come check your house. Having so many PSUs blow up in such a short time is definitely not normal and could indicate high-voltage spikes hitting them. It could be one of your components as well, but I think that's less likely, as modern PSUs are pretty good at protecting themselves from PC-side issues.

[Boomwebsearch]

29 minutes ago, Punisher_ said:

I've had two replacements power supplies blow up (AX1200i) and another spare (RM850) from a friend which blew up also. I've been using these on my main wall. 

 

I've built my PC around 2014 and never had these issues untill Jan 2020. This was when I received a black screen (no display input) but the PC remained on. I had to perform a hard reset by holding down the power button to use my PC again. Also, prior to receiving my replacement PSU I've always been using an extention plug. 

 

Scan UK confirmed that there was an issue with the AX1200i so I presumed everything was resolved once I received my first replacement but it wasn't. Once I received the replacement I plugged the PSU to the main wall instead of my usual plug extention. Within 6 hours of use, it blew up (loud pop noise and white sparks). I sent it back for another replacement but this time I received my replacement from Corsair. In regards to the second replacement I switched back to my plug extention and the PSU and PC were working fine for 2 days then I plugged it back to the main wall and it shut down after 12 hours. Only the standby lights on the motherboard were visible as I was unable to turn the PC back on as the PSU died. 

 

I borrowed an RM850 from a friend and it popped within 5secs of bios post. I don't know what the cause of the issue is as I've used the main wall for other devices such a phoner charger, lamps and etc as they all work fine. If anyone knows or have a rough idea of this issue I would really appreciate your help. Thank you for reading this post. 

 

PC Specs 

CPU: I7 4960X

MOBO: ASUS RAMPAGE IV BLACK EDITION 

RAM: Corsair Dominator 16GB 2400Mhz

HDD: Samsung 850 Pro, 2x Seagate Barracuda 3TB

GPU: STRIX 1070

PSU: Corsair AX1200i

 

 

 

 

I think that you building's AC power is not consistent, try running a power supply with a good line-interactive UPS unit. Have you tried to connect other appliances to the same power outlet that caused damage to the PSUs (if so what was the result)? Please don't try to repair your own building's electricity system unless you are a professional electrician since it could potentially cause a fire or electrical-shock harm/damage to yourself or your property.

 

Link to a good line-interactive UPS unit; this is the one that I use, although it may be a bit overkill:    https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cyberpower-1500va-battery-back-up-system-black/3938817.p?skuId=3938817

[Punisher_]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I would hire an electrician but due to covid 19 I'll probably have to wait a while. In regards to the main wall, I've used it for other items such as lamps and phone chargers, they seem to be functioning as normal. Also you guys have mentioned an UPS. I'm not familiar with that, could someone explain the purpose of that item if possible. Thanks again for your input. 

[GoldenLag]

3 hours ago, Punisher_ said:

Also you guys have mentioned an UPS. I'm not familiar with that, could someone explain the purpose of that item if possible.

essentially it helps with "filtering" of unclean or inconsistant power from the wall. helpfull for people who live in places where the grid isnt great or for other reasons the power is not "clean"

[Boomwebsearch]

3 hours ago, Punisher_ said:

Thanks for the replies everyone. I would hire an electrician but due to covid 19 I'll probably have to wait a while. In regards to the main wall, I've used it for other items such as lamps and phone chargers, they seem to be functioning as normal. Also you guys have mentioned an UPS. I'm not familiar with that, could someone explain the purpose of that item if possible. Thanks again for your input. 

An Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) is a device which contains a battery and inverter as its main components to take over using power stored on a battery in case that the power from the wall is below/above a certain threshold.

 

2 hours ago, GoldenLag said:

essentially it helps with "filtering" of unclean or inconsistant power from the wall. helpfull for people who live in places where the grid isnt great or for other reasons the power is "clean"

 Make sure to get a unit which is either line-interactive or online, online UPS units are probably going to be overkill (converts power to DC and then back to AC again after passing through battery and surge-suppression components) and too expensive since they are usually used in data-centers. A line-interactive UPS contains transformers to increase the voltage level if it falls below a certain threshold and can lower the voltage level in the case that the AC power is delivering too much voltage (ex. power spikes/surges). A standby UPS has the ability to switch the load to battery if AC power doesn't seem right and many units come with surge suppression components, although it is not going to be any more beneficial than a surge protector would be in terms of protecting your equipment.

 

Summary:    An Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) is a device which contains a battery and inverter as its main components to take over using power stored on a battery in case that the power from the wall is below/above a certain threshold. Make sure that you get a Line-Interactive UPS for best protection against power over/under-voltages.

[Punisher_]

Thanks for the information. A UPS seems to be an expensive solution for me at the moment. I'll probably just sort out my main wall with an electrician or just use a 20m plug extention and connect the plug from another room. 

[Juular]

Looks like we're witnessing Corsair PSUs blowing up epidemic ... @jonnyGURU

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Juular said:

Looks like we're witnessing Corsair PSUs blowing up epidemic ... @jonnyGURU

No we're not.

 

[akio123008]

Ok I can understand the tips, but come on, a regular consumer shoudn't have to install a UPS just to make sure their power supply doesn't fail. That seems like a very expensive and possibly unnecessary fix. You need to find what's causing this. Get a good visual inspection of the electrical installation of the house, check for large machinery that may be on the same line. Powerful electric motors and other types of high-draw devices can cause voltage spikes and drops when switching on and off. 

 

On 3/26/2020 at 7:19 PM, WereCatf said:

It could be one of your components as well, but I think that's less likely, as modern PSUs are pretty good at protecting themselves from PC-side issues.

I agree with that, but there really isn't that much that can be wrong with the house wiring. I also don't see why this'd happen then after being fine for years, assuming no one screwed with the electrical installation.