Faulty PSU ?
Faulty PSU ?
It wasn't the PSU, I was tested and everything checked out—no popping sounds, and it worked fine when plugged into another PC for two days straight without any issues or shutdowns. The long popping noises you mentioned could actually come from the motherboard itself. It’s possible the motherboard is dead, which might have caused damage to nearby components.
The only typical sounds I've noticed from motherboards come from the optional loudspeaker used for BIOS beep codes and minor high-speed fans on chipsets and M.2 drives.
The PSU is functioning properly, but you were instructed to inspect the PSU cables, which led me to check the power cable connecting the PSU to the wall. I had another cable from an older PSU, and it seems that replacing it resolved the issue. The crackling sounds I was hearing were actually coming from the power cable linked to the PSU, not from the PC itself.