What happens when PSU powers on after a storm?
What happens when PSU powers on after a storm?
I purchased a Seasonic focus GX-650 roughly two months ago, expecting a good power supply unit. It turned out to be defective. I received a replacement via RMA and installed it a few days later. After using it all day and turning it off at night, a severe thunderstorm passed through. The next morning, when I tried to turn it on, it started power cycling. I disconnected it, checked the connections, and found one of them seemed loose—so I inserted it back in. It powered on immediately without needing the power button. I used it throughout the day and only encountered a blue screen once. The following day, I restarted it and faced the same problems again.
Upon inspection, nothing appeared to be wrong; it was still booting normally. However, when I plugged it in again, the issues returned. I examined the inside and found no obvious changes, though it still worked fine after a quick pop-up test. This situation is becoming increasingly frustrating. To resolve this, I tried using my old PSU, which functioned without problems.
I’m wondering if my warranty is still valid since it failed due to a lightning strike.
When you mentioned the system was powered down, did the wall outlet also stop working? Was the CMOS problem related to this situation? A new CR2032 cell is inexpensive—consider swapping it to check if it resolves the issue. This has occurred in past builds with poor maintenance or due to power surges like lightning strikes. Regarding the warranty, it may be affected by such events.
The PSU safeguarded the remaining components from harm. Now you just need to swap out the PSU rather than discarding the entire setup.
Yes, the warranty is nullified. Companies provide warranties to shield customers from manufacturing and design flaws in their products. Lightning-related issues aren't covered by the manufacturers. It's similar to how a car dealership won't replace a vehicle if it's destroyed by a forest fire—such damage falls outside the scope of product warranties, affecting homeowner or renter insurance instead.