Which component is more likely to be the issue: the motherboard or the power supply unit?
Which component is more likely to be the issue: the motherboard or the power supply unit?
Recently, I encountered a problem where my PC would unexpectedly shut down even when idle, followed by a boot loop. I’m uncertain whether the issue lies with the power supply unit or the motherboard, as their symptoms seem similar. However, I’m fairly confident it’s the PSU. My PSU is extremely unreliable, which led me to suspect this. It’s from SEGOTEP, model "Nuclear Power 300W," and it lacks an 80+ certification.
At that time, I didn’t have much budget and had to purchase this PSU. My current setup includes an Intel core i5 4430, a GTX 750 TI, and an MSI B85-G43 GAMING graphics card—all used components. The total cost was around 80 USD.
The problem started when I first installed the GPU and the PSU. During gameplay, my PC would randomly freeze, and the display would show strange colors like green, purple, or dark red. After underclocking the GPU, the issue resolved. Now, I’m mostly convinced it’s the PSU, but I need someone to verify this since I’m not entirely sure.
Additional details: when I power on the PC, it sometimes boots normally and then shuts down, restarting the boot loop again. The fans definitely spin, and if I get lucky, the system would work briefly during a game before finally powering off.
Earlier, I disassembled my PC and checked the motherboard—no visible damage was found. I cleaned the entire system but only briefly examined the PSU, using a paperclip test, which passed.
Welcome to the forums, newcomer!
my setup is:
Intel core i5 4430
GTX 750 TI
MSI B85-G43 GAMING
Please list the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model. BIOS version for your motherboard at this moment of time.
My PSU is VERY. Very sketchy, that's what made me suspect, the brand is SEGOTEP and the model is "Nuclear Power 300W" and it doesn't have an 80+ Certification.
Have you thought about sourcing(borrow, not buy) a reliably bult PSU with 650W of power at your entire system's disposal to see if the issue is alleviated? A bad quality PSU can and will take out more than just itself when it dies. You might've answered your own questions by stating the the PSU doesn't inspire confidence. If you can't identify the PSU, take pictures of the unit's stickered sides, host them on a site akin to Imgur, then pass on a link for us to see, here.
I took apart my PC earlier, inspected the Motherboard and I didn't see any visible damages, I cleaned my whole PC but I just took a small peek at the PSU, did the paperclip test and it worked fine..
Paperclip tests are flawed, they won't tell you how much power the PSU can effectively output when taxed.