My computer is all wonky. WTF?

I built a new computer about two months ago. I got all new parts except for the power supply, which I’ve had for probably five years or so, and upgraded to Windows 8.1. (I’m happy to post the specs on the hardware if that is helpful.)

Since then, there’s been an increasing number of just weird things happening with my system. At first, there were a couple random crashes out of games. Then, it became clear that occasionally the computer would just restart itself out of the blue. My first thought is that maybe my power supply was the issue, so I found two apps to calculate the recommended wattage. Newegg told me 750 watts, another reputable site (can’t remember the name) said 240 was sufficient. Uh, ok. My PSU is 450 watts, but old.

So my first question is, does it sound like I need a new PSU? And if so, what’s the deal with the huge variation between the two numbers?

Ok, on to other problems. There’s just increasing instability with a lot of programs. Firefox cannot properly shut down. Chrome is just doing… weird things, like having Flash or Shockwave shut down a lot. Other things like Ad Block Plus or my password manager will reset a couple times a day. These are things that I won’t think to associate with a power supply.

So, things are acting weird and I don’t like it. I had thought about reinstalling Windows, but wanted to get everyone’s thoughts first. Could these more minor glitches also be a PSU problem? What should be my next steps?

If your power supply is failing, it could easily give fluctuating performance to all the various parts of your computer, which would manifest in weirdness when trying to do different things. It might also be leading to damage in one of your components, including your motherboard, which could cause all sorts of weirdness.

In short, people on the internet can’t tell you if your power supply is failing. You should get it tested or just go ahead and replace it. It’s a hassle but it’s not that expensive.

As for how much power your various components will need, you don’t need an app for that. The components will tell you their power requirements on the manufacturer’s webpages or in their documentation. Just add it up and give yourself some extra wattage for room.

Also, just occured to me, maybe buy yourself a new surge suppressor.

Interesting idea on the surge surpressor. That things has got to be like 15 years old, but I’ve never thought about it wearing down. Uh… Does it?

Yeah. The whole point of the surge suppressor is that it takes the hit if there’s a power surge before the surge gets to your pricey electronics. Nomally, they can handle the usual line fluctuations but if there’s been big surge of electricity, they can get damaged. They can only handle so many joules of damage before they burn out.

Here’s more - 10 Shocking Facts About Power Strips - CNET

A few years back, I was having a problem with the air conditioners in my parents’ ancient house constantly blowing the breakers. The air conditioners were all hooked up to dinosaur-era power strips. I got new, modern, surge suppressors, just because the old power strips terrified me, and the problem went away, overnight.

Get a new surge protector whether that’s the problem or not. I learned the hard way that they wear out. :frowning:

250W is enough for a 486.

450W was normal years ago when you got yours.

an underpowered PS or a malfunctioning one can cause unexpected and weird failures.

On the other hand, an overpowered one that is malfunctioning is capable of causing more damage than an underpowered one. Get a new PSU and a new surge protector. If you can’t afford brand new ones, at least get used ones that are newer than the ones you have.

It’s possible you have an OS problem-- I have has OSes become corrupt and need to be reinstalled-- but I am betting on the PSU in this case.

What kind of medium did you have to install the OS? was it a factory disk, or was the disk burned for you by the people who sold you the motherboard? If they burned the disk for you, then the disk could have a problem. Or did you download it?

Also, how new was the disk drive, if you used one, that you used to install the OS? I have had problems in the past using very old drives to install new OSes.

I once worked for a non-profit that took donated computers, and refurbished and rebuilt them (like, using the components of two or three to make one better one), and then gave them to other non-profits and low-income families. I built a lot of computers and installed a lot of XPpro. I had one brand new drive solely for installing the OSes and other data (like Office) in the computers.

I bought the OS on a factory DVD and installed on a new SSD (one of the reasons for the upgrade).

So, I just did some back of the envelope math (processor 85 watts, video card 180, two drives total maybe 10 watts, and maybe 50 watts for everything else (that’s a swag) and seems to me that another 450 watt PSU is plenty. Am I missing something?

Thanks for the tip on the surge protector. Never would have thought about that.

Yes. We give computer assemblers a wattage number since basic electrical knowledge is often not available. However wattage says little to nothing. Your calculations must be amperage for each DC voltage.

Yes, 450 watts is more than sufficient. Most computers consume closer to 100 watts and rarely peak above 300 watts. To keep help lines free of naive questions, we recommend computer assemblers purchase at least twice the necessary wattage - ie purchase 600 watts.

Obviously a computer is not so hot as to double as a bread toaster. But many never get beyond what they were told.

To obtain a useful reply means providing some numbers. That means requesting instructions, a digital meter, and one full minute of labor. Post those numbers so that a few who know this stuff can then provide a useful answer. To identify or exonerate suspect components.

Power Supplies get old, and I definitely agree about the surge protector. FWIW, if you get a 600 or 750 W PS, the price difference won’t be huge between it and a 450-500, and you have some headroom if you decide to add more components like a second graphics card.
I had my Pentium 3 do this years ago , with random cold boots and all kinds of other wierdness.
A new PS and a fresh OS install, and it was good as new.