The power supply unit is often overlooked in the PC troubleshooting process. These are worth investigating and potentially replacing your PSU to avoid bigger problems like hardware failure or data loss. Is Capacitor Aging Really a Concern in PSU Longevity?īefore we talk about testing your computer’s power supply unit (PSU), let’s talk about common signs your PSU is failing. If You Upgrade Your GPU, Do You Need a New PSU?Īre the PSUs in Prebuilt Computers Low Quality? What Do '80 Plus' Power Certifications Mean?ĭoes PSU Quality Really Matter That Much? Power Supply Unit Frequently Asked Questions For more information, refer to your computer'sĭocumentation and see the section titled 'How to Diagnose Hardware Problems' later in this tutorial.Testing Your PSU with a Basic Jumper Test To access and change system and peripheral firmware settings, consult the system documentation If video is not functioning correctly, the BIOS or EFI usually indicates the nature of the failure Generally, the BIOS or EFI displays an error message that indicates the nature of the problem. If startup fails before or during POST, your computer is experiencing a hardware failure. (for example, video and hard drive controllers) carry out internal diagnostic tests.

The contents of the nonvolatile memory remain even after you shut down the computer.Įxamples of hardware settings stored in the nonvolatile memory include device boot orderĪfter the motherboard POST completes, add-on adapters that have their own firmware

Retrieves system configuration settings from nonvolatile memory, which is located on the motherboard.

Verifies that the devices needed to start an operating system, such as a hard disk, are present.

Performs initial hardware checks, such as determining the amount of memory present.The first set of startup instructions is the POST, which is responsible for the following The processor-dependent code that starts the computer regardless of the operating system The BIOS and EFI, which are types of firmware, contain As soon as you turn on a computer, its processor begins to carry out the programming instructionsĬontained in the BIOS or EFI.

Power on self test windows 10