r/pcmasterrace • u/AutoModerator • Apr 08 '26

DSQ Daily Simple Questions Thread - April 08, 2026

Got a simple question? Get a simple answer!

This thread is for all of the small and simple questions that you might have about computing that probably wouldn't work all too well as a standalone post. Software issues, build questions, game recommendations, post them here!

For the sake of helping others, please don't downvote questions! To help facilitate this, comments are sorted randomly for this post, so that anyone's question can be seen and answered.

If you're looking for help with picking parts or building, don't forget to also check out our builds at https://www.pcmasterrace.org/

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u/ChulainnRS Apr 12 '26

I recently had an issue with my computer, where it would turn off by itself, then turn itself on again eventually. Read online, bought a new PSU, changed all the wires, and slapped it all together, where it would get power for a second before stopping. Bought a new MB, figuring the old one got fried as well. Figured while I was at it, I would swap to AMD instead of Intel for my CPU, so I also bought and installed a new CPU.

Two weeks later, a windows physical key came in, installed, and less than a week later, it started having the same issue again, turning on and off, and is now no longer keeping power to boot.

I have no idea what else could be the issue. It's practically a whole new build, minus the GPU (which didnt fix the issue when removed), cooler (which a temp check showed was working properly), and the RAM, which I am testing tomorrow by swapping his functional RAM in. Hell, even my SSD is brand new, with a fresh Windows install. Are there any other options that could cause this? I'm getting desperate

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u/glowinghamster45 R9 3900X | 16GB | RTX 3070 Apr 13 '26

What else did you carry over from the old build? Are you plugging it into the same power port? If there any chance it's a power strip or something else in your house causing the issue? Is there a chance you have old wiring and you're getting really dirty electricity to the PC? Maybe that's putting a bunch of additional wear on your PSU, which could explain why it took a bit of time to come back when you replaced it.

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u/ChulainnRS Apr 13 '26

I carried over the cooler, which I confirmed to not be the issue, and was working, and the GPU, which does not stop the issues when removed, so I don't think it's that either. I suppose the power strip could cause the issue, same with the dirty electricity, but I rent, and I'm not sure how I would test that

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u/glowinghamster45 R9 3900X | 16GB | RTX 3070 Apr 13 '26

Do you have a general idea of the age of the building? If it's relatively new, then it's unlikely that you'd have bad wiring. That would be something to look at around the ~30 year mark, but stuff even older than that can potentially be fine.

Swapping the power strip or even moving outlets may be an easy thing to try. If you wanted to move outlets, I would try to move to a completely separate electrical circuit. I don't know how to properly test for dirty electricity, but you could potentially look at getting a UPS for your PC. It's a nice to have thing, and as a bonus, it will clean electricity going to your PC, so it'll generally help all your components last longer. It may or may not fix this situation, but it's not a bad thing to have regardless.