Used hardware is usually a good option to save a few euros. But a gamer has now gotten hardware that only looks sensible at first glance.
The featured image is a symbolic image.
A gamer recently explained on Reddit that he bought a used gaming PC. But he himself probably doesn’t trust the new PC completely, as he posts a picture of the power supply of the computer.
At first glance, many people warn against using the component. Because the part looks anything but safe.
Power supply supposedly provides 1,600 watts and high efficiency
What is the problem? Basically, the power supply provides your computer with power: it converts the voltage from the power grid for your device.
At first glance, the power supply also looks powerful. 1,600 watts means a lot of power and high efficiency means that little energy is wasted. However, many users warn against using the power supply.
- Some claim that the numbers on the power supply may not be correct. The 95% looks like someone turned an 80% into a 95 with a thick marker.
- A few users also refer to the power supply as “IED” (for “Improvised Explosive Devices”), which means “improvised explosive device”.
- Others explain that such power supplies with many cables are not unusual. Because such models were almost exclusively used in mining rigs: “The chances are good that the hardware has been through hell.”
Moreover, it is almost never worth risking your hardware with a potentially hazardous power supply. Because a good power supply from a reputable manufacturer can be obtained for around 50 euros.
Cheap and no-name
power supplies have a bad reputation in the community
Especially very cheap power supplies that have become known on the Internet as China bombs
have the bad reputation of offering more appearance than reality:
- A high performance is promised for little money, but this is usually only achieved in voltage spikes.
- The actual values are often significantly below the manufacturer’s specifications, and important fuses that protect against overvoltage may be missing.
- Some very cheap imported products even lack the CE mark, which manufacturers in the EU are required to have. Because this indicates that the product is approved for the EU market.
For many users, the saying still applies to power supplies: Whoever buys cheaply usually buys twice.
Why can such products be difficult? The problem is mainly that you can cause a lot of damage with a damaged, broken, or even manipulated power supply. In the best case, you end up with only several broken components, in the worst case, you have a house fire because certain fuses in the power supply did not hold. Because with very cheap products, savings are made somewhere, and in the most annoying cases regarding safety.
But even with high-priced models, you can have a lot of trouble. A gamer almost set his apartment on fire because he underestimated his modular power supply:
Gamer warns that with a tiny mistake, you can set your expensive PC hardware on fire
