Is it possible for a dying PSU to cause a breaker in my house to trip? - Hardware & Software

So i've been having this issue suddenly - My computer and monitors can be the only thing on in the house and it will trip the breaker for the room it is in. I don't know why it does this, it does it randomly and seemingly without any real pattern. However it has been happening more and more frequently as of late. Some days I can have almost every outlet drawing power and will not get any type of breakers being tripped. Sometimes i can only have a computer plug in and it will not trip. Then it seems at random it will trip with everything plugged in, so i will unplug everything and leave the computer still running and it will still trip. I figured it would have been some type of shitty electrical issue and suddenly at random my computer will COMPLETELY shut down - power goes out and suddenly instantly comes back and begins booting. I'm beginning to think it is the PSU and not my house. The PSU is a bit old (Originally bought it when the Nvidia 8800GT came out.) Its been a solid PSU thus far but I wouldn't be surprised if it is beginning to die. What do you guys think? Also I have not purchased a PSU in some time and wanted to know what a solid brand or supply to go with - It has to be a single rail, modular, and at least 1000-1300W (for future upgrades). I'm currently running a I5, 8gb of ram, 7970, i have 3 HDDS, along with customer coolers and fans as for an idea of what type of power draw. Greatly appreciate any ideas and suggestions.

could be the outlet is bad too

[QUOTE=hydrated;47554497]could be the outlet is bad too[/QUOTE] I never really thought about that, I suppose I could change outlets and give that a try. Any diagnostic tools to check for this?

[QUOTE=MR-X;47554502]I never really thought about that, I suppose I could change outlets and give that a try. Any diagnostic tools to check for this?[/QUOTE] i don't know of any special tool, but you could try plugged everything into every outlet in the house could be a wire leading to your room, could be that outlet also after living in a house where plugging in the hair dryer (and seemingly only the hair dryer) causes the entire downstairs to lose power, I would say [b]never[/b] rule out house wiring

[QUOTE=MR-X;47554491]So i've been having this issue suddenly - My computer and monitors can be the only thing on in the house and it will trip the breaker for the room it is in. I don't know why it does this, it does it randomly and seemingly without any real pattern. However it has been happening more and more frequently as of late. Some days I can have almost every outlet drawing power and will not get any type of breakers being tripped. Sometimes i can only have a computer plug in and it will not trip. Then it seems at random it will trip with everything plugged in, so i will unplug everything and leave the computer still running and it will still trip. I figured it would have been some type of shitty electrical issue and suddenly at random my computer will COMPLETELY shut down - power goes out and suddenly instantly comes back and begins booting. I'm beginning to think it is the PSU and not my house. The PSU is a bit old (Originally bought it when the Nvidia 8800GT came out.) Its been a solid PSU thus far but I wouldn't be surprised if it is beginning to die. What do you guys think? Also I have not purchased a PSU in some time and wanted to know what a solid brand or supply to go with - It has to be a single rail, modular, and at least 1000-1300W (for future upgrades). I'm currently running a I5, 8gb of ram, 7970, i have 3 HDDS, along with customer coolers and fans as for an idea of what type of power draw. Greatly appreciate any ideas and suggestions.[/QUOTE] Yeah its probably the wiring in your house. It sounds like there are too many things connected to one breaker. It happened in my house where we couldnt run the microwave in the kitchen and the hair dryer and many other things. Luckily my Uncle and Brother are both electricians. Best thing to try to do is either know somebody who can separate your room on its own breaker or try different outlets that might be on a different breaker and run an extension cord with an surge protector on it.

A psu can flip breakers, yes. I had one that would blow the fuse in it's kettle lead, blow the fuse in the extension lead it was plugged in and the breakers in the house. Try seeing if the breakers flip when the pc is plugged into another wall outlet first before buying anything.

We'll, I decided to go to the store I bought a new extension cord (14 gauge to be on the safer side), plugged in 2 monitors and the computer and tried a new outlet. I plugged in all the items in the house to stress test and attempt to trip the breaker and so far I have not had any issues. Looks like it may have just been the outlet.

[QUOTE=MR-X;47564961] Looks like it may have just been the outlet.[/QUOTE] Based upon what was posted and using same reasoning, that clearly indicates a defective computer and monitor. Now, list of reasons for that defect can be quite long - tens of items. You simply choose one and accused it? I sure how you never end up on a jury. Long before changing things can identify a defect, first facts must be collected. For example, you do not even say what type of breaker. Conventional, AGFCi, GFCi, fuse? Do not define house wiring - two wire or three? Age? Do not even say what, in detail, was done to restore power. Did you have to fully turn off the breaker before turning it back on? Every detail defines completely different reasons for that anomaly. Worse, the failure could be symptoms of a major human safety defect. Why ignore it? Many things that are defective can still work elsewhere. Even that concept confuses many. Just another reason why we fix things. To learn how to think through problems. You have no reasons to suspect any one reason or to believe the problem is solved. Especially when an extension cord, if used as a solution, is also considered a fire threat. Yeah, if you first discover a defect and fix it, then much will be learn on how to diagnose. Electricity is easy to understand. Hard is how to get the head around a problem.

[QUOTE=westom;47565664]Based upon what was posted and using same reasoning, that clearly indicates a defective computer and monitor. Now, list of reasons for that defect can be quite long - tens of items. You simply choose one and accused it? I sure how you never end up on a jury. Long before changing things can identify a defect, first facts must be collected. For example, you do not even say what type of breaker. Conventional, AGFCi, GFCi, fuse? Do not define house wiring - two wire or three? Age? Do not even say what, in detail, was done to restore power. Did you have to fully turn off the breaker before turning it back on? Every detail defines completely different reasons for that anomaly. Worse, the failure could be symptoms of a major human safety defect. Why ignore it? Many things that are defective can still work elsewhere. Even that concept confuses many. Just another reason why we fix things. To learn how to think through problems. You have no reasons to suspect any one reason or to believe the problem is solved. Especially when an extension cord, if used as a solution, is also considered a fire threat. Yeah, if you first discover a defect and fix it, then much will be learn on how to diagnose. Electricity is easy to understand. Hard is how to get the head around a problem.[/QUOTE] How on earth did you just turn a simple problem that had a simple solution into all of this bollocks? The fact the PC and other pieces are working fine on another socket proves that they aren't the problem. Either his socket probably has shit wiring or the breaker has too many things connected and the PC is the final straw, that's all.

The amperage on the fuze might be to low for all the load it might be experiencing but in any case i would call an electrician.