Probability of blown PSU killing other components?

My PSU is an Antec earthwatts 650w (the old line purchased in 2010), its 2 years old because I got it replaced under warranty. It makes a very quiet buzzing sometimes but I don't know if that is a problem. I got an email from Antec support saying this :

You can find the specs on this PDF format

http://www.antec.com/pdf/flyers/EarthWatts_650_flyer.pdf

The EA-650 has an active PFC (Power Factor Correction) which controls the rails of the PSU depending on the components requirements for voltage and amperage. If you can see on the PDF file for the flyer, the max output is 18amps per rails but since your video card requires more amperage per rail, you're going to put a strain on the PFC and might overload the rail and might have a melted PSU cables. I've personally experienced one when testing a Titan 780 video card with these PSU.

Thank you for contacting Antec Inc. in regards to your inquiry, your video card is a high end video card and the EA-650 is a good PSU but the components on the PSU is not compatible with the power consumption of the R9-280. The EA-650 uses a standard capacitors and these are not a heavy duty capacitors and in the long run, the video card will put strain on the PSU. I would recommend get a high end PSU for your high end system. The EA-650 would work but with your high end system, the longevity is shorter on the EA-650 if you'll be running it on your system. I recommending upgrading the PSU.

So after these emails I am thinking I may need a new PSU for my new components I am getting, I don't really want to buy a new PSU and can't really afford it but if its going to possibly damage £700 of new hardware then I will upgrade it. I read that a pc can fry your components when it dies but I don't know if this is like a 10% chance or a 50% chance etc.
 
Shocked a manufacturer recommending buying new more expensive products. :)

As long as you don't overload it, it should be fine.
If it die it dies, PSU die all the time, it tends to be only the bargain basement £5-£25 jobs that fry components, unless you are unlucky.
Also some fried components can be the cause.

Make sure you are under 80% of it's load spec and it should be fine.

My old Seasonic SII 600 went bang, but didn't damage a thing.
 
I think my earthwatts would probably be fine and wouldn't cause any damage but I read some reviews and now I want a PSU with better efficiency and ripple etc. as well, being an antec like you say its probably unlikely it would kill any components but it might so I will probably just get a new one as the 280x or 290 are power hungry. I would never buy anything cheapo or dodgy brands and this is already a decent Antec one so maybe I am being overly paranoid but the Antec support person has made me paranoid now, I emailed back and said if you give me a discount on a better PSU I will stay with Antec otherwise I will get a different brand which is the same PSU but cheaper lol. On johnnyguru he had a review of one of the cheapo units and it literally exploded during the review... nice

Ergh this was supposed to be a cheap upgrade and it has gradually gone up in price as I read more reviews.... I don't even know if I need super low ripple numbers, 1% stability and gold efficiency, but I want it now so the damage has been done haha.
 
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Sasahara said:
Antec support rep also had a "Titan 780" ok.... :)

Do you have a budget for the new PSU?
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I looked it up already and it is either the superflower gold one for £90 which is too much tbh and there are some xfx and antec ones for about £70 so probably £70, I don't think there are any better ones for £70 than Antec and XFX.
 
I think I will go for a seasonic based PSU, marginally worse than the superflower for the specs, but you can get a good one for £70 delivered. That EVGA does look very nice though. Might get that one.. Thanks for the link.
 
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They do look like nice PSU's... Both the superflower and the EVGA, meh I will just spend some more money that I cannot really afford but at least I will have -15mv ripple at all times!! the seasonic ones look good enough for specs but they all have loud fans and stupid fan profiles. Looks like even seasonic are struggling to keep up with these new superflower PSU's, I had never even heard of superflower and suddenly they bring out a PSU that is almost perfect specs and quiet as well.

Initially I was planning to spend no more than about £500, after researching parts its now its gone up to £650 lol, there's always something slightly better for a bit more money and you end up spending more than you planned lol.
 
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NirK said:
Initially I was planning to spend no more than about £500, after researching parts its now its gone up to £650 lol, there's always something slightly better for a bit more money and you end up spending more than you planned lol.
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the same happened to me with water cooling. I was planning to spend 500 now, but when i was looking i added this and that...and ...it was 650£ then :D
 
fat4l said:
happened to me.
My old fortron 700w, took my MB with it :/
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I had a Corsair hx850w take out a motherboard a number of years back when it literally went BANG (My head was under the desk with the case side off at the time :S ).

When the replacement hx850w went that just seemed to stop working and no damage was caused.
 
I have had 3 psu's blow on me, 2 were just the psu, 3rd took out the main board, chip and hdd. That was on a case imported from Germany set to 110. Sounded like a car crashing into the shop when it went.
 
I too have an elderly PSU (around 6 years old Antec 550HE) and am getting paranoid a little about what happens when it blows up. I guess time will tell? :)

Current running i5-3570K, Asrock P67 PRO3, Sapphire HD 7870 XT, one SATA and one SSD without blinking.
 
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