Power Supply

[fjyellow]

If a desktop will not power up, is it more likely a failure of the power supply unit or the motherboard?

[Geek-9pm]

More likely the motherboard. But it is easier to try another PSU and the PSU is lower cost  than a new quality motherboard. And you can always use a spare PSU.

[Karnac]

Start with power plug to power bar to wall connection. Then check the power supply connection to motherboard. Recent random reboots often indicate a power supply issue. Swap power supply for a known good unit and see if it powers up. A lot of power supplies cook in the 3-4 year old range, so if this applies start with the supply.

[fjyellow]

I am not experienced in opening the computer case and dealing with internal issues.  I assume everything has to be disconnected from the computer to pull out the existing PSU?  Is it a simple plug and play to replace

Start with power plug to power bar to wall connection. Then check the power supply connection to motherboard. Recent random reboots often indicate a power supply issue. Swap power supply for a known good unit and see if it powers up. A lot of power supplies cook in the 3-4 year old range, so if this applies start with the supply.

[Karnac]

Rather than confuse you and possibly scare you with the details, Google "change power supply" . There are a number of excellent videos available that will give you a better idea of what this entails. Very easy to do.

[fjyellow]

Thanks, Karnac.

Rather than confuse you and possibly scare you with the details, Google "change power supply" . There are a number of excellent videos available that will give you a better idea of what this entails. Very easy to do.