will power outage for a split second cause damage to my pc??

Pramit Kumar Biswas · Oct 12, 2015

Today when I was going to reset my usb mouse on the back panel, my hand bumped into the mass of wires ( specially the one that connects ups and psu ) . After that my pc shutdown and restart itself in a split of a second and says windows did not shutdown sucessfully. Though my psu did not suffer a single damage . So is there any chance that my other components are affected ( not damaged) without damaging the psu?

basroil · Oct 12, 2015

certainly possible, but unlikely if everything is working now

Pramit Kumar Biswas · Oct 12, 2015

Everything is working up to the mark right now. I didn't notice any serious issues though. My gigabyte mobo comes with a power surge and power outage protection. Does that means it will prevent the damage to the components connected to the mobo like cpu??

SteelCity1981 · Oct 12, 2015

it can that's why you should have a good surge protector it protects electronics from brown outs and power spikes.

basroil · Oct 12, 2015

Pramit Kumar Biswas :

No, those "protections" aren't really all that great, and most of your issues will be from the parts not drawing power from the board but still connected to it, like USB and graphics cards.

If there's no damage now there's no issues.

However, you need to seriously rethink your cabling if you somehow can actually pull cables during operation.

MarkW · Oct 12, 2015

SteelCity1981 :

Surge Protectors have absolutely no effect on brown outs or power outages. A UPS (batter backup unit) is what helps with those. Surge protectors do what their name implies. They prevent power surges.

Unexpected power outages can corrupt the hard drive if it as being written to at the time the power dropped.

Pramit Kumar Biswas · Oct 12, 2015

I have a UPS...but the wire connecting the UPS and the PSU just got loose...so the power after going came right back in the split of a second.

Pramit Kumar Biswas · Oct 12, 2015

basroil :

Pramit Kumar Biswas :

No, those "protections" aren't really all that great, and most of your issues will be from the parts not drawing power from the board but still connected to it, like USB and graphics cards.

If there's no damage now there's no issues.

However, you need to seriously rethink your cabling if you somehow can actually pull cables during operation.

Can you please tell me the effects or symptoms of a computer affected by power spikes or outage

basroil · Oct 12, 2015

Pramit Kumar Biswas :

Well, things will stop working, you'll smell smoke, or you might even see things catch fire in rare cases.

If everything is working, it should be fine.

Pramit Kumar Biswas · Oct 12, 2015

basroil :

Thank U so much

westom · Oct 12, 2015

Pramit Kumar Biswas :

No power outage must damage any appliance. That has been an international design standard long before the IBM PC existed. Unfortunately plenty of companies sell magic boxes to 'cure' these mythical threats. Many have simply reiterated those myths here. Only those manipulated by advertising and hearsay would 'know' a power outage does hardware damage. We who design this stuff know better.

If power outage causes hardware damage, then that poster also said what internal part is damaged. Nobody will because no part is harmed. That damage is a classic urban myth. Another myth is an outage corrupting a disk drive

Same applies to all low voltages. Incandescent bulbs can dim to 40% intensity due to a low voltage. Even voltage that low is suffcient any properly constructed computer. If voltage drops lower, then a computer simply powers off - no hardware damage.

One international design standard is so blunt about this as to include this expression, in all capital letters, in the entire low and no voltage chart: No Damage Region. Because low voltage and a blackout never damage properly designed hardware.

Define a spike. An outage is easy - 0 volts. But what number defines a spike? A current spike? A voltage spike? Spike is a subjective and therefore vague term. Says little to nothing useful. But a fabulous term to promote lies and myths.

View specification numbers for a plug-in surge (spike) protector. Someone assumed if called a surge protector, then it must do surge protection. Really? Classic junk science (subjective) reasoning. That protector may claim protection by absorbing up to a thousand joules. But that tiny surge can be harmlessly absorbed by electronics; converted into low voltage DC to safely power its semiconductors. What is that surge protector protecting when electronics already make a near zero surge (and smaller surges) irrelevant?

Something completely different is also called a surge (spike) protector. This device also does not protect from surges. Instead it connects surges to what harmlessly absorbs them. Then no household appliance is at risk. Then hundreds of thousands of joules surges do not cause damage. This completely different device does not foolishly try to block or absorb surges. Instead it connects or diverts a surge to what actually does protection.

Protector and protection are two completely different devices in an effective 'system'. Advertising will do anything to keep consumers confused. That confusion increases profits.

Described is a near zero spike - often harmlessly consumed by appliances. And a destructive spike (typically once every seven years) that can overwhelm superior protection inside an appliance. Both are called spikes. Both are completely different - as defined by numbers. Word 'spike' defines many completely different anomalies. Because the term is subjective.

basroil · Oct 12, 2015

westom :

They certainly can. If you have a "battery" somewhere (unevenly discharging capacitors too), the voltage can go backwards and damage equipment. Sure properly designed devices mitigate these issues, but since when do consumer devices have all the protections they should have? And that of course assumes that the system can handle a drop to zero volts "instantaneously" without breaking the capacitors, which is the first thing that will probably be skimped out on by designers (since it's rare).

And when it comes to appliances (AC units, etc), the issue isn't the outage itself, it's the voltage spike that comes after the outage, when power is restored (or power outage happens close by) but the load is a fraction of what it was (because half the load turned off). A good surge protector will be able to correct that without issue.

Usually when you talk about outage related spikes you are talking about current induced voltage spikes, after all, if current or voltage spikes in a certain system, the other must do the same (unless you have a non-linear "resister", which is what surge protectors use).

westom · Oct 13, 2015

basroil :

Junk science is alive and well. When did a voltage go backwards. An electronics designer for many decades never once saw a voltage go backwards. And never once had to design protection from it.

If a sudden power outage causes damage, then so do all normal power offs. Both are same and sudden. How often are your electronics destroyed by every power off? Electronics do not know the difference between an opened power switch and the loss of an electric power plant. Both outages look exactly same to those capacitors or whatever is invented 'at risk'. Even capacitors do not fail due to ... what is that anomaly again - backwards voltage?

Of course, myth purveyors ignore facts such as international standards that require electronics not be damaged at any low voltage. Again, the expression in large and all capital letters: No Damage Region. Why does one know design standards that have existed for 50+ years must be wrong? Simple. He ignores them.

When power is restored, what happens? Each 100 watt incandescent bulb need about 700 watts when starting. Motors and electronics also demand maximum current on startup. This massive load 'increases' voltage? Of course not. Obviously not. Reality: a large current demand causes a lower voltage. Voltage slowly rises as that 100 watt bulbs drop from a 700 watt demand to a 100 watt demand. No spike exists (except in wild speculation). Due to so many devices demanding maximum current, then voltage stays low. And slowly rises as appliances demand less current. Spike only exists in a fictional world.

If a spike exists and is destructive, then how large is it? Why a spike that has no numbers? International design standards say electronics must withstand a spike that is 500% higher than line voltage. So, how many volts is your 'power restoration spike'? If not much greater than 500%, then standard protection inside all electronics makes that feared spike completely irrelevant. This mythical spike is also so tiny as to best be ignored.

That makes no sense. Is not even good fiction. A large current demand means line voltage drops. As happens when all appliance power up (demand maximum current) at the same time. No voltage spike. Only a low and slowly rising voltage.

Apparently a spike, not defined by a number, vaporizes - or goes backwards.

OP's computer did exactly what all computers are suppose to do. A sudden power loss meant the computer powered off without damage. Without even disk drive corruption. As was standard even long before the PC existed. That is non-fiction.

westom · Oct 13, 2015

Pramit Kumar Biswas :

You accidentally created a power outage. Surge never existed during that outage and during power restoration.

Motherboard does not have surge protection (interface semiconductors protect themselves). Protection is provided inside a PSU.

No such thing as 'power outage protection'. Since an outage causes no damage. Anyone can read numbers in datasheets. Safe voltages are anywhere from maximum (normal operating) voltages all the way down past zero to a minus 0.7 volts. All voltages from normal operation down to zero volts (outage) are ideal fine (not destructive) for all electronics.

Pramit Kumar Biswas · Oct 13, 2015

westom :

Pramit Kumar Biswas :

No power outage must damage any appliance. That has been an international design standard long before the IBM PC existed. Unfortunately plenty of companies sell magic boxes to 'cure' these mythical threats. Many have simply reiterated those myths here. Only those manipulated by advertising and hearsay would 'know' a power outage does hardware damage. We who design this stuff know better.

If power outage causes hardware damage, then that poster also said what internal part is damaged. Nobody will because no part is harmed. That damage is a classic urban myth. Another myth is an outage corrupting a disk drive

Same applies to all low voltages. Incandescent bulbs can dim to 40% intensity due to a low voltage. Even voltage that low is suffcient any properly constructed computer. If voltage drops lower, then a computer simply powers off - no hardware damage.

One international design standard is so blunt about this as to include this expression, in all capital letters, in the entire low and no voltage chart: No Damage Region. Because low voltage and a blackout never damage properly designed hardware.

Define a spike. An outage is easy - 0 volts. But what number defines a spike? A current spike? A voltage spike? Spike is a subjective and therefore vague term. Says little to nothing useful. But a fabulous term to promote lies and myths.

View specification numbers for a plug-in surge (spike) protector. Someone assumed if called a surge protector, then it must do surge protection. Really? Classic junk science (subjective) reasoning. That protector may claim protection by absorbing up to a thousand joules. But that tiny surge can be harmlessly absorbed by electronics; converted into low voltage DC to safely power its semiconductors. What is that surge protector protecting when electronics already make a near zero surge (and smaller surges) irrelevant?

Something completely different is also called a surge (spike) protector. This device also does not protect from surges. Instead it connects surges to what harmlessly absorbs them. Then no household appliance is at risk. Then hundreds of thousands of joules surges do not cause damage. This completely different device does not foolishly try to block or absorb surges. Instead it connects or diverts a surge to what actually does protection.

Protector and protection are two completely different devices in an effective 'system'. Advertising will do anything to keep consumers confused. That confusion increases profits.

Described is a near zero spike - often harmlessly consumed by appliances. And a destructive spike (typically once every seven years) that can overwhelm superior protection inside an appliance. Both are called spikes. Both are completely different - as defined by numbers. Word 'spike' defines many completely different anomalies. Because the term is subjective.

ok

ccampy · Oct 14, 2015

Ah I see Westom is here yet again

Pramit Kumar Biswas · Oct 15, 2015

Westom says that power outage will not cause any damage. He might be true.

Pramit Kumar Biswas · Oct 18, 2015

Is intel graphics affected by power outage?? I mean the integrated graphics...(just asking

). I am noob at this.

basroil · Oct 18, 2015

Pramit Kumar Biswas :

If it needs electricity to run, it's affected and will shut down like anything else. Like I said, if you don't have issues yet you won't really see any issues . Stop worrying about it, just make sure it never happens again.

Pramit Kumar Biswas · Oct 18, 2015

Kk....I just had BSOD of corrupted graphics driver but fixed it. I occurred once a month. I know that integrated gpu is along the same die as cpu. Now everything is fine. Thank U.

will power outage for a split second cause damage to my pc??

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