Redditor finds heavy block of iron shavings inside cheap PSU, also appears to lack safety protections

In general, you shouldn't open your power supply if you don't know what to expect inside. But RedditCringe990 on the PCMR subreddit did, and found a power supplies that appears to be dangerous, if not low quality. The Equites T500 has all  of the traits of a low-quality power supply (like no over-current protection), but this particular unit also came with an object housed inside.

Upon inspection, the Reddit poster found a huge block of iron inside of the PSU securely installed next to the capacitors. Even though it was attached inside the unit, the iron block has no functional purpose. None of the other electrical components had any wiring or direct connection to the iron block in any form or shape.

The only explanation to address this phenomenon is whoever built this power supply added the iron block to make the unit feel weightier than it actually is, giving it the impression of a higher-quality unit. Weight isn't traditionally a factor that defines higher-end units, but generally speaking, most high-end power supplies are heavier than their lower-wattage counterparts due to the extra components higher-wattage units need to expand their capabilities.

But the iron block isn't the worst part of the unit. User Hattix responded to the Redditor's findings confirming that they saw has no input protections to speak of, including OCP protection. Hattix suggested that the unit isn't capable of achieving its 500W limit and is likely limited to a far lower 250W.

A power supply with no protection is the most dangerous component to have in a system. With no protection, the power supply components could undergo catastrophic failure and take the rest of the system with it. Ideally, you want a unit with (OCP) Over-Current Protection, OVP/UVP (Over Voltage/Under Voltage Protection), OPP (Over Power Protection), OTP (Over Temperature Protection), and SCP (Short Circuit Protection) to make sure the power supply cuts power before damage occurs under unideal conditions.

You also want a power supply made by a reputable manufacturer, with all of the proper safety testing and regulation marking. A good unit will also ensure that proper power delivery is making its way to each of your components ensuring system stability. For more details be sure to check out our PSUs 101 guide.

It goes without saying that no one should use the power supply RedditCringe990 found. Hopefully, the manufacturer will own its mistakes in the future and build a proper replacement that users can depend on.