It’s never a good feeling when you press the power button, and it doesn’t power on. Especially the fact that, in the worst case scenario, you could be dishing out hundreds of pounds or dollars for motherboard or power supply replacements. Don’t lose hope, though. The issue may be simpler to fix than you think.
Check It’s Turned On
As stupid and amateurish as it sounds, your power supply may simply not be turned on. If you look at the back on the power supply, there is an off and on switch. if it’s switched to on, then leave it, otherwise switch it to on and try it again.
Power Cables and Outlets
Sometimes, a plug socket or extension cable, or even the power cable itself, is damaged or otherwise unresponsive. To check these, simply try plugging in a fan or a lamp to see if the plug itself works. If they do, then see if you have a spare cable around, to test the cable (You can use the cable powering your monitor). If it continues to not work, then this fix doesn’t work for you. If the plug socket isn’t working for the fan or lamp, then try plugging the computer in another socket.
Power Supply and Motherboard
If you know what you’re doing, you can make sure your power supply is actually set-up correctly. I don’t recommend doing this if you have never done it before, as you could end up breaking something.
Power Supply Capacity
Check that your Power Supply is actually suitable for your computer. If you’re trying to use a 300 wattage power supply on a powerful computer, you’re not going to be able to do it.
Power Supply Replacement
If you’re confident that your power cable and plug socket are working, then you’ll likely need a new power supply. A decent 500w power supply can be purchased for anywhere around £40, which isn’t too much.
Motherboard Replacement
If you’re confident that your power cable, plug socket and power supply are working, then you likely have an issue with your motherboard. This is a lot more costly than a power supply, depending on what you use your computer for. It could be anywhere between £60 to £300.
