Is It Avast or Is It Hardware

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
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I have just been through STRESS only to discover I had a hardware problem .

From this vantage point of the experience I went through I want everyone to
at least check their powersupplies when they have problems with getting software to run .

If your voltage is not strong or consistant you will have problems from time to
time , and powersupplies can fool you . When they start to go bad they can
appear to be good as they start to break down . When a powersupply starts to
good bad it starts to operating INCONSISTANTLY sometimes suddenly , and sometimes gently .

Another very important thing to remember is NEVER UNDER-POWER your system.
If you add new hardware on an older powersupply it may take it over edge .

When you buy a new powersupply make sure to buy more wattage than you
need . Do not expect a new powersupply to struggle to make all things well .
It will not do it .

If you underpower your hardware your hardware will die sooner .
Ask any electronics technician what happens with an electric motor when
there is a slight voltage drop . He will tell you the motor will draw more
current if the voltage drops . MORE CURRENT MEANS MORE HEAT .
Overheat a motor hear , and there for a few months , and see what happens .

A $55 dallor powersupply, going bad , can destroy a $200 dallor stick of memory or
$100 harddrive or $300 CPU over a short period of time . AT THE LEAST IT WILL SHORTEN THE LIFE . How about that expensive video card for $400 or more .

Everytime you add hardware you are moving closer to MAX’ING OUT your
powersupply . Even if you just change out hardware the replacement may be more power hungery . Most of the time this is true . CONSIDER VIDEO CARDS AND
MEMORY .

One has to remember what SOFTWARE does. Labor intensive software like games , and anti-virus programs place GREAT POWER DEMANDS on the powersupply on order to run them . Consider when you play a video for hours
NO STOP . The same is true for video games .

Powersupplies are like light-bulbs . They burn a long time , but they do not last
forever . THEY DO NOT LAST FOREVER. If they are full of DUST they will die sooner if you do not clean(air-blow) them out often . Heat is the enemy .

Considering the cost of computer components I would replace my powersupply
at least every 14 months . Powersupplies are just to cheap in cost to put everything so expensive at risk .

Just some food for thought . Cheers everyone

2

avast forum is even cheaper ;D
Welcome and good luck with the new power supply :wink:

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One other thing to concider is that when you buy a “brand name” computer, most of those (but not all) come with just enough power supply to get by on. Remember, the manufactors build these in the most cost effective way (cheaper) to them and not to you. Adding even one more component(s) and/or stressing those types of computers can often lead to early power supply failure or “toasted” components. >:(

Been there; done that … learnt my lesson and have not bought a brand name computer since the last one in 1996. Sure, that was 10 years ago. But, it is still the same as I checked last year when it was time for a new computer again. Be sure to check out the power supply specifications when buying one of those “brand name” computers. These days, even the most basic computer should come with at least a 350 watt power supply for future expansion … though I would not go less than 400 watts but that’s just the way I am. (My computer actual has a Thermaltake 430 power supply)

Power supply primer …
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/power-supply.htm

Power chart for components …
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/power-supply3.htm

Notes: If you have more than is in the chart (higher mhz cpu, 2 harddrives, etc) then you surely need more power than is shown. Also, power supply prices are not as bad as they may seem on these pages. Shop around on-line.

I hope this helps someone. :slight_smile:

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I think this issue is so significant , and thought of last , it should be
permenantly tacked to the first page … It is important as it can
save hours of dead end work .

Power instability will cause all sort of strange events . Having a spare
powersupply just for testing is a good idea .