Hi there,
I have an HP Pavilion desktop computer which I noted some noise coming out of the computer, I opened the casing and noted that the PSU had this "burn't" plastic smell, I have looked for any soot marks but there is none, Today I noted the smell is getting stronger but the computer is working well, what could be making the PSU smell like that, How can I make this smell go away? I just feel uncomfortable with this smell.
PSU smells like burnt plastic
Desktops/laptops usually tend to get hot from overuse and one of the reasons you smell burning plastic is because of overheating. Check your desktop’s fan and hardware temperature. If the fan is not working properly or is damaged, don’t use your PC until it’s repaired, else you can end up with a burned motherboard and/ or the processor. Also, check your CPU fan of any dust built up, if there is a lot of accumulated dust, please clean it up with help of a soft brush gently and carefully and make sure it is dust free.
PSU smells like burnt plastic
If the smell is coming from your power supply then it could be overheating. It is possible that the temperature inside the power supply case is high or very high. Check if the power supply’s cooling fan is still working fine. If it is rotating a low slower than normal, it is bad for the power supply unit because it will cause overheating which can later damage the unit.
Try replacing the cooling fan in the power supply. A new cooling fan can provide much better ventilation for the power supply unit which may reduce the burning smell. On the other hand, if replacing the cooling fan didn’t fix the burnt smell, replace the power supply as early as possible to avoid damaging your motherboard as well.
It may malfunction and give high voltage feed to the motherboard which can damage other electronic components.
