What is PSU-RIPPLE-NOISE?
Higher power ripple (Ripple) (PSU-RIPPLE-NOISE) is a medium-severity fault affecting the power supply unit (PSU). The source produces higher than permitted supply voltage ripple. It causes instability or damage to the capacitors on the board. It's most often caused by cheap poor quality PSU, congested resource and faulty PFC circuit. Use the steps below to track down and fix the cause.
Common Causes
- Old capacitors in PSU
- Cheap poor quality PSU
- Congested resource
- Faulty PFC circuit
Step-by-Step Fix Guide
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1
Measure the Ripple on the 12V line with an oscilloscope
Most reports of PSU-RIPPLE-NOISE clear up after Measure the Ripple on the 12V line with an oscilloscope, so it's worth trying before anything more involved.
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2
Exchange for a quality PSU (Gold/Platinum tier)
Persistent cases usually stem from less common psu instability factors, which the following steps are built to catch.
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3
Check the capacitors on the motherboard
"Check the capacitors on the motherboard" targets old capacitors in PSU, one of the documented causes of PSU-RIPPLE-NOISE.
Commands & Diagnostics
No specific commands required for this error. Follow the step-by-step guide above.
Frequently Asked Questions
PSU-RIPPLE-NOISE is most often triggered by old capacitors in PSU. Other reports point to cheap poor quality PSU, congested resource and faulty PFC circuit as contributing factors.
"Measure the Ripple on the 12V line with an oscilloscope" clears up most PSU-RIPPLE-NOISE reports by itself. The remaining steps above cover what's left.
PSU-RIPPLE-NOISE is a medium-severity issue. It can affect system stability, but the fix steps above typically resolve it without lasting damage.
You shouldn't need to. Work through the guide above first — a reinstall is only worth considering if none of those steps help.
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