What is RIPPLE-NOISE-MAX?
RIPPLE-NOISE-MAX shows up as a high-severity power supply unit (PSU) fault. The DC power from the power supply contains too much AC interference (noise), causing instability and freezing of the PC. The usual suspects are extremely cheap resource and loss of functionality of filter capacitors due to age. The steps below are ordered to resolve this efficiently.
Common Causes
- Extremely cheap resource
- Loss of functionality of filter capacitors due to age
Step-by-Step Fix Guide
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1
Ditch the low-quality power supply and get a branded one with 80 Plus Gold certification
Ditch the low-quality power supply and get a branded one with 80 Plus Gold certification is the first thing worth trying, since it resolves RIPPLE-NOISE-MAX for most affected systems.
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2
Do not use molex/SATA adapters to power the GPU
Should symptoms return, move on to the next steps — they're written specifically for harder-to-catch psu instability causes.
Commands & Diagnostics
dxdiag
Frequently Asked Questions
RIPPLE-NOISE-MAX is most often triggered by extremely cheap resource. Other reports point to loss of functionality of filter capacitors due to age as contributing factors.
Most RIPPLE-NOISE-MAX reports resolve after "Ditch the low-quality power supply and get a branded one with 80 Plus Gold certification". The rest of the guide above is there for the cases that don't.
RIPPLE-NOISE-MAX is a high-severity error. It won't damage your PC instantly, but repeated occurrences usually point to a deeper problem worth addressing soon.
In most cases, yes — the guide above resolves RIPPLE-NOISE-MAX without a clean install. Treat a reinstall as the last resort, not the first move.
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