What Effects Can a Power Surge Have on a PS4?
Power surges occur when an electrical charge is sent suddenly through the lines. These cause spikes in the typical power flowing through an outlet: power and phone outlets. Weather is one of the most common causes of power surges, though problems with your electric company’s equipment and high powered electrical devices can also cause power surges. When a PS4 console is the victim of a power surge, the effects range from no damage to inoperable.
PS4 Power Supply
The power supply is what supplies power to your PS4 and is the first thing to be hit. If you notice a weird behavior of your PS4 when you try to turn it on, like it takes you several attempts to successfully turn it on, your power supply is probably damaged.
PS4 System No Longer Boots
One of the worst things that can happen to a PS4 during a power surge is the motherboard being hit. If the motherboard takes the brunt of the electrical surge, your PS4 will no longer be able to boot. Your motherboard controls your BIOS, which is responsible for hardware and operating system start ups. Your motherboard also controls your fan and every internal portion of your PS4.
Slow System
A low voltage power surge may result in a sluggish system. This typically means your hard drive was hit. Bad sectors on your drive result in longer boot times, slower application loading times and files opening slowly or not at all. You can run a check disk scan from the command prompt to check for bad sectors.
Modem
If you have your PS4 connected to wired network or a phone line, a power surge, especially weather related surges, can damage or destroy your modem. For high speed cable modems, this can damage your cable modem and internal network card. If you have problems connecting to the Internet after a surge, the modem was affected by the surge.
Protect Your PS4 From Power Surges
If you don’t want to risk these outcomes, you’ll need to take steps to safeguard your PS4 from harm. In the event of a surge or a spike, a surge protector can ensure that electricity is directed away from your devices and thereby ensure their inner workings are kept intact. It’s an incredibly simple and passive way to continuously make sure your technological investments aren’t ruined by a natural event.
