Laptop power brick help .

[SqueakyTweaky]

Hello there!

I've been encountering issues with my laptop for nearly a year now. Initially, it would unexpectedly restart, especially during gaming sessions.

As time went on, the problem worsened, leading to frequent BSOD screens and other unusual occurrences, particularly during GPU-intensive tasks using the RTX 2070 Max-Q. I've thoroughly checked all components—RAM, motherboard, SSD, GPU—and even replaced the thermal paste, running multiple tests to ensure everything is functioning properly.

Recently, while rearranging my workspace, I noticed a bulge or swelling beneath the power brick, something I hadn't paid attention to before since my laptop mostly stays stationary. Now, I'm wondering if this could be the root cause of all my troubles—perhaps the damaged power brick is unable to maintain a steady power supply?

Before investing in a new power brick, priced at 80€, I plan to take my laptop to a repair center to try a different charger . I want to ensure that I'm addressing the right issue and not wasting money on an unnecessary replacement.


Chassis & Display
Defiance Series: 17.3" Matte Full HD 144Hz 72% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Six Core Processor 8750H (2.2GHz, 4.1GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2070 Max-Q - 8.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st Storage Drive
960GB ADATA SU650 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 450MB/W)
Intel Optane Memory
32GB INTEL® M10 OPTANE MEMORY - USE WITH MECHANICAL HDD
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 6 in 1 Card Reader (SD /Mini SD/ SDHC / SDXC / MMC / RSMMC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 180W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Battery
Defiance Series 4 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (62WH)
Thermal Paste
COOLER MASTER MASTERGEL MAKER THERMAL COMPOUND
Sound Card
2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & KILLER™ WIRELESS-AC 1550 M.2 GAMING 802.11AC + BLUETOOTH 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
2 x USB 3.1 PORTS (Type C) + 2 x USB 3.1 PORTS
Keyboard Language
RGB BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Laptop Cooling Stands
CoolerMaster NotePal L2 Laptop Cooler, upto 17.3 inch
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)

 

[Bhuna50]

Is this a PC Specialist laptop - if so please can you copy and paste your spec from your order page on here. Also when you say bulging power brick - I assume you mean the charger power brick and not the laptop battery?

 

[SqueakyTweaky]

Is this a PC Specialist laptop - if so please can you copy and paste your spec from your order page on here. Also when you say bulging power brick - I assume you mean the charger power brick and not the laptop battery?

Yes it is a PC specialist laptop .
Updated main post .

Yes the power charger brick that comes from the outlet , laptop internal battery is fine .

 

[SpyderTracks]

Yes it is a PC specialist laptop .
Updated main post .

Yes the power charger brick that comes from the outlet , laptop internal battery is fine .

just send it to PCS to have the issue found, that’s what you’re paying for?

 

[SqueakyTweaky]

just send it to PCS to have the issue found, that’s what you’re paying for?

I am well over my warranty period . I am just curious about the power brick since it has never happened to me before and only found some isolated cases on the Internet about the issue .

I am just assuming that if it can't deliver the required output when the GPU rtx2070 kicks in it causes issues and becomes unstable .

Wanting to just know if people have had issues in the past with the laptop charger part being swollen .

 

[SpyderTracks]

I am well over my warranty period . I am just curious about the power brick since it has never happened to me before and only found some isolated cases on the Internet about the issue .

I am just assuming that if it can't deliver the required output when the GPU rtx2070 kicks in it causes issues and becomes unstable .

Wanting to just know if people have had issues in the past with the laptop charger part being swollen .

Warranty only covers manufacturing defects. Just because your warranty expires doesn’t mean PCS can’t offer you support.

i would create an RMA in your account and have it checked over. They can quote, then you have the choice to fix it with them or go elsewhere but at least you know what the issue is.

 

[SqueakyTweaky]

Warranty only covers manufacturing defects. Just because your warranty expires doesn’t mean PCS can’t offer you support.

i would create an RMA in your account and have it checked over. They can quote, then you have the choice to fix it with them or go elsewhere but at least you know what the issue is.

It is going to cost me probably to much to send the part from Estonia to UK to have it diagnosed & shipped back ,not to mention the time it will take .

Going to go with the local repair shop or pc center to test a different power brick , not going to use the charger as this looks dangerous and not normal .

 

[SpyderTracks]

It is going to cost me probably to much to send the part from Estonia to UK to have it diagnosed & shipped back ,not to mention the time it will take .

Going to go with the local repair shop or pc center to test a different power brick , not going to use the charger as this looks dangerous and not normal .

How do you know though? You haven't even contacted PCS? You may as well contact them to at least know if it's too expensive or not, don't just assume. PCS operate throughout Europe, you don't have to ship it to UK, they have a European based workplace too.

The power brick shouldn't be swollen in any way, so you have to fix that, and don't order a 3rd party one as they inevitably cause damage, just order an official part through pcs.

That may well not be the cause of your issues though, you never assume a cause, you prove it with troubleshooting.

You say you've repasted, that needs to be done once a year to maintain thermals on a system. What are the temps you're seeing under load after repasting?

You say you're getting BSODs, but haven't mentioned what the code is? The BSOD code will point you in the direction of the cause, without that it's meaningless.

If you can go through the following and update, perhaps @ubuysa can help out, go straight to the 3rd post.

When you're seeking help with a BSOD

Don't Panic! Many people panic when they get a BOSD, partly this is because they happen unexpectedly and because they usually happen without warning, but also because many believe they mean you have a hardware problem. The good news is that in the majority of cases a BSOD is a software problem...

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