On Wednesday, October 30, 2013 5:23:54 PM UTC-4, Jason wrote:
I may be mistaken but ISTR there's a possibility of a voltage surge when
the PSU goes.

If the PSU meets ATX specs and power supply standards long before the IBM PC existed, then no PSU failure damages any computer parts.

However, a power supply manufacturer is not required to meet ATX and other standards. The computer assembler is required to meet those standards. So some PSU manufacturers 'forget' to include many functions required to meet ATX and other standards.

They know many 'assume' it must be good because it boots the computer. Nonsense. The PSU can be defective or can be missing essential ATX functions. And will still boot a computer. But when a PSU part fails, many required functions inside every ATX compatible supply makes computer part damage all but impossible.

Damage from a particular supply indicates a supply marketed to computer assemblers without even basic electrical knowledge.

Heat is not the typical reason for PSU failure. All computer parts should be perfectly happy even in a 100 degree F room. Manufacturing defects are the most common reason for PSU failures. We all saw defectively manufactured electrolytic capacitors fail years later due to counterfeit electrolyte. Another example of reasons for most PSU failures.