Possible Static Electricity Damage?

[Zer0BL2]

I recently built a new PC with a fresh install of Windows 11 and after it was all set up and I was just putting the side panel on, I saw and heard static electricity at the corner of my case and my monitors went black while all the lights on all of the internal components stayed on. I turned the PSU off and waited a couple seconds before unplugging it and plugging it back into the wall. The PC turns on just fine but I’m getting occasional crashes to desktop in some games (RDR2 and Lego Journey) and a weird visual glitch that looks like a permanent screen tear about 1/4 of the way down the monitor only in cutscenes in Control. Could this be possibly a result of the static electricity discharge? Or am I just being paranoid?

OS: Windows 11 Pro 64 bit

 

Specs:

CPU: Ryzen 7 7800X3D

GPU: MSI RTX 4080 Suprim X

Mobo: Gigabyte x670 Aorus Elite AX (bios version f10a)

RAM: 32gb (16x2) C30 6000mhz G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB with EXPO enabled

PSU: Corsair RM1000x (1000 watts)

Storage: WD_Black SN850x  1tb M.2 SSD

 

 

[Supersonicwolfe]

4 minutes ago, Zer0BL2 said:

I recently built a new PC with a fresh install of Windows 11 and after it was all set up and I was just putting the side panel on, I saw and heard static electricity at the corner of my case and my monitors went black while all the lights on all of the internal components stayed on. I turned the PSU off and waited a couple seconds before unplugging it and plugging it back into the wall. The PC turns on just fine but I’m getting occasional crashes to desktop in some games (RDR2 and Lego Journey) and a weird visual glitch that looks like a permanent screen tear about 1/4 of the way down the monitor only in cutscenes in Control. Could this be possibly a result of the static electricity discharge? Or am I just being paranoid?

OS: Windows 11 Pro 64 bit

 

Specs:

CPU: Ryzen 7 7800X3D

GPU: MSI RTX 4080 Suprim X

Mobo: Gigabyte x670 Aorus Elite AX (bios version f10a)

RAM: 32gb (16x2) C30 6000mhz G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB with EXPO enabled

PSU: Corsair RM1000x (1000 watts)

Storage: WD_Black SN850x  1tb M.2 SSD

 

 

It shouldn't cause by just the shock you seen and heard. Because by the time you are closing the panel, I assume you already plugged the ground, most of the charges goes straight to the ground.

 

I would suspect software corruption first

It's possible that the protection triggered by the shock also corrupted system files/drivers. So try restore DISM image and do a SFC /scannow

See this Microsoft guide

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/use-the-system-file-checker-tool-to-repair-missing-or-corrupted-system-files-79aa86cb-ca52-166a-92a3-966e85d4094e

 

Also check your Event Viewer to see if there are any logged error messages. You can disregard most warning and information messages but you should look for Critical or Error messages.

 

I'm not ruling out something gets damaged by static shock, but both LTT and Elctroboom had made video to calm our nerves on static shock.

[Zer0BL2]

9 minutes ago, Supersonicwolfe said:

It shouldn't cause by just the shock you seen and heard. Because by the time you are closing the panel, I assume you already plugged the ground, most of the charges goes straight to the ground.

 

I would suspect software corruption first

It's possible that the protection triggered by the shock also corrupted system files/drivers. So try restore DISM image and do a SFC /scannow

See this Microsoft guide

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/use-the-system-file-checker-tool-to-repair-missing-or-corrupted-system-files-79aa86cb-ca52-166a-92a3-966e85d4094e

 

Also check your Event Viewer to see if there are any logged error messages. You can disregard most warning and information messages but you should look for Critical or Error messages.

 

I'm not ruling out something gets damaged by static shock, but both LTT and Elctroboom had made video to calm our nerves on static shock.

I will try your suggestions when I get home but I do have a question, would resetting windows through the settings fix those possibly corrupt files?

Edited June 26, 2023 by Zer0BL2
Worded my question wrong

[Supersonicwolfe]

11 minutes ago, Zer0BL2 said:

I will try your suggestions when I get home but I do have a question, would resetting windows through the settings fix those possibly corrupt files?

Depends. 

The DISM restore health command check the system image to ensure the image is not corrupted *using Windows Update.

SFC then checks the system for corruption using the image.

 

IF your system image is corrupted. resetting windows probably won't really help much. Garbage in garbage out.

[Zer0BL2]

4 minutes ago, Supersonicwolfe said:

Depends. 

The DISM restore health command check the system image to ensure the image is not corrupted *using Windows Update.

SFC then checks the system for corruption using the image.

 

IF your system image is corrupted. resetting windows probably won't really help much. Garbage in garbage out.

Ok, thanks for answering my question. I will try what you suggested and see what ends up being found.

[leclod]

I'd say you saw and heard a short circuit spark and you bricked something.

Static would be between you and the computer not inside the computer.

I'd say you mounted something wrong.

Edited June 26, 2023 by leclod

[Zer0BL2]

1 hour ago, leclod said:

I'd say you saw and heard a short circuit spark and you bricked something.

Static would be between you and the computer not inside the computer.

I'd say you mounted something wrong.

Gonna have to disagree with you. It was 100% static electricity. The PC had been running for more than 30 minutes without issue before hand. I had just peeled the plastic off the side panel and could feel the static in the air from it. As soon as I touched the side panel to the case, there was a static spark where the panel touched the case in the bottom right hand corner. Other than the occasional crash to desktop in some games, the PC boots up and plays everything without issue. Everything is mounted correctly. I have had the side panel off and on while the PC is running since then and have had zero sparks anywhere. There definitely isn’t anything bricked either. Everything functions normally except for the few occasional crashes to desktop in certain games. If something was bricked, it wouldn’t even POST. 

[Whatisthis]

Sometimes static electricity can leave lingering effects in the capacitors. There was another case of static a couple months back that cause the computer to refuse to cold boot after a static spark to a usb port. 

 

Unplug the psu (don’t turn off the switch) and press and hold the power button down for 10-15 seconds. That will discharge all the capacitors in the system. It might fix your issue.

[leclod]

1 hour ago, Zer0BL2 said:

Gonna have to disagree with you.

I had just peeled the plastic off the side panel and could feel the static in the air from it. As soon as I touched the side panel to the case, there was a static spark where the panel touched the case in the bottom right hand corner.

Maybe you didn't mention important information.

1 hour ago, Zer0BL2 said:

Everything functions normally except for the few occasional crashes to desktop in certain games. If something was bricked, it wouldn’t even POST. 

I'm not convinced, something's fishy and it still could be hardware.

About that "tear about 1/4 of the way down the monitor only in cutscenes in Control" could you maybe try to replicate that with the igpu (without gpu mounted) ?

I don't know if it's doable.

 

Are you running everything at stock (Ram too) with Bios, drivers... updated ?

Edited June 26, 2023 by leclod

[Zer0BL2]

31 minutes ago, leclod said:

Maybe you didn't mention important information in the first place.

Thanks for the “help” but no thanks. When I say there was a static electricity spark, I meant there was a static electricity spark. I did not leave any important information out. In fact if you actually read the whole post, you would answer almost every question you asked. Have a wonderful day.