Think I May Have Just Fried my PC

[Guest]

I have previously posted on the forum before about a popping noise from my PC every time I switched my Belkin extension block on, see thread: 

 

 

... it was recommended to me that I leave the extension block on. And just use the power button on the top of my case (Enthoo Evolv ITX). So that is what I have been doing for the past few months. 

 

 

However, I have just come back from work today and switched my PC on (using the button at the top of the case - like I always normally do) and there was a large like 'popping' / 'arching' / 'sparking' sort of noise, and I think I saw a very brief flash of light (although this could have been my LED strip lights inside the case turning on then off very quickly, not sure) and then the computer shut off. 

 

It's like the PC momentarily powered up for like 0.5 seconds, the fans starting spinning a little, but then everything went back off. I have turned it off at the back of the PC and I have switched the extension block off. I am wary to try and turn it back on. 

 

Does anyone have any recommendations on what to do? Any help would be hugely appreciated.

 

Thank you in advance, Oli. 

 

 

[knightslugger]

remove PSU, give it a sniff.

 

smells like burned electronics... pray to God that the protection circuits inside the PSU saved your computer. ...and buy a new PSU (or RMA it if it's still under warranty).

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, knightslugger said:

remove PSU, give it a sniff.

 

smells like burned electronics... pray to God that the protection circuits inside the PSU saved your computer. ...and buy a new PSU (or RMA it if it's still under warranty).

 

Okay will do, I'll take it out now and report back. 

 

This is my second RM650x. The first one went pop and got an RMA on that  

[Fred Castellum]

Just now, EdinPC said:

 

Okay will do, I'll take it out now and report back. 

 

This is my second RM650x. The first one went pop and got an RMA on that  

Either your getting some real bad luck with the PSUs your using, or something else is in play here. 

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, knightslugger said:

remove PSU, give it a sniff.

 

smells like burned electronics... pray to God that the protection circuits inside the PSU saved your computer. ...and buy a new PSU (or RMA it if it's still under warranty).

Okay, so I've taken the windowed side panel off and had a wee sniff. I think it may potentially smell a tiny bit of burnt electronics, but then again I can't say for certain I know what that smells like. Maybe I'm just being paranoid...?

 

Should I unscrew the PSU and take it fully out the case? 

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, MyInnerFred said:

Either your getting some real bad luck with the PSUs your using, or something else is in play here. 

Indeed!  Do you have any idea of what "something else" could be? I think I remember reading something somewhere online once about Corsair supplying some PSU units with screws that were too long and touching the case and shorting or something like that?

[MiniMaster]

2 minutes ago, EdinPC said:

Should I unscrew the PSU and take it fully out the case? 

Just smell the back of the PSU where the Powercord goes. If you smell anything really bad take it out

 

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, MiniMaster said:

Just smell the back of the PSU where the Powercord goes. If you smell anything really bad take it out

 

I have smelt both the PSU power cord and the 3 pins on the back of the PSU, neither of them smell particularly bad...

 

I compared the smell to the HDMI cable end and the USB ends for Keyboard/Mouse, and they all smell the same ish.. so guessing that's just the general smell of metal? Never really sniffed metal before so I'm not 100% sure. 

 

Should I try plugging it all back in and turning on, or? 

[MiniMaster]

Just now, EdinPC said:

Should I try plugging it all back in and turning on, or? 

Risky. Do you have any extra PSU's on hand or not?

 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, MiniMaster said:

Risky. Do you have any extra PSU's on hand or not?

 

Nope, this is the only PSU I have  and I don't know anyone at uni that has a PC. Most people I know here just have Macbook's.

[MiniMaster]

1 minute ago, EdinPC said:

Nope, this is the only PSU I have  and I don't know anyone at uni that has a PC. Most people I know here just have Macbook's.

Hmm. I really don't want you to fry more components than necessary. If any are fried. If you want to you can try powering it on but have your hand on a powerswitch or something. If something goes wrong.

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, MiniMaster said:

Hmm. I really don't want you to fry more components than necessary. If any are fried. If you want to you can try powering it on but have your hand on a powerswitch or something. If something goes wrong.

1

Hmm but even if I switch it on and immediately turn it off at a plug or something, the damage will be done, no? 

[MiniMaster]

2 minutes ago, EdinPC said:

Hmm but even if I switch it on and immediately turn it off at a plug or something, the damage will be done, no? 

Yes but if it is that big of a fault you'd proabably be coverd by warranty. I would just wait until a new PSU arrives. Like Silverstone, Evga or Seasonic

imo

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, MiniMaster said:

Yes but if it is that big of a fault you'd proabably be coverd by warranty. I would just wait until a new PSU arrives. Like Silverstone, Evga or Seasonic

imo

So you recommend just getting a new PSU and plugging that in? 

 

Tbh I've been thinking for a while now about switching my case to an NZXT H200i, so do you think now would be a good time to get a new PSU and move all my components over? 

 

Or should I leave the components in my Evolv ITX and wait for a new PSU to arrive to check that they aren't fried first? Before wasting time transferring them into a new case? 

[MiniMaster]

1 minute ago, EdinPC said:

Tbh I've been thinking for a while now about switching my case to an NZXT H200i, so do you think now would be a good time to get a new PSU and move all my components over? 

 

 If you want a new case, wait till it arrives and check all the components for burn marks or similar. If you don't want a new case then I would cover the PC with a blanket so it doesn't dust up as much and wait for a new PSU. The case option is up to you.

[Guest]

35 minutes ago, MiniMaster said:

 If you want a new case, wait till it arrives and check all the components for burn marks or similar. If you don't want a new case then I would cover the PC with a blanket so it doesn't dust up as much and wait for a new PSU. The case option is up to you.

Yes I am 99% sure I want to get a new case. But do you reckon I should hold fire on moving components over to my new case until I've got a new PSU and tested all the components in the current case? 

[Guest]

Okay, so I have ordered the NZXT H200i, as my new case. 

 

I have also submitted an RMA for my current RM650x power supply. 

 

However, I do not plan to stick with Corsair. Does anyone have any recommendations? I've been doing a bit of reading and heard that the EVGA G3 is regarded as a 'Tier 1' PSU, currently £92 on Amazon UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N45K423/ref=twister_B073ZMBQNS?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

Is it worth the extra £12 over the G2 version? (£80 on eBuyer)

https://www.ebuyer.com/830658-evga-supernova-650w-psu-120-gp-0650-x3?mkwid=s_dc&pcrid=51482424299&pkw=&pmt=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2sbqn8-G2wIVZjbTCh1yKwv0EAkYASABEgKX7PD_BwE

 

 

[knightslugger]

Both are good PSUs and i would not hesitate on either of them.

[Guest]

28 minutes ago, knightslugger said:

Both are good PSUs and i would not hesitate on either of them.

Thanks for your reply! I've been doing some more reading and discovered a few advantages of the G3, including it's smaller size, and given that I'm going to be transferring my components to a pretty small case (NZXT's H200i), I think it will be worth the extra £12.

 

Have just come across a test online called the Paperclip Test. Is this something I should do before sending my PSU back to Corsair? 

[knightslugger]

11 minutes ago, EdinPC said:

Thanks for your reply! I've been doing some more reading and discovered a few advantages of the G3, including it's smaller size, and given that I'm going to be transferring my components to a pretty small case (NZXT's H200i), I think it will be worth the extra £12.

 

Have just come across a test online called the Paperclip Test. Is this something I should do before sending my PSU back to Corsair? 

to what end? Do you have a multi-meter and know which pin-outs are which voltage? skip it, it's not your headache.

[Santo22]

What I would do in this case (since you already have a new case and probably psu coming) once you take everything apart to get transferred over, test everything outside the case to make sure nothing else was damaged. You can use the motherboard box (if you still have it) as a make shift test bench or any other piece of cardboard. This way you're not assembling everything in the new case just to find out something did get fried. I wish you well and hope everything works out ok!

[Guest]

18 hours ago, EdinPC said:

Okay, so I have ordered the NZXT H200i, as my new case. 

 

I have also submitted an RMA for my current RM650x power supply. 

 

However, I do not plan to stick with Corsair.

Seriously doubt your components are fried.

 

But I do have to wonder why you keep having these issues.

 

You didn't accidentally screw the PSU into the case using the wrong screw holes, did you?  Or perhaps the wrong screws (too long)?  This is, unfortunately, fairly common:

 

http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=168396

 

I wouldn't bother spending more money on a different PSU.  Just get the RMA and put the new one in the new case.  I bet the problem may be user error as these PSUs RARELY fail in the field and you've had two in a row with issues.

[BeepBoop.PC]

On 5/14/2018 at 6:37 PM, EdinPC said:

So you recommend just getting a new PSU and plugging that in? 

 

Tbh I've been thinking for a while now about switching my case to an NZXT H200i, so do you think now would be a good time to get a new PSU and move all my components over? 

 

Or should I leave the components in my Evolv ITX and wait for a new PSU to arrive to check that they aren't fried first? Before wasting time transferring them into a new case? 

If you go with the H200i, I would get an SFF PSU. It's much better than trying to fit a full ATX PSU under the shroud!

[Guest]

On 5/15/2018 at 7:57 PM, Santo22 said:

What I would do in this case (since you already have a new case and probably psu coming) once you take everything apart to get transferred over, test everything outside the case to make sure nothing else was damaged. You can use the motherboard box (if you still have it) as a make shift test bench or any other piece of cardboard. This way you're not assembling everything in the new case just to find out something did get fried. I wish you well and hope everything works out ok!

Aye, that's what I was thinking!  I have the motherboard box somewhere I think, so will test everything on top of that to ensure it's all working correctly before spending the time putting the components into the new case. Thank you very much, I shall let you know how it goes. Very nice looking build you have by the way!

 

On 5/16/2018 at 4:27 AM, BeepBoop.PC said:

If you go with the H200i, I would get an SFF PSU. It's much better than trying to fit a full ATX PSU under the shroud!

Ah okay, that's something I will look in to, thank you!

[Guest]

25/05/2018 UPDATE:

Took all the components out of the Evolv ITX and wired everything up to new EVGA 650w G3 PSU, on top of the motherboard box. Everything worked fine. 

 

Have transferred all the components into new NZXT H200i. Everything seems to be running okay, no popping noises, CPU and GPU temps are all good.

 

Thank you everyone for all your help with this matter, it's very much appreciated!