Hey everyone! I finally have some time to dive into fixing my PC, which wasn't built by me, and I want to turn this into a learning experience about diagnosing and possibly repairing hardware issues. Here's the situation: one morning, I powered on my PC and started playing Minecraft without any shaders. The room temperature was cool, and there were no signs of overheating. Suddenly, smoke began to pour out, and my PC even caught fire! Surprisingly, the system didn't shut down but kept running until I unplugged it in a panic. After letting it cool down, I opened up the case to inspect the components but didn't see any obvious burn marks, melted cables, or visible damage. I'm leaning towards the idea that the fire might have originated from the GPU. The PC is about a year old and I clean it regularly. Here are my specs: Intel Core i7-9700 CPU, ASUS ROG Strix B365-F motherboard, Palit GTX 1660 Super Ti GPU, 16GB T-Force RAM, Corsair 750W PSU, and a mix of SSD and HDD storage. My questions are: 1) How can I start diagnosing which component failed? 2) Are there standard protocols for inspecting hardware in these situations? 3) What tools do I need for safe diagnosis, like a multimeter or PSU tester? 4) Is it safe to attempt a minimal boot, or should I check or replace certain components first? I'm super open to learning, so any guides or videos you could recommend would be fantastic. Thanks a ton!
2 Answers
Sometimes bugs can get into the PSU, causing a short circuit which might lead to a fire. It’s a long shot, but it's worth considering if there are any openings where insects could enter. Just something to keep in mind while you're troubleshooting!
If you didn't see any burn marks, check the GPU closely, as it could be the source too. Turn it on while visually inspecting it for any signs of damage. And yeah, always good to keep your components clean!
Thanks for the tip! I’ll keep my eyes peeled while checking everything.