Hey everyone! Today, my cat knocked over a cup of coffee and it spilled inside my boyfriend's PC case. We quickly shut it down and I tried to clean up the spill with paper towels. Unfortunately, I noticed some coffee got into the GPU through the ventilation holes, so I put more paper towels in to soak up the excess and let it dry for about 4-5 hours. When I turned the PC back on, everything seemed fine at first, but then I started seeing odd pixelations on the screen, so I turned it off again. My boyfriend thinks I should have waited longer before turning it back on. I've taken the GPU out to clean it, but I couldn't figure out how to open it and didn't have any rubbing alcohol. I ordered some screws and cleaning supplies and plan to open it up tomorrow morning. I'm really worried because the PC is my boyfriend's and he lent it to me. Any advice on what to do next?
4 Answers
I'm really sorry to hear about this! Maybe consider looking for a used RTX 3080 on eBay; they're roughly $500 there, but if that's too much, newer models like the 5070 might be an option too, if you can find them in stock.
I can’t really afford that right now, but I guess I could look for cheaper options.
There's a chance it can be salvaged if you clean the PCB really well. The coffee's acidity could cause issues though, especially if it got under any chips. If cleaning doesn’t work, you might need to take it to a repair shop for further help.
I plan to open it up first thing. The coffee leak was pretty minimal, but do you think that will help?
Definitely better than a full cup! Good luck with the cleaning!
Honestly, it might be fried already. You really should have opened up the GPU and dried it out for a day or two before turning it on, but let’s see how your cleaning goes. You might get lucky!
So, if I clean it well tomorrow, there might still be hope?
It depends. If the coffee got to the important parts, you might need professional help.
You should definitely take it apart and clean it properly. Coffee can leave some nasty stains, but more importantly, the sugar and acidity can cause corrosion over time if left inside. Make sure you dry it thoroughly before attempting to power it back up.
Are the stains really that big of a deal? I thought it was mostly about the electrical components.
Yeah, it might affect the solder connections and traces if the coffee isn't cleaned out completely.
Yeah, I found them for $700 in India!