A friend's PC was contaminated when their cat urinated into the intake fan, spreading liquid throughout the case. They cleaned the components with isopropyl alcohol and let them sit for a couple of weeks, but something still appears to be faulty. The suspected parts are either the RTX 4080 or the power supply.
They want to install the possibly damaged 4080 in my working system to determine whether the graphics card is the problem. My system uses a B460 motherboard, an i7-10700F, an RM650x 650W power supply, and normally an RTX 3070. Could a shorted or otherwise damaged graphics card damage my motherboard, PSU, or other components during testing?
3 Answers
Cleaning with isopropyl alcohol is a good start, but residue can remain under components or inside connectors. Inspect the GPU and power supply carefully, let them dry thoroughly, and use the correct modular power cables. Also keep in mind that a 650W PSU may be marginal for an RTX 4080 depending on the exact model and the rest of the system, so only use it for a short diagnostic test rather than normal operation.
A decent power supply such as the RM650x should shut itself down if the graphics card has a serious short, thanks to its protection circuitry. That makes a brief test relatively low risk, although there is never a zero-risk way to connect contaminated or damaged hardware. Power it off immediately if you smell burning, see smoke, or hear unusual noises.
Personally, I wouldn’t put questionable liquid-damaged hardware into a system containing parts I care about. The safer option is an inexpensive test bench made from older spare components, or having a repair shop test the card. At minimum, don’t test it until every connector and circuit board is completely clean and dry.
That’s reassuring. I’ll make sure everything is fully inspected before trying it.