So, my cat just knocked over a half cup of water directly onto my PC while I was playing a game. In a panic, I unplugged it immediately, but the water poured right into the top vent of the case, hitting the GPU and CPU fan. I've removed the GPU and unplugged everything from the motherboard, and I've got the PC sitting upside down in front of a fan to help it dry out. I tried to boot it up a few hours later, but nothing happened—not even the LEDs turned on. I'm feeling pretty stressed about it and would love any advice on whether there's a chance it can be saved!
4 Answers
Your cat might need a new CPU after that! Just kidding—but seriously, I would consider it user error to keep liquids so close to your setup. Don't drop kick the cat, it didn’t do this on purpose!
I think it might be cooked, especially since it turned black. But don’t beat yourself up! These things happen. I had my child spill water—same situation, different cause—it's a huge bummer. Just remember to always keep liquids far from your tech in the future! You might want to check out a similar post on this for some tips. Good luck!
First off, make sure you don't keep open liquids near your electronics again! Now, regarding your PC, did it shut down on its own because of the water, or did you turn it off? If it turned off by itself, there's a good chance it could be damaged. But if you unplugged it quickly, there still might be hope. Just give it time to dry—like a day or two—before trying to power it on again. Also, double-check that everything is reconnected correctly when you do try to boot it.
It actually black-screened and then tried booting up before I could unplug it, so I reacted fast.
Yeah, sounds like it might be done for. If your PC didn't work after that incident, it's really worth taking it to a repair shop to see if anything can be salvaged. Usually, it's recommended to wait a few days for everything to dry completely before trying to power it back on. Just be careful next time!
Thanks! I appreciate it—I had no idea this could happen to electronics!