I accidentally spilled roughly half a cup of water through the top of my PC case and unplugged it immediately. I left it unplugged for about 24 hours with a fan blowing on it, but after reconnecting everything, there are no lights, fan movement, or other signs of power. I looked for visible water damage and removed the RAM and graphics card, but nothing changed. What should I do next?
3 Answers
At this point, taking it to a reputable computer repair shop is probably the safest option. They can test the PSU and motherboard separately and check for liquid damage without risking further shorts. If the power supply was affected, continuing to reconnect it could damage other components as well.
Don’t keep trying to power it on. Water can remain trapped under components or inside connectors even when there’s no obvious visible damage. Disconnect the power cable, open the case, and inspect the motherboard, power connectors, expansion slots, and the bottom of the case carefully for moisture, residue, corrosion, or burn marks. Removing only the RAM and graphics card doesn’t rule out damage to the motherboard or power supply.
The power supply should be treated as a major suspect, especially since the spill came through the top of the case. Don’t open the PSU itself—it can hold dangerous voltage. A proper diagnosis would involve testing with a known-good PSU and checking the system outside the case with only the motherboard, CPU, one memory stick, and power connections attached. Avoid buying replacement parts at random until the failed component is identified.
That still leaves the motherboard, PSU, power switch connection, and other wiring as possible causes. The lack of any response points toward the PSU or motherboard, so testing those safely is the next step.
I already removed the graphics card and RAM, but there still aren’t any lights or fan movement.