I had a rough day when I got home and powered on my PC, only to hear a horrific snap, crackle, and pop, accompanied by the smell of burning plastic. Fortunately, no fire occurred, but it turns out there was a power surge earlier that day, probably taxing my UPS before my power supply—an NZXT C1200 Gold—exploded. I'm worried about the rest of my components, specifically my Asrock X870E Nova motherboard, 9800x3d CPU, 64GB Corsair Dominator RAM, and 4070TI Super GPU. The motherboard didn't show any boot codes, though the RGB lights were powered. What's the likelihood that everything else survived? Do I need to prepare for a complete rebuild?
5 Answers
The odds are probably low that the other components got fried, but it all depends on the power surge's intensity. Start by replacing the PSU and check how things go from there.
I’d say you have about a 75% chance your components are just fine. But hey, that’s just my gut feeling. Keep your hopes up!
Thanks for the optimism, I needed that!
That's a bit generous, don't you think? Just saying.
Nzxt power supplies are generally reliable and come with various protections, so there's a decent chance your other components are okay. I recommend trying a different working PSU to see if the rest of your system can boot. If you lack a spare, consider taking your PC into a shop to get it tested. And definitely reach out to NZXT—there might be warranty options or insurance that covers this kind of damage.
Thanks, I’ve ordered a new PSU and will definitely contact NZXT!
I’ve had a few power supplies blow up on me, and miraculously, the rest of the system usually stayed intact—even the cheap ones. So there’s a fair chance you’re in the clear!
This gives me hope, appreciate it!
Just a heads-up, I lost a whole computer after a power surge caused my components to explode. So there’s definitely a risk, but typically the PSU should protect the other parts. Focus on replacing it first and see if everything works afterwards.
I'm hoping mine didn't suffer too much damage—there was definitely no visible smoke from anywhere but the PSU.
I definitely saw the smoke come from the PSU, so fingers crossed!