When Disaster Strikes: My Computer Caught Fire – Seeking Solutions
Technology can be a double-edged sword—providing immense capabilities while sometimes leading to unexpected disasters. Recently, I faced a harrowing experience when my computer caught fire during a gaming session. Here’s a recount of the incident, the aftermath, and some inquiries I have moving forward.
While booting up GTTOD on Steam, everything seemed normal until, within just five minutes of gameplay, my monitor abruptly went black. To my horror, I noticed sparks and flames erupting from the area behind my graphics card at the PCIe slot. Swiftly, I turned off the power supply unit (PSU) and disconnected everything. Below, you can find images showcasing the damage that ensued: Damage Pictures.
Specifications of My System:
- Motherboard: MSI Gaming Pro Carbon AC
- Graphics Card: Sapphire Pulse Vega 56
- CPU: Ryzen 2600
- RAM: G.Skill Trident Z 3200MHz CL14
- PSU: EVGA G3 750W
- Operating System: Windows 10
This unfortunate event raises several questions about what might have gone wrong. With all my components still under warranty, I’m eager to understand the full extent of the damage. Specifically, I suspect that both my motherboard and graphics card may be beyond repair.
Here are a few questions I hope to clarify:
- What could have caused this incident? Should I be blaming the motherboard, the graphics card, or perhaps an external factor?
- Will I need to replace any other components? Aside from the motherboard and GPU, are there other parts that may have been compromised?
- Determining the culprit: Is there a way to ascertain whether the motherboard failed first and caused damage to the graphics card, or was it the other way around?
I would greatly appreciate any insights or suggestions from fellow enthusiasts before I embark on the exhausting warranty claim process. Your expertise might save me a lot of trouble or provide clarity on navigating repairs.
Thank you for your support, and I apologize for any formatting issues—I’m composing this from my mobile device since my workstation is currently out of commission!
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