Understanding Potential Power Supply Damage in PC Systems: A Case Study
Introduction
Power supply units (PSUs) are critical components in any computer setup, providing the necessary power for all hardware components. However, unexpected electrical events, such as power surges, can cause significant hardware issues. In this article, we explore a real-world scenario where a personal computer experienced hardware failures potentially linked to a power surge caused by a pet’s interference with the power cable. This case highlights important considerations for diagnosing hardware faults related to power supply disruptions.
System Overview
The affected system comprised the following key components:
- Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming WiFi II
- Graphics Card: AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
- Processor: AMD Ryzen series (specific model unspecified)
- Power Supply Unit: Seasonic S12II-520 Bronze
- Monitor: ASUS TUF Gaming VG27VQMY (connected via HDMI)
Incident Description
The owner observed that their rabbit had chewed on the power cable connected to the PC’s power supply. Although the cable did not appear to have exposed metal, the white inner insulation was damaged. Subsequently, attempts to power on the PC resulted in the monitor failing to detect any input signal. A diagnostic LED indicator on the motherboard displayed a pattern associated with graphics card detection failure.
Initial Troubleshooting Steps
The owner undertook several troubleshooting measures:
- reseating the GPU and testing it in different PCIe slots,
- removing and re-inserting the CMOS battery,
- swapping the current graphics card with an older, functioning card.
Despite these efforts, the issue persisted, leading to the conclusion that the power supply may have suffered damage resulting in insufficient power delivery to the GPU. The fans of the GPU operated during startup, indicating some power was reaching the card; however, the system failed to output video signal to the monitor.
Assessment of Potential Causes
The hypothesis proposed is that the pet’s chewing may have caused a power surge, damaging the PSU and compromising its ability to supply stable power to connected components. Notably, the system was powered off at the time of the incident, and an established surge protector was in use, which could mitigate but not always prevent damage from severe surges.
Monitor malfunctions, such as the inability to recognize input signals despite being powered on and displaying on-screen menus, were also observed. The monitor was tested across multiple HDMI ports and with different source devices, ruling out connection issues. Given that the
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