When Your PC Goes Up in Flames: A Cautionary Tale

As a gaming enthusiast, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of diving into a new title. However, the unexpected can turn a fun experience into a nightmare—in my case, quite literally. Recently, while launching the game “GTTOD” on Steam, I encountered a shocking incident that left my computer damaged and me in a state of disbelief.

Within minutes of starting the game, my monitor suddenly went black, and to my horror, I witnessed the unsettling sight of sparks erupting from behind my graphics card, specifically at the PCIe slot. The situation escalated rapidly as I noticed flames appearing. Instinctively, I turned off the power supply unit (PSU) and disconnected it from the outlet to prevent further damage. The next step was to assess the situation—and the damage was significant.

For those unfamiliar with my setup, here are my system specifications:

• Motherboard: MSI Gaming Pro Carbon AC
• Graphics Card: Sapphire Pulse Vega 56
• Processor: Ryzen 2600
• Memory: G.Skill Trident Z 3200MHz CL14
• Power Supply: EVGA G3 750W
• Operating System: Windows 10

Now, I find myself facing a pivotal question: what could have caused this catastrophe, and what steps should I take moving forward?

Fortunately, all my components are still under warranty, which provides a glimmer of hope in this frustrating situation. However, I suspect that both the motherboard and graphics card have sustained serious damage. I’m left pondering whether the motherboard malfunctioned and caused the GPU to fail or if it was the other way around.

As I prepare to navigate the warranty claims process, I’m reaching out to the community for insights. Has anyone encountered a similar issue? If so, what were your findings? Are there additional components that may need replacing beyond the motherboard and graphics card? Your advice would be invaluable as I look to resolve this daunting matter.

Please excuse any awkward formatting—I’m drafting this from my mobile device, as my computer is out of commission.

Any assistance and guidance on this unfortunate turn of events would be greatly appreciated!