When Your Gaming PC Goes Up in Flames: A Cautionary Tale

Recently, I faced an alarming situation that no gamer ever expects: my computer unexpectedly caught fire. What started as a typical gaming session quickly turned chaotic when I booted up GTTOD on Steam. Within mere minutes, my monitor went black, and to my horror, I noticed sparks flying and flames igniting behind my graphics card in the PCIe slot.

In a panic, I swiftly switched off the power supply and unplugged the entire system. It was a surreal moment, and needless to say, I was left shaken. After assessing the damage, I decided to document my experience and seek advice from the community. Here’s a link to the images of the damage: Damage Photos.

My Computer Specifications:

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

Seeking Answers

I’m reaching out to see if anyone in the community has insights into what might have caused this catastrophic incident. Given that all my components are still under warranty, I suspect that both my motherboard and graphics card may be severely damaged. However, I’m curious if there are other components that could also require replacement.

Additionally, I am wondering whether the motherboard malfunctioned first, leading to the GPU failure, or if the graphics card was the initial culprit. Any advice or experience in dealing with similar situations would be immensely helpful as I prepare to navigate the warranty process.

Thank you for your support during this frustrating ordeal. I’ll keep you updated on any developments regarding my warranty claims and the steps I take next. For now, let’s hope this serves as a cautionary tale for other gamers about the importance of maintaining and monitoring our beloved PCs.