Twitch streamer's PC build goes up in smoke

[Raytrace3D]

Back in the mid-90's my brother and I were building a PC for a friend using an new (at the time) AT motherboard; back when the AT main power connector for the power supply could be easily switched into the incorrect orientation (no keying) if you weren't careful (or aware)... needless to say, the mistake sent capacitors aloft as they exploded on the motherboard. For a brief moment, it was like lighting sparklers in the room and they went as high as the ceiling. Thankfully, Micro-center gladly accepted the return. Lesson learned for the next time and eventually a new PC was born.

 

[Jimbrown75]

This build was fire ?

 

[texasrattler]

His first, last and only mistake, listening to clueless people in a chat. 99.9% can't even turn on a computer let alone give advice on them.

I've never had any wiring issues, ever. He must have used some very cheap fans/cables. I've had some crap mobos but none have ever smoked or caught fire. I've reused cables from 5-7 yrs ago, no issues.

I did notice something, I think he has a ibuypower computer. Reason I bring that up is because I've seen them with issues before. From not powering on, dead video cards to even no os installed. This is why I am no fan of prebuilds. Personally, I would stay away from store bought gaming desktops. The parts and quailty just isn't there.

 

[SalvatorDisplayi]

Looking at that video again - that is the kind of smoke you get when a wire runs hot and the coating burns* - so could be the a wire to his fan - but how could you put that much power through it- it happen pretty quick as well. he was slow to cut the power as well
'
Seen it with crappy jump leads - also happen to me while on a 6 month safari in Southern African parks - my thermostat for my radiator was stuffed and a small garage didn't have a spare - so I just asked for a switch to be installed on my dashboard - while cruising along slowly watching animals - I saw what I thought was steam coming out from my bonnet . They had installed a stupidly thin wire directly off the battery - thankfully I turn the engine and & switch off - it had cut 2/3rds the way through my fuel line

Wow you are lucky to be alive man! Those 12v lead acid batteries are quite a bit more dangerous than their voltage seems to imply because of the sheer amount of current they can produce! Lot more than a power supply and even then.... Sometimes this happens... ?

Makes me wonder why motor vehicles don't typically seem to come equipped with fire extinguishers , especially now that we're all carrying around potential ignition sources (no pun) with us everywhere we go...

 

[captaincranky]

Wow you are lucky to be alive man! Those 12v lead acid batteries are quite a bit more dangerous than their voltage seems to imply because of the sheer amount of current they can produce! Lot more than a power supply and even then.... Sometimes this happens... ?

Makes me wonder why motor vehicles don't typically seem to come equipped with fire extinguishers , especially now that we're all carrying around potential ignition sources with us everywhere we go...

And that will be funny as soon as they start giving computer power supplies ratings in "cold cranking amps".

 

[SalvatorDisplayi]

Wow you are lucky to be alive man! Those 12v lead acid batteries are quite a bit more dangerous than their voltage seems to imply because of the sheer amount of current they can produce! Lot more than a power supply and even then.... Sometimes this happens... ?

Makes me wonder why motor vehicles don't typically seem to come equipped with fire extinguishers , especially now that we're all carrying around potential ignition sources (no pun) with us everywhere we go...

Probably cause you're better off just getting away and let it burn, it's toast at that point.

 

[captaincranky]

Wow you are lucky to be alive man! Those 12v lead acid batteries are quite a bit more dangerous than their voltage seems to imply because of the sheer amount of current they can produce! Lot more than a power supply and even then.... Sometimes this happens... ?

Makes me wonder why motor vehicles don't typically seem to come equipped with fire extinguishers , especially now that we're all carrying around potential ignition sources (no pun) with us everywhere we go...

Probably cause you're better off just getting away and let it burn, it's toast at that point.

Why are you quoting yourself? Neither post doesn't make all that much sense.

I've been driving for over 50 years, and I've never had a battery fire, nor can I recall ever having seen one,.

 

[XxTWMLxX]

As a certified computer tech I can safely say: "how in the f****** hell did you manage that" it's like impossible on any pc after 1990 due to EVERYTHING being keyed and only going in one way.... My only guess is shorts to ground caused by no stand offs? In that case atleast the board is fried. Most likely ram/cpu. Too maybe even psu/HDD... In short "you done f***** up royally. Everything likely toast"

 

[LazyBoyQuan]

It shorted out due to improper connections, low quality parts, or faulty components from the factory. I don't believe it to be an issue of lack of standoffs causing a lead to touch a grounded case, as that's a short of minimal/no resistance. Provided that the power supply is built competently, the short circuit protection (SCP) are design to detect these types of short and shut the PSU off.

If it's a short from a faulty VRM of the motherboard or a motor of a fan for example, the resistance of the circuit don't typically trip of the SCP and must rely on other protections to shut it off - protection such as Over Power Protection (OPP) or Over Current Protection (OCP). OCP's detection is quicker than OPP, since it's protection of the secondary side of the PSU (3.3v, 5v, 12v) and has lower trip off rating than OPP (a primary side protection - the larger the PSU, the longer it takes the OPP to detect). Sadly, many single rail PSUs lack OCP on the 12V rail and must rely on OPP (units like the EVGA Supernova 1000w G3), and even it does have it, it may be set too high to protect something from being burnt up (Seasonic Prime Ultra Titanium 1000w has it set around 115A @ 12V which is 1380WDC). What happen is when you have a short, it create a unregulated load. This cause the current of the load to keep on increasing until one of the protection detects it and shut the PSU off or something burns up. The effect the short has can depend on the design of the PSU (this can happen on even quality high-end designs) and its capacity (the higher the wattage - the protection may be set higher).

 

[nismo91]

Once I misplugged an USB 2.0 header. instead of the correct 5x2 pinout it sits on the 4x2 pinout and the other 1x2 pin hanging. it triggers short circuit. PC won't turn on no matter what. fan won't even spin, led won't even illuminate. I think that behaviour can be expected from a modern mobo and PSU combination.

I suspect he's using low quality PSU which doesn't have proper overload or short protection.

 

[Jon Heil]

Must be a former Crapple user, since those people are not meant to use Computers
Even though its twitch the lame 3-6 second delay network unlike Mixer with a 1/2 second delay

 

[Fox God Records]

I have never seen that kind of smoke from a case. Not even when I put a standard pin-out CPU fan into a non-standard Dell CPU fan pin-out. Fried the fan, but it didn't smoke, it just didn't spin.

But that smoke did look like insulation burning. I don't know where he'd pull that kind of power - that would cause that kind of burning - that isn't keyed in some way. That's why they key them.

 

[captaincranky]

This may be a bit off topic, but it's evident there are a lot of pyromaniacs drooling over this thread. So, how about a music video based on fire and destruction to brighten your day?

I would have loved to have had a girlfriend like Daenerys Targaryen when I was younger. Well, as long as she'd let me drive the dragons once in a while.

 

[Spockool]

He used a magnetic screw, or the motherboard have been under static or magnetic? rip mobo ..

 

[wolfkin]

Don't most modern cases now come with standoffs built into the case at this point?

Most cases come with some standoffs. My case came with one standoff by default. I had to put in the rest of them.

 

[captaincranky]

He used a magnetic screw, or the motherboard have been under static or magnetic? rip mobo ..

Strangely enough, every mobo screw I've ever put in has been with a magnetized screwdriver. Haven't had a board blow up yet.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Strangely enough, every mobo screw I've ever put in has been with a magnetized screwdriver.

lol - Most of mine were as well.

I'd venture a guess that magnetism was more dangerous to floppies, than anything else in the system. Even then I doubt a screwdriver was strong enough to damage diskettes.

 

[preeti0807]

Useful content thanks for sharing it

 

[Hugopnik5]

It was really stressing for me to build my first computer, especially when I was building into 20 years old case. But how can you mess up like this?

 

[mbk34]

It's just click bait.