[SOLVED] Computer got hit by a lightning strike. What can i expect to be fried?

[mat1995]

Hello

My computer unfortunately got hit by a lightning strike
It now turns on then off very quickly ( fans spin and leds also turn on but off very briefly)
I know that this can´t be answered with a definitive conclusion but what does generally burns in lightning strikes?
This symptom listed above , indicates a faulty PSU or MB?
Can PSUs protect the rest of the PC from lightning strikes?
PC is a i5 9400f , gtx 1060 6gb , pichau nidus 500w PSU , one stick of 8gb ram crucial , ASUS TUF B360 GAMING PLUS BR
Also , what can i do to protect eletronics from lightning strikes? I could not avoid this one because it was barely raining and then a huge strike came out of nowhere taking my PC

Thank you

 

[USAFRet]

Absolutely unknown, until you find the faulty part(s).

From a recent lightning strike at my house, the casualties:
Ethernet port in the main PC
Ethernet port in the printer (these two devices were separated by 2 switches and a router)
HDMI port on a Denon AV receiver
Control board for an Invisible Fence. The control panel had been completely unplugged from the wall for years.

Also , what can i do to protect eletronics from lightning strikes? I could not avoid this one because it was barely raining and then a huge strike came out of nowhere taking my PC

From a direct or near direct?
Nothing.

All my systems listed above were plugged in to good quality UPS, different ones.

 

[mat1995]

Absolutely unknown, until you find the faulty part(s).

From a recent lightning strike at my house, the casualties:
Ethernet port in the main PC
Ethernet port in the printer (these two devices were separated by 2 switches and a router)
HDMI port on a Denon AV receiver
Control board for an Invisible Fence. The control panel had been completely unplugged from the wall for years.


From a direct or near direct?
Nothing.

All my systems listed above were plugged in to good quality UPS, different ones.

Well that sucks to hear
I guess we couldn´t do anything really
Fortunately i´m almost getting a indemnity from the energy supplier
They say that they´re also responsible for lightning strikes damaging things
Well i guess it is just better luck next time xD as it was barely raining when the strike happened lol

Thanks

 

[Nemesia]

You mean there was a lightning strike outside of your house and the PC got fried? You can't mean literally a lightning strike hit your PC case right?

 

[mat1995]

You mean there was a lightning strike outside of your house and the PC got fried? You can't mean literally a lightning strike hit your PC case right?

No lmao
It was outside

 

[mdd1963]

If it was a power input surge, the PSU is certainly the first likely suspect, and, theeasiest, least expensive to rule out as the cause...(we can hope the PSU did not take out any other components with it ...)

NOTE: do not mix/match modular cables of any sort between PSUs! Disregarding this can fry stuff just as quickly as the lightning strike did.

 

[REALOldNick]

Hello

My computer unfortunately got hit by a lightning strike
It now turns on then off very quickly ( fans spin and leds also turn on but off very briefly)
I know that this can´t be answered with a definitive conclusion but what does generally burns in lightning strikes?
This symptom listed above , indicates a faulty PSU or MB?
Can PSUs protect the rest of the PC from lightning strikes?
PC is a i5 9400f , gtx 1060 6gb , pichau nidus 500w PSU , one stick of 8gb ram crucial , ASUS TUF B360 GAMING PLUS BR
Also , what can i do to protect eletronics from lightning strikes? I could not avoid this one because it was barely raining and then a huge strike came out of nowhere taking my PC

Thank you

Nasty.

The only way I know to protect a PC from a lightning strike is to unplug all cables and move them well away. If I hear so much as a grumble I tear around the house shutting down and unplugging. I know you got caught out and most unfair.

Here's what I would do.

I would start with the PSU for sure. I have had a PC behave like that, and it was the PSU, which was not able to handle the card I had just installed. It is also of the first victim in the line. They are also quite cheap and easy to install. You may even have one available.

Then

Take out all cards and see if any if them sort out the trouble.

If that gets you nowhere, Then maybe remove RAM cards one by one (if you have more than one).

Then the problem starts. MoBos are expensive, so you can't just swap them in and out. It's also quite a job. The price of CPUs is also costly, unless you can get a really low-end one just to try.

Otherwise I would be going to the shop and get them to try stuff, at whatever they charge. If you have a shop you know and trust, then use them.

 

[DSzymborski]

The PSU's toast for sure. Which is convenient because you really should be using something better than this with a modern, discrete GPU. This PSU is actually a relatively decent entry-level PSU. Most obscure, local labels tend to vary in quality between garbage to crime against humanity. This one's actually CWT-made with decent choice in capacitors. But it's still an old, group-regulated PSU and that's just not appropriate for a build with a GTX 1060 and a modern Intel CPU.

As for more than the PSU, you'll know when you have a working PSU.

 

[mat1995]

Thanks everybody for the input
I also forgot to mention that during the strike i´ve heard something from my PC in the region of the PSU
Something probably exploded causing a noise
I´m sure it was the PSU
But the doubt still remains , i´m very afraid if the strike burned my CPU and GPU as the rest of the PC i could still fix it but burning one of these would be critical
Is it possible that even if the rest of the PC is not fried , i can run into issues?
Like partially working CPU , GPU , MB and so on
The benchmarks would point out if there is a issue correct? Like aida , heaven and stuff ?

Thank you

 

[RAIDGoblin]

This happened to my friend not so long ago, it was new to me that it even could happen, such bad luck 😕 My friends PSU, network card and GPU were damaged, everything else seemed to be OK, unfortunately the results from a power surge can be quite random, I'll second trying a different PSU

If I hear so much as a grumble I tear around the house shutting down and unplugging

Yep, I've started doing that

 

[REALOldNick]

No lmao
It was outside

HAH! Yeah if it was inside it would be more than the computer getting fried!

 

[DSzymborski]

Thanks everybody for the input
I also forgot to mention that during the strike i´ve heard something from my PC in the region of the PSU
Something probably exploded causing a noise
I´m sure it was the PSU
But the doubt still remains , i´m very afraid if the strike burned my CPU and GPU as the rest of the PC i could still fix it but burning one of these would be critical
Is it possible that even if the rest of the PC is not fried , i can run into issues?
Like partially working CPU , GPU , MB and so on
The benchmarks would point out if there is a issue correct? Like aida , heaven and stuff ?

Thank you

It's extremely unlikely that a lightning strike would simply cause less performance. If it works, it almost certainly works.

You won't know anything else until you can test.

 

[mat1995]

Fortunately only my PSU is gone , the rest of the PC is fine
I´m looking for some PSUs and i don´t know if i get the same PSU or this corsair one :
https://www.pichau.com.br/hardware/...eries-cv550-80-plus-bronze-550w-cp-9020210-br

or if anyone can link a good PSU
Thank you !

 

[Deleted member 2720853]

Fortunately only my PSU is gone , the rest of the PC is fine
I´m looking for some PSUs and i don´t know if i get the same PSU or this corsair one :
https://www.pichau.com.br/hardware/...eries-cv550-80-plus-bronze-550w-cp-9020210-br

or if anyone can link a good PSU
Thank you !

That PSU is questionable at best, I'd avoid it.

For your PC, a Corsair CX 550M/CX 650/CX 650M (gray "CX" units, not green) would do just fine.
Have a look at this: https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/psu-tier-list-psucultists.3624094/

Anything Tier B and above is good. PSU you linked is Tier D.

 

[Karadjgne]

First things first. Before you go further with the pc. Pull the cover off the house panel. Look for any charred wiring. If there's any burns at all, fix it or get an electrician to fix it.
Then check the phone/sat/cable boxes, check for any melted or charred wires there too. If you find any, call the respective company to come fix.

You got hit by lightning, if the lines are damaged, it's entirely possible you can have issues later, especially with internet connections, Lan, motherboard ports etc.