Cpu dead after lightning strike. Help.. :(

[lifesamd]

The title says it all.. I was playing a game and didn pay much attention that a thunderstorm was brewing. Then bang, there was a lightning nearby. A small click sound came from the back of the cpu.. Possibly upper parts, that's where the psu is. And the pc was dead. No i wasnt using a power surge protector right now. That was one of the cost cuttings. Now i do realise wat a blunder it was. Anyways, after the storm stopped, i opened up my cabinet and put the power to search for any signs of life.
-The led on the mobo was on. There was no other sign of life.
-Then suddenly the cpu fan started rotating and simultaneously there was a spark
where the power connector goes into the mobo. Jus beside the ram. And everything went dead again. I switched it off immediately.
-i den removed each part carefully. My Gpu, HDD and RAM show no physical damage. Atleast as much i can see. But there was a burning smell for a fraction of second where the 16pin connector of the PSU goes in to the Mobo.

That's the detailed description of the problem at hand. Now, I'm good wid software but know very li'l about hardware. So, can you guys help me find out wot are the parts that might be damaged and how should i check if any of the components are in working order. My biggest fear is for the processor. Is it possible for it to have been damaged? What are the steps I should take now to get my PC to work again? I am a student and so cost is a concern. I cant jus throw away this PC and build a new one. I will have to use anything that may have been left undamaged... Thanks for reading. Am at a loss here. Some advice will be really helpful..

 

[ThomasJ93]

It's most likely that either your motherboard or power supply have died. You can test your PSU by jumpstarting it. You can do this by connecting the green and any black wire on the 24 pin connector. You should unplug it from any components, except for some fans.

The only way to check if your mobo is dead, is by testing it with a different one.

 

[lifesamd]

It's most likely that either your motherboard or power supply have died. You can test your PSU by jumpstarting it. You can do this by connecting the green and any black wire on the 24 pin connector. You should unplug it from any components, except for some fans.

The only way to check if your mobo is dead, is by testing it with a different one.

Its worth mentioning i guess that wen i turned on my pc that 1 time, the PSU fan didn rotate. So i guess my PSU is as good as gone. My only question is, is there a chance of my processor being damaged? And wot about my RAM and GPU? They look fine physically. How can I be sure if they are damaged or not. I donot have another rig to test them on. Am planning to buy a new PSU. After i do, should i plug it in wid this mobo while all the other components are attached to it and see if it works? Will doing that lead to the damage of other parts cuz as i told, i did smell something burn in my mobo. It might be damage. If I use it again, will it damage my processor?

 

[jasont78]

get a spare psu and test that first. also worst case senario i would like to think you have contents insurance just claim it

 

[pjmelect]

You can't predict what will be destroyed when your computer is hit by lightning, however the CPU is the least likely component to be damaged. If the CPU was damaged then everything else is fried. Ram is also likely to escape unscathed. The most likely components to be fried in order from a lightening strike are, modem (if connected) network card (if fitted) motherboard, graphics card, power supply. Power supplies are quite tough when it comes to being struck by lightening and normally recover if you disconnect them from the mains supply for a while.

 

[ThomasJ93]

There's a chance both your motherboard and psu are dead. There's no way of being sure right now.

Your RAM and GPU could be damaged too, but the only way of being sure is to test it. Maybe ask a friend if you can test it in his system.

Using a new PSU in a broken mobo shouldn't be a problem, just go for it.

Your CPU is very likely okay. They don't die that easily.

 

[lifesamd]

There's a chance both your motherboard and psu are dead. There's no way of being sure right now.

Your RAM and GPU could be damaged too, but the only way of being sure is to test it. Maybe ask a friend if you can test it in his system.

Using a new PSU in a broken mobo shouldn't be a problem, just go for it.


Your CPU is very likely okay. They don't die that easily.

Ok.. Thanks.. I hav already ordered for a new Corsair PSU. Jus dont wanna run the risk of further damaging my rig wid that PSU. And yes, my ethernet was connected to the LAN port. Ok, so after I receive the new PSU, I will put the RAM and processor in and try to run it. Hopefully there wont be any further damage. And ya, am buying a surge protector too. That spark i saw right in front of my face has given me a scare. That is why I was so apprehensive about using the motherboard again. I always am afraid that things will blow up. I dont know why. Thanks anyways..

 

[lifesamd]

get a spare psu and test that first. also worst case senario i would like to think you have contents insurance just claim it

I live in India. There is no insurance like that for a computer here. Not any that I know of atleast. And they only give you a warranty. And it doesnt cover a lightning strike. Lolz... So, am on my own here and the only way is to find out what's fried and to replace it..