Question GPU short-circuited --- my fault ?

[Shoosh]

So i got new rtx 3060 the other day. It was from some brand i didnt know so i didnt fully trust it(its called PNY) and it short circuited. And i was wondering if it was my fault it happened. I checked if it was compatible with everything and all so my question is what can really cause a short and how could i have prevented it?

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

When posting a thread of troubleshooting nature, it's customary to include your full system's specs. Please list the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
include the age of the PSU apart from the make and model of the unit.

As a side note, how did you verify that the GPU's shorted out?

 

[Shoosh]

okay sorry these are the specs
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 six-core
Motherboard: ASUS ex-a320m-gaming
Ram: 20GB
SSD/HDD: SSD WD Blue 500GB, HDD Toshiba 1TB
GPU: PNY GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
PSU: ST60F - ES230 (600W and its brand new)
OS: windows 10
Monitor: AOC 24B1H 23.6" 16:9 LCD Monitor

As a side note, how did you verify that the GPU's shorted out?

Well my pc just turned off out of nowhere and it was refusing to turn back on so i opened the pc case and the graphic card was really hot so i tried to remove the gpu and then turn on my pc and it worked. Then i searched what was the cause of this when i noticed a thread on here which was really similar to my situation and there someone said to try turning the pc on with the gpu but without plugging the 8 pin thingy in the gpu. And it normaly turned on and other guys on that thread said that if that happens it means a short in gpu. But i dont really know about any of this stuff so i just assumed my gpu shorted too. Also sorry my english is not that great

 

[ohio_buckeye]

Don’t turn on the system without the 8 pin plugged in. I don’t know that much about that particular power supply but I think silver stone is at least a known brand.

PNY is similar. They are a known brand at least.

 

[Eximo]

PNY makes a lot of cards for OEMs as well as their own branded products. A lot of the professional class cards come from them. Been around for decades.

GPUs can fail, if you think it is broken, contact PNY or who you bought it from to return it for a new one. If it is used, well, it may still be under warranty, you would have to check here:

Warranty may vary by your particular region:

https://www.pny.com/en-eu/legal/warranty-emea

https://www.pny.com/en-eu/file library/legal-europe/3-year-limited-warranty.pdf

https://www.pny.com/en-eu/file library/legal-europe/rma_procedure_eng.pdf

Keeps redirecting me to emea, not exactly sure why.

 

[Shoosh]

Don’t turn on the system without the 8 pin plugged in. I don’t know that much about that particular power supply but I think silver stone is at least a known brand.

PNY is similar. They are a known brand at least.

ye i know i didnt try to turn on the system i just wanted to see if the pc would turn on at all. Cuz with the 8 pin plugged in it the pc didnt respond at all.

 

[hotaru.hino]

If the GPU shorted, either the PC would've shut down due to overcurrent protection kicking in or something on the card would've been burnt (or worse, catch fire).

Plugging in a video card without the 8-pin connector usually doesn't result in any power issues per se. That is, PCIe cards boot up in a lower power state first and have to figure out if the necessarily connectors are in and negotiate itself to a higher power state. So if you turn on the computer without the connector plugged in, the video card will simply refuse to boot.

Either way, I would see about getting PNY's warranty center involved to see if you can get the card replaced.

 

[Shoosh]

Well i am going to return the gpu but i still want to know what causes a gpu short

 

[DSzymborski]

A short means something very specific. I don't believe that happened here.

This is also a completely inappropriate power supply for this GPU. This is a very cheap, group-regulated PSU, that's only really fit for basic office machines and had no business ever being connected to a 3060.

Powering a $400 GPU with a $30 PSU is just asking for something bad to happen.

 

[Shoosh]

A short means something very specific. I don't believe that happened here.

This is also a completely inappropriate power supply for this GPU. This is a very cheap, group-regulated PSU, that's only really fit for basic office machines and had no business ever being connected to a 3060.

Powering a $400 GPU with a $30 PSU is just asking for something bad to happen.

oh yeah that does make sense actually thanks

 

[SkyNetRising]

Well i am going to return the gpu but i still want to know what causes a gpu short

Improper installation can cause all sorts of problems.
Graphics card has t be fully seated in PCIE slot and secured with a screw (at video connectors side) and latching mechanism in opposite side.
Gold contacts on graphics card should not be visible, if it is fully seated in PCIE slot.