I just pulled the motherboard out to make sure the heatsink was seated correctly. I then place it back into the case with memory and video card and tried to boot. I got nothing, so i double checked everything was plugged in and tried again. I then smelt a burning smell and looked and the corner of the gigabyte motherboard had a small orange flame!!! I blew it out and quickly unhooked everything. There is nothing in contact with the motherboard except for the case. I am assuming the board is fried and I should RMA back to newegg for a replacement. What could have caused this? was it the board itself or the power supply? Is everything else going to be ok, ie processor, video card, memory, hdd, etc. Please help
HELP!!! Motherboard fire!!!
- Thread starter jba6511
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tool_462
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Haha that is hilarious! No offence but that is the first time I have heard of an actual flame inside a case! 8) Well done :lol:
What mobo is it and which corner ignited? (Seems funny saying that)
I certainly would assume it is dead, but will newegg take a burnt (literally) motherboard back?
What mobo is it and which corner ignited? (Seems funny saying that)
I certainly would assume it is dead, but will newegg take a burnt (literally) motherboard back?
Vascular
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NEED PIC'S PLEASE 😀
That is amazing, an actual fire. Never see that before.
As stated above what are the components and what were you doing to
start the fire.
Doubt they will take it back, you may have to take it up with gigabyte.
Assuming the fire was on the corner with the 24pin power/ would indicate there was a short some where in the trace(that is ofcourse assuming the motherboard is not touching the case tray.)
By just reading your comments I think you missed these on your install.
http://www.reality.net/case/photos/standoff-1.jpg
These are supposed to go between the motherboard and the case tray as a spacer.
That is amazing, an actual fire. Never see that before.
As stated above what are the components and what were you doing to
start the fire.
Doubt they will take it back, you may have to take it up with gigabyte.
Assuming the fire was on the corner with the 24pin power/ would indicate there was a short some where in the trace(that is ofcourse assuming the motherboard is not touching the case tray.)
By just reading your comments I think you missed these on your install.
http://www.reality.net/case/photos/standoff-1.jpg
These are supposed to go between the motherboard and the case tray as a spacer.
i used those but the only way i could see them working were to place the mobo against the tray and then using them to screw the motherboard into place with the thread side in first. There are no visual burn marks on the mobo though and it looks like new. If it was a short cause it was near the 24 pin, is it possible the board still works, though i doubt it. I guess i messed up and did not use the standoffs correctly. Is the rest of my components fried as well? Can someone post a pic of the standoffs correctly installed?
i guess whats strange is i did everything the exact same when i first installed and no problems.
i guess whats strange is i did everything the exact same when i first installed and no problems.
What you do: Lie the mobo down into the case and mark where the holes line up. Put standoffs in the case holes and then rest the motherboard down. Put screws into the holes.
The board should be elevated from the motheboard tray due to the standoff's.
The board should be elevated from the motheboard tray due to the standoff's.
the only items i got with the case besides for the mounting screws were the brass looking screws in the pic above. I thought the spacers would be like washers but did not see any. The case I got was Lian Li. Can someone post a pic of these spacers so I will know for next time. (If I didnt fry the cpu, video card, hard drive, memory) Should I try to get some spacers and redo the installation or should I return the board and wait until a new one comes to try again.
tool_462
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I have actually thrown an old (ATI RAGE) video card away in a garbage that eventually was getting burned in a campfire at my cabin (very rural) and the PCB would only very slowly melt and burn even though it was at the heart of a healthy camp fire... props again to the OP for starting a fire INSIDE a case! 8O
So let me get this straight. You installed a motherboard on the *metallic* back-plate directly, shortening all the contacts on the back-side?
My suggestion would be to try to return it. Don't mention the fire, but say you smelled something burning. Obviously don't mention the darwin-award winning method you used for putting the board in the case.
Your PSU (and possibly whatever was on the MB) is likely fried as well, the PSU shouldn't be a problem to replace since a PSU failure is much more common, you will probably not need any explanations.
Consider buying a cheaper Dell or HP (Dell seems to go for cheaper lately) and simply replacing the videocard if you want a gaming rig.
You won't be able to do any overclocking, but (unless you manage to plug the video card into the wrong slot), you should be pretty safe in terms of damage and performance will still be adequate even with a stock E6300/E6400.
Cheers
My suggestion would be to try to return it. Don't mention the fire, but say you smelled something burning. Obviously don't mention the darwin-award winning method you used for putting the board in the case.
Your PSU (and possibly whatever was on the MB) is likely fried as well, the PSU shouldn't be a problem to replace since a PSU failure is much more common, you will probably not need any explanations.
Consider buying a cheaper Dell or HP (Dell seems to go for cheaper lately) and simply replacing the videocard if you want a gaming rig.
You won't be able to do any overclocking, but (unless you manage to plug the video card into the wrong slot), you should be pretty safe in terms of damage and performance will still be adequate even with a stock E6300/E6400.
Cheers
nhobo
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To qualify for the Darwin, one must expire.
While I'm glad he didn't do that, I don't think he should try to return it. Learning from one's mistakes is often expensive, passing the cost of them off on to others (everyone else who buys this brand of mobo) is somehwat less than responsible or considerate.
While I'm glad he didn't do that, I don't think he should try to return it. Learning from one's mistakes is often expensive, passing the cost of them off on to others (everyone else who buys this brand of mobo) is somehwat less than responsible or considerate.
honestly, information like that is hard to tell. Hopefully the psu just cut out after it realized there is a short and everything else is saved.
I think that your video card and cpu should be fine but everything else might be on thin ice. i will also go on a limb and say the board itself "might" still work. Since you shorted the pins of the board right at the 24 pin connector. Electricity would go strait from each rail through the pins of the 24 pin connector, to the case and right back up the ground wires to the psu. voltage should have never touched any part of that board other than the soldering below the 24 pin connector and the case itself as electricty finds shortest path to ground. with that theory, the 7600 and your cpu should be ok and so "should" the board. CD,floppy,hd might have survived depending upon how well the fuse in the power supply worked cutting out when a short was detected as they are plugged directly into the psu.
If you want, you can take it to a nearby pc shop and have them test the board for you (and other components). I cant make much of a call on the psu, its definately not worth testing yourself.
I think that your video card and cpu should be fine but everything else might be on thin ice. i will also go on a limb and say the board itself "might" still work. Since you shorted the pins of the board right at the 24 pin connector. Electricity would go strait from each rail through the pins of the 24 pin connector, to the case and right back up the ground wires to the psu. voltage should have never touched any part of that board other than the soldering below the 24 pin connector and the case itself as electricty finds shortest path to ground. with that theory, the 7600 and your cpu should be ok and so "should" the board. CD,floppy,hd might have survived depending upon how well the fuse in the power supply worked cutting out when a short was detected as they are plugged directly into the psu.
If you want, you can take it to a nearby pc shop and have them test the board for you (and other components). I cant make much of a call on the psu, its definately not worth testing yourself.
The HDD is most likely OK. CHeck the video card and the CPU on another board (see if you have a friend who can help you with this).
I'm 99% sure the PSU is fried, but like I said, try getting it replaced.
Same for the othercomponents, althought you might have no luck.
I've got no problems recommending that people try to rip off large corporations. The costs will go up anyway, or will stay low anyway since they need to be competitive. Someone somewhere in the world can be 50 Million dollars poorer, I'll take that great sin upon my soul.
Look at gaz prices. Not exactly "competitive" are they? Yet we're all paying through the nose for it. But I digress.
This is a hardware forum, not a moral etiquette class. THe point is to help the OP. Besides we all know that anyone here would try to return fried hardware if they thought they had a decent chance for a refund/replacement, no matter how many times you go to church per week.
My 2c
Feel free to drop the ethics hammer.
I'm 99% sure the PSU is fried, but like I said, try getting it replaced.
Same for the othercomponents, althought you might have no luck.
I've got no problems recommending that people try to rip off large corporations. The costs will go up anyway, or will stay low anyway since they need to be competitive. Someone somewhere in the world can be 50 Million dollars poorer, I'll take that great sin upon my soul.
Look at gaz prices. Not exactly "competitive" are they? Yet we're all paying through the nose for it. But I digress.
This is a hardware forum, not a moral etiquette class. THe point is to help the OP. Besides we all know that anyone here would try to return fried hardware if they thought they had a decent chance for a refund/replacement, no matter how many times you go to church per week.
My 2c
Feel free to drop the ethics hammer.
in my colledge days there were quite a number of fires and Explosions :lol:
mainly because of people shorting the 3pin fan connector
but i remember one guy who when asked to put the floppy disk into the floppy drive he had somehow managed to force it into the psu 8O
i was sitting next to him and all i heard was huge BANG and smoke went everywhere
the guy sitting next to me fell off his chair from shock and then the smoke alarm went off and everyone had to evacuate the building :lol:
that one will stay with me to the grave
mainly because of people shorting the 3pin fan connector
but i remember one guy who when asked to put the floppy disk into the floppy drive he had somehow managed to force it into the psu 8O
i was sitting next to him and all i heard was huge BANG and smoke went everywhere
the guy sitting next to me fell off his chair from shock and then the smoke alarm went off and everyone had to evacuate the building :lol:
that one will stay with me to the grave
tool_462
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Actually, Darwin Award winners must only "Effectively remove themselves from the gene pool." Thanks to the hill billy that got his nuts shot off in some crazy chain of events.
To the OP, other components may have been damaged, or they may not have been. You will need a new motherboard to diagnose the other components properly, try to RMA it and if not, eat the cost and buy a new one and install it correctly.
When in doubt, ask here first. I will always be willing to answer even the "most nooblike" questions. Endure a few flames (pun?) possibly but you will get an answer.
To the OP, other components may have been damaged, or they may not have been. You will need a new motherboard to diagnose the other components properly, try to RMA it and if not, eat the cost and buy a new one and install it correctly.
When in doubt, ask here first. I will always be willing to answer even the "most nooblike" questions. Endure a few flames (pun?) possibly but you will get an answer.
no pics to upload. i took out the board and reinstalled it correctly and no luck. the light on the back of the psu light up though so hopefully that is ok. I wish i had a pic so you guys could have a few laughs at my amusement and something to look back on and say how the hell did i do that years from now, but it was extremely quick and there is no visible damage done to the board. Hopefully I can get it right next time. I figured out how to install the copper spacers into the case and place the board on top of them. I am assuming that I use the plenty of left over spacers to screw into the now in place board as they fit in each other perfectly. Is that what it is suppose to be like as all other screws are psu mounting, or hdd/optical mounting screws. I realize now that was a dumb move on my part. Well guess I will have to wait a few days and see if the rest of my stuff is fried as well. If so I might be working at the local Mickey D's for a few months.
tool_462
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You only want to use standoffs in the holes that line up with your mobo. Using extras will possibly produce a similar result!
Find a friend and drop your memory/HDD/video card in his/her PC and diagnose issues from there. Hopefully everything is fine except the fried mobo.
Find a friend and drop your memory/HDD/video card in his/her PC and diagnose issues from there. Hopefully everything is fine except the fried mobo.
slim142
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1. get a mobo
2. try your stuff outside a case
that way you wont be worry about your other components and might be able to return them while you can because if you keep waiting you might end up with burned components not able to return them!
Now, hopefully you made me laugh im serious. I can have a good night now 😛
Pray so neweegg wont find that you burned the board!
2. try your stuff outside a case
that way you wont be worry about your other components and might be able to return them while you can because if you keep waiting you might end up with burned components not able to return them!
Now, hopefully you made me laugh im serious. I can have a good night now 😛
Pray so neweegg wont find that you burned the board!
Dade_0182
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I've seen this happen before. My friend was building his first rig and right after he connected everything he called me to come see if everything is ok. I only got there and he tried it before I could have a look. One of the rom chips caught fire and he just pulled out the psu cable. I was stunned at first and then I started laughing. He was so damn angry at me. :twisted:
slim142
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Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! second time I heard that somebody actually got fire into the mobo.
You know what? I think that happens when you are so excited you got your CPU, Mobo, GPU and RAM and you are like about to pay in the casher and then you go like "How Am I gonna give life to this?" I need the power supply! and then you get to the power supply section and you see that if you add a $100 PSU your credit card wont work so you just buy a $30 PSU and then get home and BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
You know what? I think that happens when you are so excited you got your CPU, Mobo, GPU and RAM and you are like about to pay in the casher and then you go like "How Am I gonna give life to this?" I need the power supply! and then you get to the power supply section and you see that if you add a $100 PSU your credit card wont work so you just buy a $30 PSU and then get home and BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
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