Loud poping sound then smell coming from computer, but now all is fine?

[Vekkao]

So, it started when my power went off in my house. I didn't take it as anything serious, just went into the other room and laid down while I waited for it to come back on, then heard an incredibly loud noise from half way across the house. When I went into the room, I immediately smelled this sort of burning plastic like smell (no smoke or anything) presumably coming from my computer when it turned back on. I've had it on constantly for the past 3 days, but that shouldn't really be an issue since some people NEVER turn their computers off and my computer is pretty new, as well as I put it together myself and double checked everything. It had a faint smell still for a while but not really anything at all like at first. I'm typing this from that computer though still, and everything is working perfectly fine, but obviously I'm kind of worried about what's to come next. Can someone tell me what might have happened? What I may need to check?

 

[quilciri]

Of the myriad of components that have possibly failed, the PSU can cause the most additional damage if it is the culprit.

No properly designed PSU will cause 'load' damage for many reasons. After some 100 years of PSU development, that has long been an industry standard. PSU must even contain functions that operate separate from the rest of that PSU - so that a failed PSU cannot cause other hardware damage.
.

That is what should be, not what is. Vehicles conforming to emissions standards has been an "industry standard" for 45 years, yet here we are with Volkswagon.

Simply assuming a product meets industry standards is naive and dangerous. Even if most do, there are still defective units that make it out.

I have seen 4 PSU's that have begun to fail causing extensive damage later on, and heard of perhaps a dozen others.

Vekkao, You may already have one of the symptoms - if you see any more on this list, definitely get your PSU replaced.
- Circuit breakers popping when the PC is turned on
- System startup failures or lockups
- Noticeable change in how long it takes for your PC to boot and shutdown
- Spontaneous rebooting or intermittent lockups during normal operation (small brownouts)
- Memory Errors
- HDD and fan simultaneously failing to spin
- HDD file system corruption
- USB devices power issues
- Overheating due to fan failure
- Electric shocks that are felt when the case is touched
- Smoke
- BIOS beeping codes detected

If EVGA will replace it for free, I advise getting it swapped before any of the other symptoms manifest.

 

[madmatt30]

sure its not your surge protector that went pop??

 

[JQB45]

sure its not your surge protector that went pop??

I was wondering the same thing.

 

[madmatt30]

Most decent surge strips have an indicator led.
Green to show protection is working
Orange or red to show its failed.

99% of surge strip extensions (with multi plug sockets) will continue to work if the surge circuit has suffered failure - they just will not offer any kind of protection from now on.

 

[westom]

Most decent surge strips have an indicator led.
Green to show protection is working
Orange or red to show its failed.

Light can only report one type of failure. Reports a catastrophic failure that exists because the protector was grossly undersized. MOV (protector part) manufacturers are blunt about this. MOVs must not be so grossly undersized as to suffer catastrophic failure. Normal failure mode is degradation. Light will never report degradation. Light can only report catastrophic failure because a protector was undersized.

Properly sized (and earthed) protectors (something completely different) remain functional for decades; even after direct lightning strikes. This other and proven solution is necessary to even protect power strip protectors.

Sometimes MOV parts do not disconnect fast enough. In rare cases, fire results. Just another reason why undersized protectors are not recommended if a properly earthed 'whole house' protector is not installed.

We know a properly designed PSU does not cause damage to its load. We also know near zero joules in a power strip means protector parts must disconnected from destructive surges. Leaving that surge still connected to the PSU. Otherwise fire may result.

Meanwhile a tiny surge, that destroys a power strip protector, can be too tiny to overwhelm protection routinely found in PSUs. That light can report a protector strip was grossly undersized. Same surge made irrelevant by protection routinely found in PSUs.

Light can only report one and unacceptable type failure. Protector will still work as a power strip because that surge remained connected to a PSU - was only disconnected from protector parts to avert a fire.

 

[madmatt30]

We've been here before BUT I have a belkin protector strip with 4 sockets that sucked up a spike .
The appliances connected took no damage but the belkins surge protection light is now orange rather than green .
The manual states that it should be discarded as it now offers no protection - it does however continue to pass power through the sockets with no inherent issues.
Its also my opinion that the surge strip should have been rendered unusable upon a failure of the protection circuitry but it plainly hasn't.
Obviously it is not being used for expensive av or computer equipment now but the fact is it did continue to work as a straight power outlet.
This thread is simply about ascertaining what went pop in the guys room - my money would be on the surge protector over anything else due to my experience above.

 

[westom]

We've been here before BUT I have a belkin protector strip with 4 sockets that sucked up a spike .
The appliances connected took no damage but the belkins surge protection light is now orange rather than green

If a surge current was incoming to the Belkin, then same current at same time is outgoing to the load (appliances). Where is protection?

A surge too tiny to overwhelm protection inside appliances also destroyed an undersized Belkin. Belkin had to disconnect its protector parts as fast as possible to avert a fire. Meanwhile, appliances easily absorbed that surge without damage.

Unfortunately, many recommend a Belkin without learning how it works and how it fails. Observation ASSUMES it absorbed that surge. Nonsense. It is called electricity. That current incoming to the Belkin must also have an outgoing path - via attached appliances.

Light reported that Belkin was grossly undersized - failed catastrophically. Catastrophic failure is unacceptable in any protector.

Informed consumers earth one 'whole house' protector so that no surge current is inside. A proven solution (costing about $1 per protected appliance) remains functional even after direct lightning strikes. To even protect that near zero Belkin.

Anyone can read specification numbers. How many joules does a power strip claim to absorb? Hundreds? A thousand? Most electronics will simply convert that tiny surge into DC electricity to safely power its semiconductors. A surge too tiny to cause appliance damage can also destroyed a Belkin? That causes naive consumers to recommend a so expensive and near zero protector.

If anything needs protection, then everything needs that protection. A completely different device, for about $1 per protected appliance, means proven protection for all appliances including the Belkin. Even from direct lightning strikes. Because a protector must not fail.

If popping was from a protector, then be concerned. Protector must not fail catastrophically. Fortunately protection already inside computers is often more robust.

 

[JQB45]

Westom is English your first language?

 

[blazorthon]

If a surge current was incoming to the Belkin, then same current at same time is outgoing to the load (appliances). Where is protection?

There are two factors in damage to the appliances. Not just current, but also time.The protection from a proper fuse is the fact that the surge current will burn a fuse, breaking the circuit, LONG before damage can be done to the appliances if it is the right fuse for the job. As you often preach, an appliance is supposed to be built to handle some overload. A fuse is designed to burn in a surge. Surge current that is high enough to damage appliances (everything has its limits) will destroy an appropriate fuse long before the appliances are damaged. The concept of a circuit breaker is similar in that it is meant to be flipped before damage occurs to appliances, granted circuit breakers are much slower than fuses and aren't always fast enough.

You continue to brush aside the fact that most power supplies in OEM systems-especially older ones- have been proven time and time again to not be as safe as they are supposed to be. Sure, industry standards may be in place, but that doesn't mean they are all very well enforced. In fact, many units have little to no protection at all.

I'm not going to argue about how well built most surge protectors are. You're correct in that they are generally either inadequate or outright scams. However, the concept behind surge protection is not flawed just because many products aren't what they're supposed to be. Furthermore, you argue against them by saying things like earthing a house. Just because such a solution is better does not mean it is always feasible. People who rent rather than own their home don't always have many options.

If anything needs protection, then everything needs that protection. A completely different device, for about $1 per protected appliance, means proven protection for all appliances including the Belkin. Even from direct lightning strikes. Because a protector must not fail.

If popping was from a protector, then be concerned. Protector must not fail catastrophically. Fortunately protection already inside computers is often more robust.

Not everything is of equal priority. If a surge destroys my clock, then I get another clock if it can't be fixed. If a surge destroys my desktop or washing machine, that's a lot more expensive to replace. Those clearly need protection more than the $10 clock. There's a reason they get more protection built into them (or at least that they're supposed to, whether or not the manufacture bothers is another can of worms).

You also ignore renters. If someone doesn't own a house, then they don't get much say in such a thing as trying to "earth one whole house". If they want protection, then they have no choice but to buy surge protectors.

 

[westom]

There are two factors in damage to the appliances. Not just current, but also time.The protection from a proper fuse is the fact that the surge current will burn a fuse, breaking the circuit, LONG before damage can be done to the appliances if it is the right fuse for the job. As you often preach, an appliance is supposed to be built to handle some overload. A fuse is designed to burn in a surge. Surge current that is high enough to damage appliances (everything has its limits) will destroy an appropriate fuse long before the appliances are damaged.

Many who make recommendations have insufficient electrical knowledge. No specifications and other numbers quickly identifies a bogus recommendation. That fuse is a classic example:
1) Surges are done in microseconds. Fastest fuse takes milliseconds to trip. Fuses trip AFTER damage has happened so that a resulting excessive circuit does not happen and does not cause a fire. 300 consecutive surges could pass through a fuse before a fastest fuse might blow. Circuit breakers take even longer. Where is the protection?

Fuse is to protect humans; not hardware.

2) Somehow a millimeters gap in a fuse will stop what three miles of sky could not? Obviously a fuse does not and cannot protect from surges. Where is the protection?

3) Fuses have critically important specification numbers. A typical line fuse is rated 250 volts. That means a blown fuse will continue conducting current if voltage exceeds 250 volts. Any destructive surge easily exceeds 250 volts. That means a fuse cannot possibly disconnect from a surge. Where is the protection?

A fuse does not protect from surges. Plenty more reasons exist. Simplest electrical knowledge combined with numbers makes that obvious.

If that fuse claim was credible, then nobody need spend $25 or $120 on a surge protector. Just another reason to know fuses do not protect appliances.


Same misconceptions apply to power supplies. Supplies in OEM computers routinely have those required functions. Missing functions are found in supplies marketed to computer assemblers. Marketing targets people without basic electrical knowledge and who routinely ignore specification numbers. No numbers quickly identify inferior products dumped into a market of naive consumers. But supplies found in systems designed by the informed (ie engineers) cannot and must not damage the load. As has been standard even long before the IBM PC existed. Suddenly, after doing this stuff for decades, I am told I have always been wrong? Please.


If anything needs protection, then everything needs protection. Naive consumers should spend $25 or $120 per appliance to protect only one appliance? Even that obscenely overpriced and undersized protector needs a proven solution that costs about $1 per protected appliance. Even an AC utility will rent and install this superior solution. A solution that is available to everyone - even renters.

What appliance most needs protection during a surge? Smoke detectors. Another reason why a 'whole house' solution is the only effective protection. What is required so that plug-in protectors (ie Belkin) do not create fire and do not make damage to adjacent appliances easier? Only solution proven by over 100 years of science and experience: one 'whole house' solution. Informed consumers spend tens or 100 times less money for the proven solution.

OP demonstrates same. His computer was connected to a 'magic box' protector. A protector adjacent to an appliance and too far from earth ground can even compromise superior protection already inside that appliance. He had damage while using an ineffective protector.


If anyone claims a fuse will protect from surges, then run for the hills. That could not be any more fictional. An informed recommendation is characterized by relevant numbers (250 volts, 300 consecutive surges, milliseconds verse microseconds, $1 per appliance verse $25 or $120 per, 100 years of science and experience). Recommendation without numbers is often based only in hearsay and advertising myths. A simple rule that separates speculation from proven reality. A fuse does not protect from surges. Numbers even expose that myth.