Question Motherboard fried my GPU and CPU because of a bad USB ?

Jul 26, 2023
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My motherboard has recently gotten fried because of a "bad" USB, and it has taken out my CPU and GPU as well. Luckily, I have a warranty on all of the products and a backup PC to test the parts on.

My PC specs:
Mobo: Asus TUF Gaming B550-Plus
CPU: Ryzen 5 5600X
RAM: 32GB 3200MHz Teamgroup T-Force Vulcan Z
GPU: PowerColor AMD Radeon 6800 Fighter
PSU: EVGA 750W G2

My backup PC specs:
Mobo: Asus ROG Strix B550-F
CPU: Ryzen 5 5600G
RAM: 16GB 3200MHz Silicon Power
GPU: Gigabyte GTX 1060 6GB
PSU: XPG Core Reactor 750W Gold


Is there anyway to know what might of caused the USB to short my motherboard?
 
It may not have to do with USB device per se. Other possible options include: bridge between MoBo solder point and PC case panel (e.g loose screw inside the PC); electrostatic discharge from yours truly; main electricity grid failure (power spike, that happened on the very moment you plugged your USB in).

PSU: EVGA 750W G2
How old the PSU is? And was it bought new or used/refurbished?
 
It may not have to do with USB device per se. Other possible options include: bridge between MoBo solder point and PC case panel (e.g loose screw inside the PC); electrostatic discharge from yours truly; main electricity grid failure (power spike, that happened on the very moment you plugged your USB in).


How old the PSU is? And was it bought new or used/refurbished?
This PSU if I am not mistaken is 9 years old and it was new. I also built this pc in december of 2021
 
9 years is quite a bit of time on your PSU. Could be that your PSU decided to give up the ghost, frying MoBo as well.

I suspect PSU even more, since when there is a short within PC, PSU has to catch it and kill the power. Not letting components to fry.
Could be, that the USB device initiated the short and PSU failed to protect the components, thus letting MoBo to be fried.

Besides new MoBo, i'd get new PSU as well. Seasonic Focus/PRIME or Corsair RMx/RMi/HX/HXi/AX/AXi.
(All 3 of my PCs are powered by Seasonic. Two PRIME TX and one Focus PX unit. Full specs in my sig.)
 
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9 years is quite a bit of time on your PSU. Could be that your PSU decided to give up the ghost, frying MoBo as well.

I suspect PSU even more, since when there is a short within PC, PSU has to catch it and kill the power. Not letting components to fry.
Could be, that the USB device initiated the short and PSU failed to protect the components, thus letting MoBo to be fried.

Besides new MoBo, i'd get new PSU as well. Seasonic Focus/PRIME or Corsair RMx/RMi/HX/HXi/AX/AXi.
(All 3 of my PCs are powered by Seasonic. Two PRIME TX and one Focus PX unit. Full specs in my sig.)
Thank you for the help. Hopefully, this will work.
 
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