[SOLVED] Motherboard Issues After Storm?

[OhSoClutch]

PC Specs (Parts purchased May 2020, running Windows 10):

Case: Fractal Meshify-C
MoBo: Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Pro WIFI
CPU: i9-9900K
GPU: EVGA 2080 Super XC Ultra
RAM: G.Skill Trident Z RGB Series (2x16GB) 3200
HDD: Samsung 860 EVO 250GB
PSU: Corsair RMx Series RM750x

There was a lightning storm here overnight and I believe lighting struck somewhere in my area causing the power to go out (the fuse for the outlets in my room was the only fuse that tripped when I checked the fuse box). My PC is plugged directly into the outlet, and my peripherals (speakers/monitor/chargers/etc) are hooked up to a power strip using the same outlet. My modem/router(2 in 1 provided by ISP) is in the same room and connected to my PC via Ethernet. At the time of the storm the PC was not on.

After resetting the fuse, the modem turns on but hasn't been able to connect to the internet (ISP tech coming to check it out, not sure if surge ruined the modem or physical problem outdoors with the line). As for the PC, it turns on fine and the peripherals seem to be functioning fine but my Astro A40 headset no longer works when my playback device is "Speakers (Realtek(R) Audio)". When I change the playback device to "Headset Earphone(4- ASTRO MixAmp Pro)" I can hear audio from playing videos but I can only adjust the sound volume through the MixAmp this way (TLDR = audio works through USB with the MixAmp but not through the headphone cable plugged into the MoBo) . Along with this, the PC will NOT turn off unless I manually hold the power button. If I attempt a regular shutdown or sleep through windows, everything proceeds as normal with the windows shut down process but right as the PC is about to turn off you can hear the fans whir up to a high RPM for a second before the PC shuts down (didn't do this before the storm when shutting down) then proceeds to turn back on. So far these are just the issues that I have noticed but there could be more i'm currently unaware of.

Some things I have tested after some googling but did not work: disabled automatic restart on system failure, disabled fast start up feature, clean boot, and leaving PC unplugged + removed CMOS battery for extended period of time. Under device manager everything looks fine except for my LAN device "Intel(R) Ethernet Connection (7) I219-V" which now has a caution sign and under it's device status has "The device cannot start. (Code 10)". My ISP has not fixed my internet yet so I cannot verify if the NIC has been fried yet.

My concern is that there has been some kind of damage done to the MoBo or other components from the storm and I am not exactly sure where to begin with the troubleshooting/RMA process. Upon visual inspection there doesn't seem to be any burn marks on either side of the MoBo and all the visible capacitors seem fine. Any advice here would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

 

[USAFRet]

A nearby lightning strike can manifest in many and varied ways.
A couple of weeks ago, I had similar. Lightning strike nearby, no idea exactly how close.

Casualties:
Ethernet port on my main PC
2x HDMI port on my Denon AV receiver
Ethernet port on my HP printer
Invisible Fence PCB exploded. This was unplugged, hadn't been used in years.

All other PC's and electronics in the house were fine.

For your symptoms, could be a lot of things.

 

[OhSoClutch]

A nearby lightning strike can manifest in many and varied ways.
A couple of weeks ago, I had similar. Lightning strike nearby, no idea exactly how close.

Casualties:
Ethernet port on my main PC
2x HDMI port on my Denon AV receiver
Ethernet port on my HP printer
Invisible Fence PCB exploded. This was unplugged, hadn't been used in years.

All other PC's and electronics in the house were fine.

For your symptoms, could be a lot of things.

Is the most likely culprit the motherboard in this case though? I'm currently under the impression this is the case due to the audio port failure, NIC failure, and the power control failure but I don't want to rule anything out nor am I very knowledgeable in hardware troubleshooting.

In terms of the other components:

CPU - Not sure how to test aside from running a benchmark but clock speeds and temps seem normal when idle and under load
GPU - Ran a few games, temps seem normal and visuals were fine on Ultra everything without stutters
RAM - Did a short 1 hour run with MemTest, no errors and the LEDs on the physical unit work fine
PSU - Currently researching how to test

 

[USAFRet]

With multiple things wrong, including the router...it is near impossible to tell.
But, given that the audio, NIC, etc all live on the motherboard...it is quite likely the motherboard has failed.

A $10 PCIe NIC would serve. That's what I did with my PC, and what I'm using right now.

 

[OhSoClutch]

With multiple things wrong, including the router...it is near impossible to tell.
But, given that the audio, NIC, etc all live on the motherboard...it is quite likely the motherboard has failed.

A $10 PCIe NIC would serve. That's what I did with my PC, and what I'm using right now.

Just an update, my ISP came out and fixed my line outside. They gave me a new router and running a wired connection to an old Xbox is working fine but it's still a no go with the PC using the same Ethernet cord. Attempted a fresh install of Windows but the same issues persist. I have began the RMA process for the motherboard.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Warranty doesn't cover lightning damage. Your RMA may get rejected.

 

[OhSoClutch]

Warranty doesn't cover lightning damage. Your RMA may get rejected.

I'll have to wait and see. I did not mention the possible cause for the damage and at least visually I did not notice any kind of damage/leaks/burns to the board on either side or the capacitors. The worst case here is a hard lesson learned about using surge protectors on computer AND any connected equipment. I am okay with having to bite the bullet and shell out some cash for a new motherboard, my only concern when it comes to doing so is that I get the new motherboard and for some reason I still have some of these issues and then I will be stuck with a new motherboard since local store polices here in Canada are very strict on returning components and i'd be back to square 1 here in terms of troubleshooting what else it could be.

 

[USAFRet]

Surge protector does NOT help in al instances.

My PC is behind a good UPS and surge protector. The NIC still died.
The Denon AV receiver was behind a different UPS. The 2x HDMI ports still died.
The Invisible Fence was completely unplugged, had been for years. That PCB died, and blew the cover halfway across the garage.

A good surge protector can't hurt, though.

 

[OhSoClutch]

Surge protector does NOT help in al instances.

My PC is behind a good UPS and surge protector. The NIC still died.
The Denon AV receiver was behind a different UPS. The 2x HDMI ports still died.
The Invisible Fence was completely unplugged, had been for years. That PCB died, and blew the cover halfway across the garage.

A good surge protector can't hurt, though.

What would be the best course of action for overall protection?

Just for an overall thread update, I swapped in a new motherboard today and everything is working fine.

 

[USAFRet]

What would be the best course of action be for overall protection?

Just for an overall thread update, I swapped in a new motherboard today and everything is working fine.

Luck?
All you can do is try.
As noted above, multiple good UPS and commercial grade surge protectors...parts still died.
Even items that were completely disconnected from wall power at the time.

And, people will say "I always unplug my stuff when there's lightning in the area".
Well...for every storm, there is a "first" lightning strike. This was that "first one".
Prior to that, it was literally just rain.

If I unplugged every single cable every time it rained, everything would be OFF far more than it is ON.