[SOLVED] PC trips ARC fault breaker

[Peter_189]

Hello,
I'm in an apartment with a 15 amp circuit that has an ARC fault breaker. My PC trips it 95% of the time that I turn it on. It does this even with everything else in the room unplugged.

The PC works fine in other rooms.

Here is my build:

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/8bJ2TH

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2 GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX 70.69 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z270X-Gaming 7 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 CL15 Memory
Storage: Crucial MX300 525 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1080 8 GB GAMING X 8G Video Card
Power Supply: Corsair RMi 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply

My landlord had an electrician come, and he concluded that there was nothing wrong with the circuit or breaker, or the pc cable. I'm not very technically knowledgeable so please correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like starting the PC is causing a spike that the ARC fault breaker detects.

I've heard something about UPS battery packs, but am a bit confused as to why they come up in similar discussions, because isn't that to prevent supply issues?

Is there anything I can plug my pc into that will "eat" the initial spike of power or something? What exactly are my options here?

 

[Ralston18]

No and "anything" you plug in may just mask the problem.

First some background information for you:

https://www.protoolreviews.com/news/arc-fault-circuit-breaker/3698/

My suggestion: power down the computer. Unplug and open the case.

Use a bright flashlight to inspect all wires, connections, and plugs.

Look for bare metal showing anywhere through insulation or some metal to metal contact between components that should not be touching.

If necessary get a knowledgeable family member or friend to help.

If nothing is found remove the GPU and restart. Determine if the ARC continues to trips.

Overall idea being to narrow down to a short or shorted component within the computer by inspection and elimination.

Could be that the problem is in the PSU but you need to narrow down to that.

 

[Peter_189]

No and "anything" you plug in may just mask the problem.

First some background information for you:

https://www.protoolreviews.com/news/arc-fault-circuit-breaker/3698/

My suggestion: power down the computer. Unplug and open the case.

Use a bright flashlight to inspect all wires, connections, and plugs.

Look for bare metal showing anywhere through insulation or some metal to metal contact between components that should not be touching.

If necessary get a knowledgeable family member or friend to help.

If nothing is found remove the GPU and restart. Determine if the ARC continues to trips.

Overall idea being to narrow down to a short or shorted component within the computer by inspection and elimination.

Could be that the problem is in the PSU but you need to narrow down to that.

Forgot to mention that the PC works fine in other non-bedrooms if that changes anything

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

If no problems found with internal PC wiring, try swapping that 1000w PSU for a 650w one (1000w PSU is overkill for GTX 1080).

Doesn't trip in non-bedrooms because their sockets are probably not protected by an AFCI, I think they are only mandatory for bedroom sockets.

 

[Peter_189]

If no problems found with internal PC wiring, try swapping that 1000w PSU for a 650w one (1000w PSU is overkill for GTX 1080).

Doesn't trip in non-bedrooms because their sockets are probably not protected by an AFCI, I think they are only mandatory for bedroom sockets.

okay I will try that. I am hoping to upgrade to Nvidia's new flagship line this year... should I keep around my current PSU for that?

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

"okay I will try that. I am hoping to upgrade to Nvidia's new flagship line this year... should I keep around my current PSU for that?"

Not unless you intend to move your PC to a non-bedroom, otherwise you'll still have the same problem you're having now with the AFCI breaker tripping aren't you?

I've been reading about the problem on several forums and it's a very common one in houses which have AFCI breakers --- yet despite that I haven't found a single fix other than moving the PC to a room whose power sockets aren't connected to an AFCI breaker (even changing the PSU didn't fix it in many cases so it seems my previous suggestion to try that may prove fruitless).