PSU sparked questions

[prelude20]

So. I had a Corsair c850sm power supply. Yesterday I was just watching youtube, and the circuit breaker to my room tripped. So I turn the breaker back on, at the time I had my computer unplugged. Just in case.

Then I plug the psu cord back into my power strip and BOOM, I see sparks coming from inside the psu (I was behind my computer so I got a good view.). I naturally scream and seeing how I still had the plug and power strip in hand, immediatly unplug it. There was a smell of burnt electronics. the breaker didn't trip again, though.

I did not bother to plug it back up. I ordered a new psu (A Corsair 750 TX) and am currently waiting on it.

So. My questions are 1. What the hell happened? and 2. How likely is the rest of my computer fried? I hope it isn't, I'll be without a computer for months if so.

 

[smorizio]

sounds like one of the power caps failed in the power supply and caused a dead short that tripped your breaker. when you plugged the pc back in the cap shorted to ground and blew up. the issue now is how bad was the back lash of voltage into the pc and did the power supply over voltage and dead short protection kick in to keep the power supply from back feeding into the mb. if your lucky the mb will post and run fine. if not it may not post or you find sound or ethernet port not working or the mb/cpu is unstabled. if that happens put in a claim with the power supply vendor for the damages.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

You won't know the extent of the damage until you get the NEW PSU and test the remaining components.

 

[Eximo]

My advice would be to dismantle the computer in the meantime. Give every component a visual inspection for damage. Then, when you hook up the new power supply bread board it. Treat it like a new computer and run it with the minimum equipment necessary to see the BIOS. Then plug in each device with no signs of damage in one at a time.

It is time consuming, but it would suck to find out that the computer caused the power supply to fail, and you would just get a repeat.

Also check your warranty on the first supply. If it is still good, send it in and you might get a new one. (Not that I would trust it ever again if it just randomly blew up, but I always like to have spare power supplies.)

 

[prelude20]

I'll have to wait till tommorow for my psu to arrive. Sadly, I bought this computer from cyberpower on Nov of 2014. So I doubt anything is still covered in the warranty. But I'll check, just in case.

Here is to hoping. Makes you realize how focal a computer has become to your life when you no longer have it. Almost like withdrawl.

 

[prelude20]

So. Just as a follow up. I plugged up my new power supply, A corsair 750 TX. Everything seems to be working fine. It's been on for about thirty minutes now and I've checked every part to look for damaged pieces. Everything seems good so far!

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

So. Just as a follow up. I plugged up my new power supply, A corsair 750 TX. Everything seems to be working fine. It's been on for about thirty minutes now and I've checked every part to look for damaged pieces. Everything seems good so far!

Good to hear!