[SOLVED] SATA short on mobo? SATA CABLE MELTING Help and thank you

[pinky33]

Building a htpc and have now melted 2 sata cables.

Installed everything together and every time I tried to start computer the fans on cpu, psu, and the light would flash for 1/2 a second. I tried another PSU and had the same issue. I then unplugged everything, hdmi cable, usb extension cord with usb stick in it(windows), wireless network usb device. Same issue. then I unplugged the SSD sata and power cable and she booted. I was so happy to see bios.

Slowly plugged items back in. All seamed to work until I saw smoke. SATA cable melted to my SSD. FYI:, MOBO, cpu, and ram all new. Used new SATA cable that came with mobo. I was using an old 120GB SSD and assumed it had a short. Went to micro-center and bought new SSD. Same issues as before with 1/2 second power. Now I am thinking my PSU could have a short..... tried another psu, same issue.

Kept trying different psu's, sata cables, and modular cables. Finally having it running and smoke again. This time I was on the watch and unplugged power before it melted another SSD.

My conclusion is there is a short on the sata side of the mobo. I plan to exchange mobo at micro center tomorrow.

Any thoughts.

Thank you


https://photos.app.goo.gl/zoovhzCz3VVzgBaFA



https://photos.app.goo.gl/h9wBtgBXLMF4YyCn6

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mC5iJhEkbpeUUuHbA

 

[Darkbreeze]

Sounds to me like maybe you have a standoff under the motherboard in location where it doesn't belong, and it's shorting out the board. Or something along those lines. Could be your old SSD caused the problem to begin with and after it shorted the SSD circuit, now any SSD you connect is going to be shorted since the bus is already damaged.

Could be a number of things, including bent pins on the CPU, since everything runs through the CPU at some point or other.

I'm betting something is up against the bottom of the motherboard though, like a standoff that is not matched up with the holes in the board or a fastener that got caught in between during the assembly. Perhaps not, but I've seen that happen so many times that I'm always leaning that direction when I see this sort of things happen. I've also seen people use the wrong backplate for the CPU cooler and short the board out that way.

Look at anything like that which might cause it AND it would be a very good idea to remove the motherboard from the case and bench test it before installing it back in the case again with any new hardware.

How To - Motherboard bench testing

Finding the problem through bench testing If you are here then it’s likely you have encountered a serious hardware issue and have been unable to resolve it using the standard no-POST troubleshooting procedures. If you have not yet attempted to resolve your issues using the no-POST...

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[pinky33]

Stock heatsink and bracket

Mounted to wood so no chance of short.

Thanks for the ideas. Keep them coming and I will keep checking

 

[Darkbreeze]

Well, for one thing, if that green label CX430m is what you upgraded TO, or swapped IN, I'm interested in knowing what you had in there originally because that is not a very good quality unit. Especially if it has some miles on it. Those used very poor capacitors and they were especially problematic after they'd been in service for a year or two, but they were always turds right from the start. The newer gray label CX units are far better and much improved. Still not great, but a heck of a lot better than the older green label units.

 

[pinky33]

I will double check my power supplies. I am lucky to have 5 spares laying around and an old e-machine to test in.

Is it possible the mobo is not grounded since it is on wood. I have read about this, but never had an issue with all my past builds, ie: oil submerged where the mobo was not mounted to anything. I have done shoe box builds for benching where I just mounting everything inside a large cardboard shoe box.

The mobo should be grounded through the power cables........


Only has issues if power and sata data cable are plugged into ssd or any other device for that matter and mobo. I can plug sata data cable into mobo and not into drive and its fine. I can plug sata cable into drive and not mobo and be fine. I can plug power into ssd and all is well. as soon as I complete the connection of sata data cable from mobo to ssd it shorts and shuts down psu or psu dose not shut down and ti smokes.

 

[bryanc723]

Look for any unusual black spots on the underside of the mobo. Or bubbles, that sort of thing. Very often with a short, you can see a physical manifestation somewhere. This is definitely a short somewhere.
It sounds like a fried transistor somewhere to me. Does it do this in all of your sata connectors? Could you connect the data cable into a different data port on your mobo with a better outcome?

 

[USAFRet]

Kept trying different psu's, sata cables, and modular cables.

I sincerely hope you're using the modular cables that came with the specific PSU.
They are NOT interchangeable.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Exactly.
You can not use modular cables from a different model PSU.
If you do, you may end up with damaged hardware.
PSU side connections are not standardized. You will pass wrong voltages to your hardware and kill it.

Even same manufacturer modular cables may not be compatible between different PSU models.

 

[pinky33]

WELL POO! That is probably the issue.

Thanks guys. I just had a pile of psu's and cables. I have a few non modular power supplies. will try that next. This was my first time using modular psu's.

Be fun later to check wire colors and volt meter the ports.

 

[USAFRet]

WELL POO! That is probably the issue.

Thanks guys. I just had a pile of psu's and cables. I have a few non modular power supplies. will try that next. This was my first time using modular psu's.

Be fun later to check wire colors and volt meter the ports.

1. Do NOT rely on wire color.
2. You've already released the magic smoke.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Jebus. Inter-mixing modular cables? Yeah, that will SURE as hell do it.

 

[pinky33]

HTPC is now up and running. Thank you for helping me out. Using an old thermaltake 430w PSU. Only has 4pin mobo cable. Waiting and looking for good deals on effecent PSU's or pico PSU'S.

The 120GB SSD cost me $60 a few years back and now the 512GB SSD cost me $57, lol.

I might use an antec Neow HE550 PSU. I googled it and the look of the modular cables do look different than the others I have. I will have to hook them up and use a volt meter to double check all the cables. Fun times ahead.

Thanks again. At least I only damaged 2 sata cables and a 120GB SSD.

 

[Darkbreeze]

That was a lucky break for sure. Usually when the wrong cables are used, it's generally a new motherboard at the least, even if the cable that is wrong wasn't directly connected to the motherboard. At least you didn't use a full set and swap some of the cables going to the board out. Well, good luck man.

If you decide to buy new, I'd recommend reading this first.

Discussion - PSU recommendations and power supply discussion thread - Tom's hardware

Below you will find MY standard list of recommended power supplies and beyond that this thread is intended as a landing place for questions or discussions regarding specific units, platforms or related PSU tech, all of which are all welcome to be discussed here. If it's related to power supplies...

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