Question USB 3.0 PCIe card burned my VR Headset cable twice

[Farthead2244]

Specs:

i7 2600k (OC ~4,3 GHz)

ASUS P8P67 (REV 3.1) (ASMedia USB 3.0 drivers aren't compatible with Mixed Reality)

16GB DDR3 (1600MHz)

GTX 980TI

A SSD and 3 other HDDs

The Headset: HP VR1000-100nn

The USB 3.0 PCIe Card with VIA Chipset and external Molex Power (only german amazon link available)



I installed the card in my motherboard PCIe 1x slot above my graphics card, powering it per molex, and I used to run Mixed Reality just fine.

After ~5 months of usage my headset turned itself off while playing BeatSaber; the cable got burned and it smoked. The headset itself got damaged, too.

We sent the headset back and bought the same PCIe card again, so we would have no issues with the old card.

I plugged in the new headset in the new USB 3.0 PCIe card powered with Molex, and the same thing happened.

The headset and my cable got burned, not even getting detected by Windows and the card apparently "crashed", according to device manager.

I did test the USB 3.0 PCIe card by putting my USB Stick into it, worked just fine. I could transfer files without it exploding or something.

Now, the headset itself still works, I got a new cable and got to test it on a friends Ryzen 5 2600 PC, no issues, except it didn't work in the USB 3.1 Gen2 port, for some reason.

I still want to play VR in my home though, that's why I thought of buying ANOTHER PCIe card, the Inateck KTU3FR-4P, hoping that the Fresco Logic "FL1100" chipset and SATA Power could help my situation or else I would have to buy a new Motherboard, Processor and RAM or get a Laptop with enough performance to handle VR.

I want to mostly know how this issue came to be, is it that my headset drew to much power and destroyed itself or is my PSU acting up? Was the PCIe card simply built too cheaply and that's why it couldn't handle the VR Headset?
I am unable to use third party USB 3.0 drivers with Mixed Reality. It is not supported.
I did install them, but removed them. Maybe the driver still interferes with something?

 

[Grobe]

A cable that burn/smoke does that due to overload (high current). If this happens to the cable to an external USB device, then either that device is faulty or the usb cable is faulty.

Did you purcased same type of headset?
What power supply do you have ?

 

[Farthead2244]

Both were the VR1000-100nn headset. Also, like I said, the second one, even though it was burned by my PC, worked on another PC with another cable.
I got my PSU from a prebuilt (cougar) and I never saw any stickers on it indicating the model or even the wattage.

 

[Grobe]

the cable got burned and it smoked

Ok then I have to ask - did it burned because it was in contact with a hot surface? Or did it burned and smoked by other reason? What did you actually observed?

 

[Farthead2244]

Ok then I have to ask - did it burned because it was in contact with a hot surface? Or did it burned and smoked by other reason? What did you actually observed?

The first time it had happened I was just playing Beat Saber and the screen was suddenly black.
No, the cable was not on a hot surface, the only thing "hot" in my room could be my PC.
I took the cable out of the port and I saw the cable burning, literally. I saw it glowing.

The second time it had happened was when
I connected the HDMI and the USB 3 "plugs" from the cable into my graphics card and into my PCIe USB 3 card (i forgot to put in the amazon link). The cable was brand new.
While not getting detected by Windows 10 (defintely compatible with WMR, since i could play before),
the connection between the headset and cable heated up drastically. It smelled like burned plastic and both connection were damaged badly.

No, I could not play Mixed Reality between the first and second time my cable burned.
Yes, I reordered the same PCIe card after my first cable got damaged by it.
And yes, the other ports on my motherboard can detect my headset with the mixed reality portal opening.
Can't play like that though, because I get an error saying that my USB connections are too slow.

 

[Grobe]

Ok, one more question (this is important) : Did you touch other parts of the cable, and was it hot too?

 

[Farthead2244]

Ok, one more question (this is important) : Did you touch other parts of the cable, and was it hot too?

If I remember correctly the USB and the so called "HMD" connectors were warm, but I can't remember if it was hot.

 

[Grobe]

Ok - thing is: I've no doubt that the usb cable itself was the cause of failure.

The important thing here is that you've found a fault in hardware that is so serious that it can start a fire.

I don't know your location - but I strongly advice you to contact your local fire department and ask to get a schema and file a rapport on this (or they do it for you). If possible, bring the equipment too - it is evidence (and they can make a final decicion if it is a real fire hazard or not).
I hope you understand this is is more important than just running to the shop and get money back.

You have to make it publik known, because this is something that may put houses on fire.