Question What could have caused my graphics card to short and how to fix it?

[Boerkie]

GPU in story: ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Ti AMP Extreme Core Edition
PSU 1: Coolermaster V650
PSU 2: HuntKey GS550

I was mid game when my PC just turned off. No errors or warnings it just turned off and won't boot anymore. At first I thought it was the power supply since the PC will turn of instantly upon pressing the power button. In hindsight, the power supply was fine since the motherboards RGB was still working and the front USBs where still charging devices. (20/20 hindsight hey)

With me thinking it might be the PSU I dove into my cupboard of spare parts and dug out a no name brand PSU that I was going to install in second PC from all the parts lying around. I did the PSU swap and as soon as I pressed the power button I could see a clear glow/sparking right behind the two 8 pin power connectors on the GPU. I was ready with my hand on the PSU power switch so I turned it off almost as soon as I saw the burning glow.
At this stage I knew my card was a gonner and I also gained massive respect for my Coolemaster PSU.
It was "just" a spark/glow. No dark smoke like you would expect form a capacitor blowing.

What could have cased this? After more than two years of almost daily use. The case was not exceptionally hot (72~75 C on CPU and ~80 C on GPU). Cables are managed nice enough so that it could not have been a loose cable.

And what are some options of getting it fix? The card is 4 months outside of its 2 year warranty. But I feel like I have to try something since it would be a real pity to lose such a nice card.

 

[sizzling]

I don't think there is a fix. It sounds like the protection circuits of the Coolermaster were doing their job but something had already failed on the gpu. The crappy Huntkey with poor protection seems to have just kept sending power. The gpu is currently dead with possibly more than broken component. A professional might be able to fix it but the cost could be more than the gpu and not guaranteed. I don't have good news, at this point its a new gpu and Id get a new psu. Id also be concerned about damage to other components especially as that Huntkey seems to have had very little built in protection.

As to why, it seems likely the gpu failed. Who knows why but it happens.

 

[Senbonzakura_miku]

take it to a trusted expert to test parts.
best advice i can currently do. and probably the easiest/fastest.

 

[Senbonzakura_miku]

GPU in story: ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Ti AMP Extreme Core Edition
PSU 1: Coolermaster V650
PSU 2: HuntKey GS550

I was mid game when my PC just turned off. No errors or warnings it just turned off and won't boot anymore. At first I thought it was the power supply since the PC will turn of instantly upon pressing the power button. In hindsight, the power supply was fine since the motherboards RGB was still working and the front USBs where still charging devices. (20/20 hindsight hey)

With me thinking it might be the PSU I dove into my cupboard of spare parts and dug out a no name brand PSU that I was going to install in second PC from all the parts lying around. I did the PSU swap and as soon as I pressed the power button I could see a clear glow/sparking right behind the two 8 pin power connectors on the GPU. I was ready with my hand on the PSU power switch so I turned it off almost as soon as I saw the burning glow.
At this stage I knew my card was a gonner and I also gained massive respect for my Coolemaster PSU.
It was "just" a spark/glow. No dark smoke like you would expect form a capacitor blowing.

What could have cased this? After more than two years of almost daily use. The case was not exceptionally hot (72~75 C on CPU and ~80 C on GPU). Cables are managed nice enough so that it could not have been a loose cable.

And what are some options of getting it fix? The card is 4 months outside of its 2 year warranty. But I feel like I have to try something since it would be a real pity to lose such a nice card.

80c is a little hot. i do not let my gpu go above 60 or i close the process causing the heat. a shutdown command would run if it arrives 67C.
my case did sparks months ago but not at the gpu, from some really low quality wires i used in it. the pc shutdown immediatelly and never turned on again in any case. the psu was dead.
HuntKey GS550 is a 550W psu. as minimum psu for 1080 is 500W, it will be okay, at least for it to boot until melt (if it be not efficient).