Why did my PSU explode and motherboard die?

[CharlesLewisM]

Hi,

as I was installing the motherboard into the case I dropped 3 screws accidentally while wearing a ESD wriststrap and trying to avoid touch the motherboard I picked them all up safely. I have a 550w PSU that will power up everything. As for my first boot I did not have a RAM nor GPU installed but the CPU has a integrated video card with it. I turned it on then BOOM! Loud noise and sparks coming from the PSU. What happend? Did the screws caused this, ram or my front panel was connected wrong. I decided to find out. I asked my next door neighbour becuase his a IT expert and he told me that the front panel won't harm the motherboard if installed wrong because it's just 12 volts. But the screws however he said it will get shorted if it touches specific parts of the motherboard. When I went back to my local IT shop they tested it. They told me my PSU is dead and my motherboard was fried. When I got it replaced they told me always have a RAM installed otherwise it'll damage the motherboard.

So what do you think people? What caused my PSU to explode like that? My specs are Celeron G1620, no ram yet, no hdd yet, no gpu installed, basically it xD.

Best Regards, CharlesLewis.

 

[Agam3mn0n]

When you were working on your machine was the PSU switched on and connected to the mains? What is the make and model of the PSU?

There is a chance that you missed a screw and that caused a short when you attempted to power up the machine, perhaps something else caused a short. What case is your computer housed in? With respect to a computer always requiring RAM, some machines can start as far as the BIOS without RAM, some will issue an error beep if no RAM is present, it is definitely best to have RAM installed for a boot test because the boot will likely fail without it. But booting without RAM shouldn't harm the computer.

 

[genome852]

Trying to start the computer without any ram installed will not damage the motherboard.

Screws shouldn't have caused any problems if you dropped them when the PSU was turned off, unless you missed one.

 

[Ponyface]

even if you missed a screw, it is unlikely to blow up your PSU unless it somehow fell into the psu (highly unlikely) a missed screw may have caused a short on the board, but it should not have caused any damage to your psu then. sounds like your PSU may have been faulty and took your mobo with it... did you perhaps have it set on 110v and plug it into a 240v circuit? starting it without ram etc would definitely NOT damage your motherboard. i would take it up with the psu supplier and tell them to replace your psu & motherboard.

 

[calza]

As said it's unlikely a screw would short something and blow it all up.


More importantly, are you suggesting you were working on the PC with all the power cables plugged in?

Come on, what aren't you telling us...

 

[CharlesLewisM]

Actually I bought the Case with a 550W already installed. I doubled check the PSU and it was correctly fitted in.

 

[das_stig]

Actually I bought the Case with a 550W - I bet it wa a cheapo Chinese make.

Contact your seller, explain it went poof and ask them to replace the motherboard too.

 

[CharlesLewisM]

Cheap power supplies tend to fail and blow up do they? Well sometimes. But what if I change the front panel connectors and connect the positive to negative vice versa, wouldn't that kill the PSU? Although the voltage is low?