Safe to mix old, possibly damaged parts with new parts?

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ztrob21

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Oct 9, 2013
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10,510
So a few weeks ago I had spilled 1-2 oz's of water into my desktop while the computer was on and fried something. Friends and family won't let me test my components on their desktops so I will slowly be replacing parts starting with the MOBO/CPU together. I believe the problem lies with the MOBO, but it could very well be the GPU. The PSU is being sent back under warranty and will be replaced with a new PSU. The MOBO ( Asrock extreme 6) I'm buying comes with a free, 4 gb G.Skill Ripjaw X stick so ill be covered on RAM for a couple weeks until I buy another 4gb stick in the coming month. I highly doubt the DVD drive and my HD burned so I'm not worried. So that just leaves it to the GPU. I will be buying a r9 280x in 1-2 months, so I need my current GTX 660 to work.

If the GPU fried though, am I risking shorting out and completely destroying all my new components once I set it back up?

Right now, when I turn on the computer, the GPU fan runs just fine and sound like it's running at 15% speed like a typical start up. Sadly my shitty MOBO I currently have has no onboard graphics. Is there a way of testing a GPU without hooking it up to a MOBO?

 
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Lucas Schlachter

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Oct 20, 2013
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Make sure it is completely dried, leave it out to dry for a week to be very sure, clean the dust out etc. If there's no visible damage (capacitor ripped off, PCB ripped) and just the water fried it then I would say there is no damage but i'd say to be sure try it on a garbage mobo, maybe try eBay and buy one for $25 or go to a local repair shop and maybe they will be kind enough for you to test it. If your GPU is indeed fried do NOT continue to "use" it and have it just sitting in the PCI-E slot.
 
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ztrob21

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Oct 9, 2013
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The computer is surely dry at this point. It's been over 3 weeks and living in a very dry area, I highly doubt there is any water left. Everything is intact on the GPU.

I feel like at this point I should indeed go to a local repair shop and see if they will test it. What my excuse will be, I don't know.

What do you mean by continue to "use" it? My desktop is sitting in my closet at the moment and is all set up. I had the computer pulled apart to dry out for a few days before I tested it out again only to find out something fried so right after I found out the computer was indeed fried I just stored it in my closet. So the GPU is still in the PCI-E slot. Is that really going to harm my GPU even though the computer isn't plugged in? If so, well it's been 3 weeks. =/
 
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Lucas Schlachter

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Oct 20, 2013
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If it is your GPU that is fried; don't keep it plugged in with the computer running, remove any damaged parts and keep the working ones in. I would say give it a try and you'll quickly know if the card still works. just be 100% sure everything is dry to prevent any damage that could happen.
 
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ztrob21

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Oct 9, 2013
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Not totally sure if the GPU is fried quite honestly. I can't pin point it to being the problem because I have no onboard graphics.

For what ever reason, my brother, and I'm taking his word for it, is saying that even if the card is completely dry the GPU can short/fry his whole computer if some of the cards transistors are out, or if the card isn't firing correctly. Idk if it was a bad excuse or not.

My main concern really is, if all the water is completely removed, it's dry as a bone, can the GPU really destroy other, completely brand new components? All I want to do, like you said, is quickly test the GPU to see if I even get a display. Can a damaged (not sure if it's even damaged) quickly destroy other components on a computer in a matter on 5 seconds?
 
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ztrob21

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Oct 9, 2013
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10,510


This is the side of the case that faces up towards the top and what would be exposed. The card is practically incased in metal/plastic. When I looked over the computer immediately I didn't see even any water on the GPU case or more importantly, that exposed area in the pic. I believe the only way of the GPU being damaged is from the MOBO doing something to it.


VAV4tjw.jpg


 
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