My motherboard combusted. What might have caused this and which components can I hope to salvage?

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ProBonoShill

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Jun 13, 2016
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A few days ago, I began experiencing the blue screen of death every time I attempted to launch windows on my desktop PC. After the windows logo had flashed for a few seconds on start-up, the blue screen would flash once, very quickly, before the computer crashed. I tried various software fixes, attempting a system repair and a system restoration, all of which failed. Having exhausted these options, I decided to try removing and reinstalling my RAM (two 4gb GSkill Ripjaws X sticks) after seeing someone on this forum recommend doing so. However, when I attempted to boot the computer after doing so, my motherboard (an ASRock p67 Extreme4 Gen3) broke into flames just to the right of the rightmost RAM slot (in which I had one of my two sticks of RAM installed), almost halfway up the slot. 1) What likely caused this and 2) if the very brief fire remained contained to this very small spot, which other components might I hope to salvage? The only visible damage is to the motherboard itself.
 
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J
maybe a piece of metal conductor in the slot. I had this happen to a graphics slot on a cheap system and the slot on the motherboard and the graphics card went up in smoke. Vendor would not replace it either because they just assumed I was overclocking. (it was a new card and board)
Nice little flame when I turned on the power. The better power supplies and boards have better protection for this type of thing but I was building a system for someone that got all of the cheap parts.

kind of hard to expect this to happen on RAM slots though.

I also had a friend build a system and told him he could not screw up the power connector because it only fit one way. It was smoking when he called me, turns out he could not get the connector...
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Themastererr

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May 22, 2016
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More than likely you installed the RAM backwards, or you had it not fully in place making a bad contact.

Here's another possible cause and post from another member you might want to read through ----



T_T ac123V Motherboard February 16, 2011 5:37:37 PM
T_T
Welcome to the forums, Newcomer. Adding the RAM indeed should not cause the problem you've described; however, some motherboards aren't very sturdy. Adding RAM while the mobo is mounted in the case can sometimes cause problems related to the mobo flexing. It is best to think outside the box for the moment.

Disconnect all wiring, including CPU fan. Thoroughly check the surface of the mobo for any scorch marks. If none are found, remove the mobo from the case and check underneath. Also check the inside of the case for any scorch marks, as well. If no scorch marks are found, on the case or otherwise, check the edges of the mobo to see if any of the layers have lifted or bubbled. If no physical signs of damage can be found, thoroughly inspect the PSU for any signs of damage.

If mobo and PSU look ok, breadboard your system. As you begin the breadboarding, install one component at a time. Start with the CPU and heatsink/fan assembly. Allow a few seconds to lapse before proceeding, to ensure that the currently installed component(s) are not burning. As you continue to add parts, carefully inspect each to ensure that nothing is damaged on said part.

Here are some theories as to why something started burning:-

1. Mobo flexed when RAM was being installed, thus causing a circuit to damage
2. RAM module(s) have unseen/unknown residue
3. DIMM slot(s) could have an open circuit
4. Voltage to DIMM slot(s) aren't being reisted properly
5. Wiring inside the case may have been accidentally dislodged, causing an open circuit.
Pick as the solution
 
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ProBonoShill

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Assuming that I indeed installed the RAM incorrectly, or that I caused the motherboard to flex when doing so, and seeing as I can't breadboard (due to the obvious damage to the motherboard), how likely do you think it is that other components (excepting the RAM) have been damaged, particularly the CPU?
 
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Themastererr

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May 22, 2016
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I'm going to say very unlikely the CPU was damaged.

CPU's die when the VRMs go and send all of the voltage into your CPU. Your VRMs were still healthy, and would more than likely protect against a surge

The only real way test is with another board unfortunately. There are no physical signs of a dead CPU, I know because I've killed one doing extreme overvolting.

EDIT: I also can't see any reason for the other components to be gone, as the voltage would not jump across the board like that.

I'm not an electrical engineer though, so don't take my word that your components are alive please.
 
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johnbl

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Nov 4, 2012
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maybe a piece of metal conductor in the slot. I had this happen to a graphics slot on a cheap system and the slot on the motherboard and the graphics card went up in smoke. Vendor would not replace it either because they just assumed I was overclocking. (it was a new card and board)
Nice little flame when I turned on the power. The better power supplies and boards have better protection for this type of thing but I was building a system for someone that got all of the cheap parts.

kind of hard to expect this to happen on RAM slots though.

I also had a friend build a system and told him he could not screw up the power connector because it only fit one way. It was smoking when he called me, turns out he could not get the connector to fix because he tried to put it in backward. Then he cut off the tab that make the connector fit only one way. vendor replaced the board for him. a few circuit traces melted on the motherboard and one chip melted.

every thing else was ok, gpu, psu, cpu, fans, drives I think you could have fixed the motherboard but it was replaced.

I guess I also had a working machine that my ex wife's male cat sprayed while it was running.
The current thru the urine actually caused the circuit traces to become green and dissolve. then it started to smoke.
 
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