Why did Gigabyte G1.Sniper H6 fry my SDD, HDD and DVD drive?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
H

hotwheelsearl

Reputable
Dec 8, 2015
17
0
4,510
I just got a Gigabyte G1.Sniper H6 motherboard, and I installed it and it fried everything.
It wasn't registering anything connected to the sata port so I removed the SDD and installed an old HDD I had lying around. Immediately, fumes came out of the HDD.
So then I thought I'd troubleshoot and installed a DVD drive. Same thing: fumes came pouring out.
At this point I realized I probably fried my SDD, although I didn't see any fumes.

I put the SDD back into the old motherboard, the stock Lenovo Thinkcentre E73 motherboard.
Everything powered on, but did not register the SDD which only yesterday had worked.
So I'm pretty sure the SDD is fried, but I don't know why. I'm afraid of getting a new SDD just to have that one fry as well.

It can't be the PSU, because the PSU works just fine on the Lenovo mobo, and doesn't fry the other DVD drive I had laying around.

The Lenovo has 2 separate 4-pin power connectors, one for the PSU and one for the SDD.
The Gigabyte has one single 8-pin connector, so I have to plug both the PSU and the SDD's power connectors side by side.
Could that be the culprit?

Specs:
Mobo: Gigabyte G1.Sniper H6
CPU: Intel i5-4460S
PSU: Sentey XPlus Power 725W (XPP725-HS)
SDD: Crucial MX300 525GB

 
Solution
Jwpanz
That power cable from the SSD with the 4 pin power connector is really strange. That has to be a part manufactured by Lenovo specifically for that motherboard. As mentioned before, a PSU has SATA power connectors running directly from it and that is what you should be using.

What you did was plug your SATA power adapter-thingy (again, I have never seen that before) into the CPU power port on your Gigabyte motherboard. That 8-pin port is designed for recieving power from the PSU only. PSU’s often come with two 4-pin CPU power connectors specifically for that port. By inserting your SATA power adapter-thingy into it you experienced a massive surge of power into your SATA powered devices (your SSD, HDD, and optical drive). Those devices...
Sort by date Sort by votes
H

hotwheelsearl

Reputable
Dec 8, 2015
17
0
4,510

No, I use only the ones that came with the PSU ever since I got it. Nothing changed in the build except the motherboard.

I know it's not a good PSU, but I don't get why there's no problems with the Lenovo motherboard but everything connected to the Gigabyte immediately fries.

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Jwpanz

Jwpanz

Honorable
Apr 17, 2016
1,851
2
12,965
I don’t think I have ever heard of a SATA cable physically frying anything before as they carry such a small amount of current. The cable is only for data transfer. For something to fry it would have to come from the power delivery via a SATA power connector.

What do you mean by your description of the power cables? You said the PSU and SSD have 4 pin power cables? The PSU (Power Supply) should have nothing powering other than the wall socket. And the SSD should only be powered by a SATA power cable coming from the PSU. Is it possible to take some pictures of your system so we can see how you have everything plugged in?

Again, a SATA data cable should not fry a component. Only the SATA power cable can deliver that sort of power.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
K

King_V

Illustrious
Ambassador
Nov 1, 2014
8,122
2,296
39,590


Wait, what? Can you clarify this?
 
Upvote 1 Downvote
H

hotwheelsearl

Reputable
Dec 8, 2015
17
0
4,510
Sorry for not being clear, I don’t really know the correct terms. Thanks for your patience.
This is the 4 pin connector thing that connects the SDD to the Mobo, it’s the cable next to the SATA cable.
63352_F44-_E549-468_F-9_B3_C-0850_F6_E23_F5_F.jpg
[/url][/img]

This is the cable that goes from the PSU to the Mobo. There are 2 4 pin things, but only one fits on the mobo.


This is from the Gugabyte mobo,marked ATX 12V 2x4. I attached the 4 pin thing from the SDD as well as the 4 pin from the PSU into this unified slot, next to each other.


Finally, this is the Lenovo mobo, where there are two separate 4 hole connection. I put 4 pins from the PSU into one and the 4 pins from th SDD in the other.



 
Upvote 0 Downvote
D

Dosflores

Reputable
Jul 8, 2014
147
0
4,710
The Lenovo mobo is really strange. The cable you show in the first picture should only be used with that mobo.

When using retail mobos, you have to connect only one cable from a drive to the mobo: the SATA cable (for data). For power, you have to connect the drive directly to the PSU, using one of the cables supplied with the PSU.

The cable you show in the second picture should be connected to what you show in the third picture. You have to join both 4 pin connectors into an 8 pin connector so that they fit.

What you did was connecting a power input from the mobo to the power input of the drives. No wonder they were fried. The mobo itself and anything else that was connected to it might've been fried too.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
rontonomo

rontonomo

Honorable
Jun 26, 2016
324
1
10,865
i don't know what the heck that connector is with the ssd, but you never connect a ssd to a cpu power input. NEVER. this would also prove my first comment true, i asked if you used a different power cable and you said you didn't, but clearly you did...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
H

hotwheelsearl

Reputable
Dec 8, 2015
17
0
4,510
Thanks for your replies.
I’ve been using the computer for 3 years with the 4 pin SSD connector plugged into the 4 pin port on the Lenovo motherboard, so always figured that you needed to power the drive from the board.
I’m pretty sure the Gigabyte mobo still works as it powers on and all.
I’ll hahe to get another drive to see if it works now.

Rontonomo, I thought you meant if I used a different cable directly from the PSU.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Jwpanz

Jwpanz

Honorable
Apr 17, 2016
1,851
2
12,965
That power cable from the SSD with the 4 pin power connector is really strange. That has to be a part manufactured by Lenovo specifically for that motherboard. As mentioned before, a PSU has SATA power connectors running directly from it and that is what you should be using.

What you did was plug your SATA power adapter-thingy (again, I have never seen that before) into the CPU power port on your Gigabyte motherboard. That 8-pin port is designed for recieving power from the PSU only. PSU’s often come with two 4-pin CPU power connectors specifically for that port. By inserting your SATA power adapter-thingy into it you experienced a massive surge of power into your SATA powered devices (your SSD, HDD, and optical drive). Those devices are not designed to receive that sort of power and fried under the load.

To close out your question, your motherboard did not fry anything by it’s own faults. You were confused by the power adapted you pulled from your Lenovo system and plugged it in where you thought it lined up best with how it was before. It is vital to do research and read manuals if you are not certain where things should and should not go. As for your drives they are most likely toast.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
H

hotwheelsearl

Reputable
Dec 8, 2015
17
0
4,510
Thanks a bunch. I feel like a complete idiot for not doing any research on how to actually do things. I just thought that what went for one goes for the other.
Luckily I didn’t have anything terribly important on the drive, just games.

Thanks so much to everybody for helping me. I appreciate your kind and useful replies.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Jwpanz

Jwpanz

Honorable
Apr 17, 2016
1,851
2
12,965


Don't feel bad! Just be glad you knew to look for answers and now you know what happened. Every PC builder has made some stupid mistakes before.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
T

towlieee

Mar 6, 2018
1
0
10

What? The power supplies power rating isn't based off the 12v rails alone. It's a combination of ALL of the voltage rails, the total available output.
I'm not saying that its a quality PSU, but I'm wondering where you got the idea that power supplies total output is based on just the power provided by the 12v rail(s)?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
K

King_V

Illustrious
Ambassador
Nov 1, 2014
8,122
2,296
39,590
Probably from the fact that close to the entirety of a PC's needs is based on the 12V rail. Not 100%, but close to it.

So, for something that can only provide 73% of its rated power on the 12V rails - the 750W rating is extremely misleading.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom