Is it possible my GPU died from sun exposure?

Tennis987

Distinguished
Sep 9, 2015
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Im in a bit of a pickle here. Actually, a big pickle .I decided to take my PC to my dads about 100 miles away. I took out my GPU and set it fan side down (there is no backplate) on top of my duffle bag which rested on the car floor. I took my system and set it on the floor of the passenger seat with the window side facing upwards.

When i arrived i unloaded everything except my system on the floor and the graphics card which i set down on the back seat. I left it there for about an hour as i had dinner. After dinner I grabbed my GPU and system and was going to screw my GPU back in when the bit from the magnetic screwdriver fell into my GPU. I shook it out after a bit and proceeded to screw my GPU in my motherboard. I then connect my HDMI cable to my dads monitor. My system turned on but it showed no connection. Ok maybe the HDMI port on the monitor is dead( i bought this 27 inch HP monitor from a garage sale and i only know for sure the DVI used to work and that VGA works. IDK if the HDMI port works as i can't test that). I grabbed a HDMI to DVI converter and tried that. Still no signal. I then grabbed a DVI to VGA adapter and tried it. Still no signal from the monitor.

I then took my dads old HP desktop and plugged it in via VGA. It booted up. Now this old HP does not have an HDMI port so i can't test that. However it does have an DVI connection. The problem with that is it worked one day and died the next. I can't tell if the DVI port on my dads old Mobo died, the port on the monitor died, or if the cable itself is just bad. The thing is, the old PC booted up with a VGA connection but mine did not. So i have to ask. Is it possible my GPU died from sun exposure, the magnetic screw bit falling into my GPU, or is my HDMI port on the GPU just fried? I don't have the resources now to test an Displayport connection or an DVI from my GPU to an HDMI cable to a connection VGA on my monitor. It would be a shame if my GPU died too i just bought it a couple months ago =/. I will be home in about a week so i can then test on a monitor i know for sure works but its still concerning.

EDIT: Good news i booted it off of my TV with HDMI. That means my DVI port is not working on the monitor as well as the HDMI port. I will have to find a HDMI to VGA adapter since it looks like VGA is the only port that works on the monitor.
 

shmoochie

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May 10, 2018
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I doubt the sun exposure did anything (most gpus can get up to ~105C safely), but a screwdriver bit bouncing around plinko-style could definitely damage something. How intensely did you shake it out? I would remove the shroud and look for any missing or broken capacitors.

The ports you'll just have to test yourself. It's a possibility for sure.
 

Tennis987

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Sep 9, 2015
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I did not shake it like i was making ice cream if thats what you mean. More like tipping it side to side and rattling a box to see figure out whats inside. Also the bit was about an inch long and pretty thick so the only place it rattled was around the connectn ports, under the fans and above the heatsink. It couldn't go deeper than the outer capacitors next to the edge of the heatsink. The ports worry me though your right.