My PSU just "exploded"

[Bernkastel]

Hello,

I was just playing a game on my 3 year old PC when suddenly, without a specific reason, sparks flew out of the back of my PSU and the fuse blew.

First I took out the power cable and got a flashlight to look for any visual damage on/in my PC and there was absolutely nothing to see.
Then I put the fuse back in and plugged my pc back in, to look if it still starts up.

And now I am writing this message from that PC.

It seems to be working perfectly fine, no overheating, no weird noises, all fans are working etc..
Can anybody explain what happened and if this is safe?

As additional information I can tell you that my PC never crashed in these 3 years and that I build(ed?) it myself.

A fast answer would be quite helpful in this case, since my PC might have trouble again.

Sorry if my english is awkward, I don't use it quite often


Thanks.

 

[ahnilated]

I would not suggest using a PC that had sparks coming out the back of it without having a backup and going over the computer with a fine tooth comb. This is highly likely to cause issues on your computer and may fry other parts of your system.

 

[totalknowledge]

I would get a new psu... not worth the risk at this point.

What kind of PSU is it?

 

[xtreme5]

hmmm, maybe it's a fan of psu that it getting loser and hit inside parts.

 

[Bernkastel]

I would get a new psu... not worth the risk at this point.

What kind of PSU is it?

I currently only know that it has an max output of 500w and I purchased it for 30~40€ back then.
I can't find out what brand or name it has right now.

 

[Bernkastel]

hmmm, maybe it's a fan of psu that it getting loser and hit inside parts.

That would explain the sparks but not the fuse blowing.


Also I just realised: Could it have been the fuse blowing and THEN the sparks coming out of the PSU, meaning that the PSU wasn't responisble for the power failure?

 

[totalknowledge]

After the fuse blew there shouldn't have been any power at the wall. Although there may be an underlying cause for both like a power spike.

Still with sparks flying out of the back there was probably damage to your psu, so it is more likely to have issues in the future.

500 - 600w power supplies aren't that bad price wise, but I would certainly recommend a quality unit.

Which country are you in?

 

[Brett928S2]

Hi

Turn if off NOW !! and dont turn it on until you fit a new PSU.... we have lots of people coming into my computer shops in your position and usually they have blown the capacitors on the motherboard as well by continuing to use the PC....

All the best Brett

 

[Bernkastel]

After the fuse blew there shouldn't have been any power at the wall. Although there may be an underlying cause for both like a power spike.

Still with sparks flying out of the back there was probably damage to your psu, so it is more likely to have issues in the future.

500 - 600w power supplies aren't that bad price wise, but I would certainly recommend a quality unit.

Which country are you in?

I am living in germany.

From the looks of it I think I will keep running after making a backup until it does something weird again and then I will replace the PSU, if there still is anything to save.

This PC is pretty aged already (Amd x2 3600+, Nvidia 9600 gt, 2GB ddr2...) and I thought about buying a new one anyway, since I can't enjoy any of the newer games anymore.

I would still like to know what exactly happened right there though.
I find lots of posts about crashing PSUs but that they keep running afterwards seems to be very rare.

As stupid as this idea may sound, maybe an insect flew in the fan and caused the confusion?

 

[Bernkastel]

Hi

Turn if off NOW !! and dont turn it on until you fit a new PSU.... we have lots of people coming into my computer shops in your position and usually they have blown the capacitors on the motherboard as well by continuing to use the PC....

All the best Brett

I see that you are trying to tell me what's best, but I don't think that the capacitors will blow so hard that they will kill me?
As I said above, I was about to buy a new one already, so it isn't much of a problem if it gets completely destroyed.

I will post back here in some time to tell you if it is still running or not.

 

[Brett928S2]

I see that you are trying to tell me what's best, but I don't think that the capacitors will blow so hard that they will kill me?
As I said above, I was about to buy a new one already, so it isn't much of a problem if it gets completely destroyed.

I will post back here in some time to tell you if it is still running or not.

Hi

No they wont kill you but they will possibly ...blow the motherboard, graphics card, ram hard drives and anything else in the case....plus they COULD CAUSE A FIRE IN THE COMPUTER WHEN YOU ARE NOT THERE !!!!

So add to that list BURN DOWN YOUR HOUSE...

Turn it off NOW !

All the best Brett

 

[totalknowledge]

Better to save the parts for a rainy day even if you are getting all new parts. I am not familiar with the websites that will ship to you, or I would post suggestions on possible new units.

Read through the threads here and see if anything catches your eye. 80+ rated psu's are all the rage now (they save you money on your electric bill) Gold and Platinum are the best, but bronze isn't half bad for an initial cost savings.

Good luck

 

[Bernkastel]

I have one more think to ask.

How likely is it that my PC is in imminent danger right now?
If you are able to, then please someone give me a more PRECISE answer than just "TURN IT OFF, IT MIGHT DIE".
How long is it going to stay alive if it wil die soon? How likely is it that it was just a fluke?

Thanks

 

[totalknowledge]

Yes, if the psu was damaged in such a way that it is either underloading, overloading, shorting, or fluctuating power, the components in your computer could be damage. Much saifer to shutdown now, and get a new psu.

 

[Brett928S2]

I have one more think to ask.

How likely is it that my PC is in imminent danger right now?
If you are able to, then please someone give me a more PRECISE answer than just "TURN IT OFF, IT MIGHT DIE".
How long is it going to stay alive if it wil die soon? How likely is it that it was just a fluke?

Thanks

Hi

Nobody can answer that question precisely....it MIGHT last 5 weeks or 5 days or 5 SECONDS!

I own Computer repair shops and have fixed and built PCs and Laptops for over 30 years....

If my advice is turn if off NOW ....YOU would have to be suicidal not to do it....

If you dont care if you burn your house down, I think anyone else (like your parents) might do..... ask them to read this thread and see how long it is before they pull the plug on that machine....

TURN IT OFF NOW FOR SAFETY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All the best Brett