Chip positioned above RGB header
Chip positioned above RGB header
Hi, I experienced a burn on the chip near the RGB header, causing my PC to shut down right away. After disconnecting the LED strip and restarting, it turned off after a minute, then back on successfully after three attempts. I’m unsure if I need to replace the motherboard quickly or if it’s safe to use without connecting anything close to the RGB header. I attached a photo of the affected area. No other components seem damaged. Here are the specs: PSU – Gigabyte P550B, Motherboard – Gigabyte Z390, CPU – Intel Core i7-9700K, Cooler – Arctic Freezer 34 duo, GPU – Gigabyte GTX 1660 Super, RAM – Gigabyte 2x8GB at 2666 MHz, M.2 SSD – Gigabyte 256GB, HDD – Seagate 2TB, 7200rpm, Case – Silentiumpc Signum sg1x.
Submit a return request. It's probable it remains covered under warranty.
Thank you for your message. Unfortunately, I can't confirm the current status of your purchase or the shop's availability. Since you haven’t visited the store in a while and want to ensure safety, it’s best to wait until you can check directly. Let me know if you need further help!
You're from Slovakia, but currently this service is available only in the USA and Canada.
It seems to be a transistor or MOSFET acting as a rapid on/off switch. Likely designed to cycle thousands of times per second for the power supply to the strip, causing your eyes to perceive varying brightness. A faulty transistor can fail short-circuiting or open completely—open means no current reaches the header regardless of commands from the LED controller. If it overheats, you should avoid using it further. Touching it with a finger suggests it’s safe at 12V, so there’s minimal shock risk. Note that if you only use non-green colors, you might still operate the strips safely.
To protect the parts, I powered down the PC and PSU immediately. I didn’t wait even a moment, so only a short time passed before I tried to touch it. It wasn’t hot, and there was no warmth. If you don’t use any LED strips, it seems safe to keep using the motherboard until you can take it to a shop.
Gigabyte provides an RMA service for Slovakia, with their website even referencing the Slovak Republic. Their products—such as GPUs, power supplies, and motherboards—are available globally, which explains why you might not see a local location near you. It seems the damaged component was likely a regulator or transistor for the RGB header.