Compact power supply. Likely additional options.
Compact power supply. Likely additional options.
PSU malfunction, likely multiple shorts, big mistake made. Among PC parts I’m familiar with, I didn’t realize modular PSU cables should only come from the manufacturer—this was my error. Right now I hooked a generic third-party PSU-SATA connector to power my Corsair command fan hub and RGB case lighting. When the PC started up, I immediately heard a shorting sound from the PSU and smelled smoke. My main concern is figuring out how to troubleshoot the issue. I’ve already replaced the PSU, but I was warned that connecting it directly and trying to boot could damage the new unit if another component shorts. I’m unsure what to do next since I have a friend’s PC and want to test GPU, RAM, HDD, and SSD without risking the new setup. Could someone help me understand where to start?
UserBenchmarks: Game 98%, Desk 90%, Work 81% CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 3600X - 88.9% GPU
Nvidia GTX 1080 - 102.2% SSD
Apotop S3C 512GB - 96.8% HDD
WD Blue 1TB (2012) - 104.1% RAM
Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO DDR4 3200 C16 2x16GB - 92.5% MBD
Asus ROG STRIX B450-F GAMING PSU
CORSAIR RM750
Your motherboard might be non-functional, while your HDD and SSD are likely failing because they’re directly linked to the PSU. If you're using another system, attempt to boot the drives—if they don’t start, the drives are probably dead. Your CPU, GPU, and RAM should still operate normally. I’d suggest replacing the motherboard if needed, and test all components on a secondary system to identify any issues.