Fire! The CPU power cable is damaged.
Fire! The CPU power cable is damaged.
So while tinkering with my old gaming PC to try and earn some cash, it began smoking! I was checking for overheating problems that caused it to reach extreme temperatures and slow down. Being an i7 860 model, I thought the thermal paste might have worn off (or maybe it was still effective), so I tried different cooling solutions. But it kept getting hotter—reaching 95/96°C—and eventually started smoking. The machine was still working, though very hot, and I was almost about to stop the benchmark because it hit such high temps. I managed to keep it running while I rushed to shut it down. After checking, the 4-pin CPU power extension seems to be the culprit. The rest of the cable looked fine, and I didn’t see any damage on the motherboard. It’s possible the excessive heat caused something inside the connector or near the case to fail. I’m worried because I almost gave up on this CPU after trying a better cooler and fresh paste, but it didn’t work. I’m scared—what could have triggered this? The connector wasn’t touching the heatsink directly, yet it was getting hot enough to melt it. I can’t see any burnt marks on the board either. Maybe one of the internal components got damaged by a small spark or insulation breach somewhere? Oh, and the PSU is a HP 460W from a Pavillion H8 with an Intel DH55PJ.
It's not because of high CPU temperatures, but the extension cord uses wires that are excessively thin.
The cable uses lighter gauge wires, such as AWG20. Chinese cables often cut corners by mixing steel or aluminum with copper strands due to cost savings. This reduces wire efficiency and raises heat generation. For better performance, opt for a solid extension with thicker wires—AWG18 is typical, while AWG16 would be even better. A technical note: higher current increases resistance, causing more heat. Power-hungry components prefer connectors with eight wires to manage this better. Using a quality extension ensures lower resistance and better thermal management.
Couldn’t resist—thanks for not making it look too bad except for the wires.
It might be tinned copper, though I’m skeptical—it’s more likely steel strands, since steel is cheaper and offers greater resistance. The 1007 standard refers to UL1007, and WV-1 indicates the cable’s flame resistance rating (see the vertical flame test link). The 80°C value means the maximum temperature it can handle, and 300V clearly marks the upper voltage limit. The YC-HX could denote a manufacturer characteristic that sets it apart from other strand configurations. You could perform burn tests or use magnets to identify the material; aluminum wires, often clad in copper, tend to shrink and twist under heat, while copper stays stable. Unless I’m mistaken, steel wires attract magnets whereas copper ones do not.
I experienced the same issue too—my extension melted, and it wasn’t coming from the original CPU power cable. Here’s what you can try: consider using a different cable type or a higher-quality extension. You might also want to check if your PSU supports the correct connector size or if there are any compatibility issues. If needed, a replacement cable from a trusted brand could help. Let me know if you need more details!