I accidentally triggered a spark in the PCIe port.
I accidentally triggered a spark in the PCIe port.
I tried to fix the graphics card by reseating it, but after turning on the system it still didn’t work properly. A small white spark appeared near the PCIe connector, yet the card wouldn’t power up. No damage to the connector was visible, but I’m unsure about the slot itself. All other components seem fine. It’s possible the card or slot is faulty, though I can’t confirm without further testing.
there is no noticeable plastic odor, but it's entirely possible you encountered one. the only solution was to test the components by frying a pair of GPUs in a similar way without careful thought. i tried connecting two 8800GTS using SLI, but everything failed after a single attempt. the case was open and the PCI plate covers on the back were missing. i decided to replace them while it was still operational. a hand slip caused the metal bar to short the two cards, resulting in both 8800GTS failing—smelling of plastic and smoke.
Avoid moving anything in a computer with active power. Disconnect the power source or switch off the back panel before handling any components.