I made a mistake with my over 1000$ PC.
I made a mistake with my over 1000$ PC.
Before you begin, please know I’m sorry for my unclear English—I’m not from the EU and it wasn’t my first language. Last year I upgraded my PC completely and even bought a 4080, which I was really excited to play with. But then I realized I needed to "open my window" to see what was happening. I opened it fully, but it didn’t seem to be fully open. The worst part was finding a dehumidifier on the sill that slowly turned into liquid. With a little wind, it spilled onto my PC and around it. The PC kept running without shutting down or acting up, but I turned it off completely and cleaned it. I managed to get it cleaned, though I couldn’t remove everything.
I ended up taking the PC to a shop where cleaning cost about 150 dollars. After three weeks of waiting, it was fixed and working again. They did some serious cleaning, but they didn’t clean the GPU. A few days later, when I brought it home, the GPU started making strange noises—like sparking. I took it to another shop for repair and cleaning, but unfortunately, it died after just five minutes. They told me it was "toast" and charged about 400 dollars for the fix. They offered to refund most of that, but they wanted to keep 50 dollars for their work.
So I filed a return merchandise authorization because I thought the slots might have damaged the GPU. Honestly, I’m really disappointed. I probably won’t get my money back or a replacement. The repair cost over 1000 dollars, and I don’t think I can afford to rebuild the PC.
Now I need to buy a new GPU, and I’m not confident about the rest—CPU, RAM, cables, power supply—I’m hesitant. But at least the SSD is still working. Most manufacturers wouldn’t offer an RMA for liquid damage, so that’s my mistake.
Here’s the breakdown of the components you have left, along with notes on their reliability:
Based on what you've described, your setup seems quite advanced for someone's first build. You're using a high-end motherboard with multiple M.2 slots, a solid state drive with a SATA/power connector, and a few premium components like the I7 13700K and Kingston FURY DDR5 5600MHz kit. The inclusion of a Verbatim VI560 S3 1TB inside a box is interesting—it might be a custom or experimental configuration. The GIGABYTE UG1000GM is another high-end drive, possibly for performance or redundancy. You're considering testing the PSU and SSDs with spare parts, which shows thoroughness. However, given your uncertainty about the PSU and the fact you're not entirely confident even after disassembly, it might be wise to proceed cautiously. It could help to have a professional inspect the components or clean them before reassembly.
My MOBO is in RMA, specifically an Asus Prime Z790. I’m unsure if they’ll repair it, offer a refund, or refuse any kind of return—this seems likely. That’s the concern that worries me the most and could really drive me toward making poor financial choices. I’m not comfortable with this situation at all.
Absolutely, I also have an extra 13700k left over, brand new and still in its original packaging. Even though no one seems interested, I’m keeping it for myself.
Avoid paying extra for cleaning. It’s wasting your money. Use isopropyl alcohol to handle the situation yourself. There’s nothing to lose. Don’t hope for a refund or compensation—water damage usually ends warranty coverage.
Additionally, this works even when you use isopropyl alcohol—it feels greasy and salty, which can cause rust on metal things. I’m not confident with most cables now. I can swap the 4080, but I’m hesitant since I just moved my whole room during repairs and need to buy a new chair. It’s really costly.
I feel frustrated by this unfortunate circumstance that has come my way
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