PCs emitting a bad odor leading to allergic responses
PCs emitting a bad odor leading to allergic responses
In summary, my father and I have strong sensitivities to chemicals, and my mother has lost her sense of smell. This matters here.
Maybe I'm getting a bit confused trying to understand this. TL;DR below.
About a year ago, I purchased a pre-built tower and about a week later began noticing a smell. Initially, I assumed it was from the power supply unit and replaced it, but that didn’t fix the issue. Then I cleaned the system in the hope it was just dust, but nothing worked. Eventually, the smell returned, and it persisted even after cleaning or when the machine was idle for hours.
I’ve been the only one who can actually detect it. Usually, when it happens, it’s a steady odor, sometimes intensifying unexpectedly. It also penetrates fabrics and hair. If you enter the room briefly, it’s barely noticeable, but if you linger, enough molecules accumulate in your nose to be detected. Over time, you might even notice a taste when breathing through your mouth. My father needed about 30 minutes in my room before reacting, though he still couldn’t identify the smell.
I’ve repeatedly tried using my nose to locate the source, but no consistent result has come up. It seems chemically related to hot metal. I initially thought it was the PSU, then GPU, AIO, case fans, and monitors, but now I suspect the front CPU area is responsible. My temperatures are normal, and I can’t stress enough how it doesn’t smell like burning plastic.
The closest chemical match I’ve found is thermal paste, but that shouldn’t be the cause after a year of use, right?
What could be producing such a strong, unpleasant smell that triggers allergic reactions in just two people? The PC has moved rooms and monitors several times, yet the odor consistently follows it.
I’m planning to take headache medication and go outside for fresh air.
TL;DR: A hot metal/chemical smell, not burning plastic, affecting only two individuals. No one else can detect it. Temperatures are normal. It’s definitely the computer.
Welcome to the forums, newcomer!
Please list the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model. BIOS version for your motherboard at this moment of time.
I'm gonna get some headache meds and step outside for some clean air.
Seems to me like your room needs some ventilation/fresh air...like opening the window to let the gases exhaust to atmosphere. What sort of air filters do you use in your abode?
Moved thread from Components section to Systems section.
This may not be much assistance (likely not), but it's conceivable that highly sensitive noses are common in your family. An air purifier close to the PC could help, though if you have an extremely sensitive nose, it might not. Can you sense the odor when you're near other computers?
CPU model is AMD Ryzen 7 5700X with an AIO cooler. Motherboard is ASRock B550M-C running BIOS P1-60. System has 32 GB RAM, an MSI M371 1TB SSD paired with a 2TB Samsung SSD. The GPU is NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060ti. Power supply is Gigabyte P650G, purchased late in 2023, likely around September. The case is Phanteks Metallic Gear Neo Air in white. Operating system is dual boot between Windows 11 and Ubuntu. I have a dual 27-inch Acers monitor.
I live near an open door with fresh filters in the AC and air purifier nearby (my eight cats and faux fur items mean regular cleaning). I usually try to open my window, but it doesn’t help much because of the snowstorm affecting my area. I also had my dad and brother check the tower and found no smell, then suddenly felt a strong headache wave hit me. This situation is really strange.
My assumption is pet dander and heat. There are eight cats with allergies?
I understand how it comes across. I have chemical sensitivities, not allergies to cats. The space is thoroughly cleaned each week because I know how much dander can enter. Also, the mold issue was about the school computer labs, not this computer.
NIB
My family also doesn't use any form of aerosols because of the allergy, so no vape/cigs/febreeze/or anything else that could collect and cause that