The PC crashed. I'm trying to understand what caused it.
The PC crashed. I'm trying to understand what caused it.
Hi everyone and thank you for this forum.
I've owned my PC for about six years now. It was a custom-built system and has always worked perfectly.
But recently, after a long period of inactivity, I found out it was turned off in my basement.
Usually I keep it powered on, but life hasn't been great, so I didn’t think much about it until now.
Recently, when I tried to restart it, nothing happened—it felt like the power button was missing.
I brought it to a repair shop, and they diagnosed it as a motherboard issue. They replaced it with a similar model, costing $150 for the board and another $150 for labor.
They also mentioned the GPU might be damaged too. They offered to install a comparable one for another $150, but I’m planning to handle that myself.
I’m trying to understand what might have caused this or if I’m just unlucky.
Online discussions often contradict each other, and I’ve been frustrated trying to find reliable information. Most sources say it’s unusual for both the motherboard and GPU to fail at the same time, unless the power supply is faulty. But they claim the motherboard is fine, which makes me wonder.
Could the sawing activity in my basement have caused enough vibration to damage the components later?
They also installed self-regulating heat tape in the same outlet as my PC. I discovered this setup violates the National Electrical Code, and I’m curious if it could have caused power fluctuations that harmed my system. This tape must be plugged into a ground-fault protected circuit breaker, which it isn’t.
Seeing all the fire and shock warnings on the tape tag is unsettling, but I’m not an expert.
Or maybe I’m just unlucky—my motherboard failed, and the GPU too? Or perhaps they both died independently within a short time?
Unfortunately, I’ve been really unwell this year and don’t know how long my PC lasted after they were here. At least a few weeks, but no more than two months.
Finally, should I worry about other components in any of these scenarios?
This situation has been really disturbing. My PC is my main device.
Thanks in advance, and please don’t think these questions are too simple—just the ones that bother me the most.
Thanks again!
Occasionally it did. Also, it would have been helpful if your system specifications were mentioned with the vent, so everyone could make a better decision.
They installed self-regulating heat tape into the same outlet as my PC, which is a violation of the National Electrical Code. I'm unsure if this could have led to power fluctuations that might have harmed my PC. Self-regulating heat tape must be connected to a ground fault protected circuit breaker, but this setup doesn't comply.
Thank you for your response!
Sorry the vent was quite lengthy.
I didn't even consider adding specifications.
Mobo: ASUS Rog Strix Z270H Gaming.
GPU: EVGA 1060 with 6 GB RAM.
Additional relevant parts:
PSU: EVGA G3 Gold 750w, fully modular.
CPU: Intel i7 7700.
Case: Fraktal Define R4.
The build quality was semi-tank-like, though I'm unsure if it could handle the stress.
And if the heat cable was included, it would have made a big difference.
Thank you for your response as well!
It seems clear that what they did is the reason behind everything.
I'm trying to understand it better.
The work was provided at no cost by a local state-sponsored group for my disability.
My furnace stopped working, so this job was meant to install a more efficient one.
If they damaged my PC, I want to know so I can contact them and have the repairs paid for.
I’m struggling to afford fixing it completely, and I worry that once it’s done, other parts will fail soon.
Local businesses have told me my PC would have stopped working right away if it was the result of this.
I don’t really think it’s a coincidence.
My PC wasn’t stored anywhere; it’s my main (and only) one. I restarted it before they left, and everything looked normal. But since I’ve been unwell, I didn’t use it much.
I attempted to stop the person from cutting the sheetrock on it, but they ignored me completely. I was really scared at that moment.
I didn’t realize the heat cable was hazardous until I unplugged it and checked it.
Then I found the warning label and did some research.
The HVAC technician who installed it (to prevent the drain condensate line from freezing) didn’t mention anything.
It’s not that I don’t want to deal with it, but I’m deeply saddened and upset by this situation.
These individuals were supposed to assist, yet they acted rude, condescending, and apparently caused me lasting damage.
And please, if I’m being too emotional, I’m sorry.
This is beyond words.
Too much dust and strong vibrations in the construction zone are harmful to computer equipment. Hardware must be taken out of these places. Dust damages fans, causes overheating and failure, while vibrations harm hard drives and destroy mounting points for heavy parts like CPU coolers and graphics cards. It’s a clear outcome—hardware will likely fail.
Start with this, don’t return to the shop for paid service. That would be like Geek Squad at their best. You’ve already spent $300, and they’ve already suggested another $300 that could have been used for a better system, like a newer one.
If the only problem right now is a faulty graphics card, you should be able to take it out, connect it to the video output in the motherboard, and see if it works.
Saying the power button doesn’t work even after changing the motherboard seems odd, especially after paying that amount. If I’m right about this, if you’ve paid so much, you might want to come back and go through their steps with them. You paid enough to expect this, and without it, you could ask for a refund or dispute the charges. Basically, it’s robbery.
I don’t think you should focus too much on the uncertain details about the workers. You have no clear timeline to prove they caused the PC to stop working at that moment. It could have been a storm, a surge, or just a hardware failure.
Are you able to try some basic troubleshooting yourself?
I’d remove the GPU, take off the front panel connectors, check all other power connections, and try to touch the power button pins on the motherboard with a screwdriver to see if anything responds or shows life.
I appreciate your responses. It was my concern while he was handling that sheetrock—it was genuine fear. Constant reminders were ignored. I’m not sure if he understood what a PC actually is. He just noticed a large black box and began working while I was upstairs chatting with another worker. Regarding the $150 labor fee at the shop, I was tricked there too. They were the only place in town offering a free diagnostic. Everyone else I spoke to demanded at least $80 just to explain the issue (which also included service or labor charges). Things quickly took a turn. He called me later that day saying the motherboard had failed, but fortunately everything else was okay. Since my PC was already present and he did the diagnostics for free, I agreed to pay $150 in labor, thinking it would be the final payment once the new motherboard arrived and was installed. Then yesterday, after about a week, I received a call stating the new motherboard had been installed and my GPU was dead. This happened despite them claiming everything else was fine before I agreed. I wouldn’t have paid them at all if I’d known other parts had already failed. I would have taken my PC home and explored other options. This kind of situation is unacceptable. You’re welcome again, and I value any advice or suggestions you might have.
Don't ignore the impact of a strong collection of reviews. Even if it doesn't suit you, it would help guide others away from that kind of hesitant service.