A gamer shares pictures of his burnt gaming PC and wants to know why it caught fire. The “culprit” is supposedly quickly identified.
A burnt computer is initially a picture of horror. A gamer recently shared the image of a burnt gaming PC on reddit and wanted to know what he did wrong. Most components can still be seen quite well in the picture, especially the cables are quite burnt. Other users need to find a hidden error to be able to use their PC.
Who caused the fire in the PC? At first glance, many immediately notice the power supply, and many consider it to be the computer’s problem. This is because the model is from a completely unknown manufacturer and does not look very trustworthy otherwise.
And this power supply is likely the reason for the fire: A user from the community explains to him that he probably unknowingly overloaded his power supply and the power supply could not handle the overload. In cheap models, important fuses are often not present. And after the overload, the fire eventually broke out:
You short-circuited the power supply and no fail-safe kicked in. The amperage in the 12V rail kept rising until it got hot enough to catch fire.
However, many see the biggest problem in the purchase of the very cheap power supply. Because if he had invested in a high-quality and reputable product, he wouldn’t be complaining about a total loss now. Other gamers add:
- “When saving on something, it should never be the power supply.”
- “As we can only suspect: The cheap power supply that should have been called “Firestarter.””
- “Of all the parts you buy when building a PC, you should NEVER buy a cheap power supply. That’s one of the most important rules in PC building. It was almost certainly the power supply that caused the fire.”
Don’t skimp on buying a power supply for your future gaming PC
Rather buy a high-quality power supply: A power supply without protection is the most dangerous component in a system. Without protection, the components of the power supply can fail and destroy the rest of the system. An example of how it can end is shown by the system of the gamer on reddit. It’s no wonder that many gamers say it is one of the most important rules in PC building to avoid cheap power supplies at all costs.
Every power supply should be equipped with three important protections:
- Short circuit protection (SCP): Should prevent the power supply or other components from being damaged in the event of a short circuit.
- Over power protection (OPP): If the power supply is heavily loaded, it should lead to the power supply shutting itself down. And this was likely missing in this case where the PC burnt down.
- Over/Under current protection (U/OCP): This should protect the power supply and components from excessive voltage drops or spikes.
Generally, we would recommend choosing a well-known and reputable manufacturer when purchasing a power supply. Also, ensure that the power supply is not damaged and that all safety markings are present. If there is any doubt about an overload or a problem, then in the worst-case scenario, only your computer will shut down or only the power supply will be damaged.
More on power supplies: How dangerous the improper use of a power supply can be is also experienced by another gamer. A gamer buys a new case and power supply. He loudly complains that his old cable no longer fits the computer. The community is shocked and horrified because things could have turned out badly: Gamer buys new power supply and complains that the cable doesn’t fit – Doesn’t realize that he almost burnt down his apartment
