A gamer’s gaming PC unexpectedly catches fire because he ignores one of the most important rules of PC building

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A gamer shows pictures of his burned-out gaming PC and wants to know why it caught fire. The “culprit” is apparently quickly found.

A burned-out computer is a picture of horror. A gamer recently shared a picture of a burned gaming PC on Reddit and wanted to know what he had done wrong. Most of the components are still pretty clearly visible in the picture, especially the cables are pretty burned. Other users have to find a hidden error before they can use their PC.

Who caused the fire in the PC? At first glance, the power supply unit immediately catches the eye and many people think that this is the problem with the computer. This is because the model is from a completely unknown manufacturer and does not look very trustworthy in other respects.

And it was precisely the power supply that was probably the cause of the fire: A user from the community explained to him that he had probably unknowingly overloaded his power supply and that the power supply could not handle the overload. This is because important fuses are often missing in cheap models. And after the overload, the fire finally started:

You shorted the power supply and no fail safe kicked in. The amps in the 12V rail continued to rise until it got hot enough to catch fire.

However, many see the biggest problem in buying the very cheap power supply. If they had invested in a high-quality and reputable product, they would not be complaining about a total loss now. Other players therefore add:

  • “If you’re going to save on something, it should never be the power supply.”
  • “We can only assume it was the cheap power supply that should have been called the Firestarter.”
  • “Of all the parts you buy when building a PC, you should NEVER buy a cheap power supply. This is one of the most important rules of building a PC. It was almost certainly the power supply that caused the fire.”

    • Boss ruined his company in 59 seconds on Twitch – what happened to him?

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    Don’t skimp when buying a power supply for your future gaming PC

    It is better to buy a high-quality power supply: A power supply without protection is the most dangerous component in a system. Without protection, the power supply components can fail and destroy the rest of the system. You saw an example of how it can end with the player’s system on reddit. It’s not for nothing that many players say that one of the most important rules in PC building is to avoid cheap power supplies at all costs.

    Above all, every power supply should be equipped with three important fuses:

  • Short circuit protection (SCP): Designed to prevent damage to the power supply or other components in the event of a short circuit
  • Overload protection (OPP): If the power supply is subjected to a high load, it should switch itself off. And that is exactly what was probably missing in this case, where the PC burned out.
  • Over/Under current protection (U/OCP): This is intended to protect the power supply and the components from excessive voltage drops or increases.

    • Basically, we would recommend that you go for a well-known and reputable manufacturer if you want to buy a power supply. When buying, also make sure that the power supply is not damaged and that all safety markings are present. If, in case of doubt, there is an overload or a problem, then in the worst case scenario, only your computer will switch off or only the power supply will be broken.

    More about power supplies: Another gamer also finds out how dangerous the wrong use of a power supply can be. A gamer buys a new case and power supply. He complains loudly that his old cable no longer fits the computer. The community is shocked and stunned, because things could have turned out badly: Gamer buys a new power supply and complains that the cable doesn’t fit – doesn’t realize that he almost burned down his apartment

    mmod-game