Nearly a mini fire!

413x · 18 Oct 2021 at 17:43

It's times like this when I worry about leaving my pc on unattended.

This pc has been going years and randomly I start smelling burning.

Quickly turn off power to my whole room and investigate.

This turns out to be the connector between the corsair cpu cooler and the psu.

Do I need to change both psu and (obviously) the cooler?

Digital X · 18 Oct 2021 at 17:46

If it were me, I would contact Corsair and then change both ASAP.

Edit: Is the PSU Corsair as well?

413x · 18 Oct 2021 at 17:50

Digital X said:
If it were me, I would contact Corsair and then change both ASAP.

Edit: Is the PSU Corsair as well?

Psu is evga (so not a cheap one)
I think it's the connection. The pc was still running at the time!

It's very localised on that area

Armageus · 18 Oct 2021 at 17:55

What was that sata adapter powering?

Sata connectors shouldn't be used for anything other than hard drives imo.

Molex connectors are capable of higher current, and the pins are normally crimped or soldered rather than cheap moulding (as is the case on most faulty Sara adapters)

413x · 18 Oct 2021 at 18:07

Armageus said:
What was that sata adapter powering?

Sata connectors shouldn't be used for anything other than hard drives imo.

Molex connectors are capable of higher current, and the pins are normally crimped or soldered rather than cheap moulding (as is the case on most faulty Sara adapters)

It's the connection from the corsair cpu liquid cooler that has the sata head

413x · 18 Oct 2021 at 18:11

FYI. I found the product

Corsair h100i

Vince · 18 Oct 2021 at 18:16

413x said:
FYI. I found the product

Corsair h100i

Interesting they got rid of the Sata on the H100i V2

V F · 18 Oct 2021 at 18:22

Armageus said:
What was that sata adapter powering?

Sata connectors shouldn't be used for anything other than hard drives imo.

Molex connectors are capable of higher current, and the pins are normally crimped or soldered rather than cheap moulding (as is the case on most faulty Sara adapters)

EK also uses the Sata power connector for their pumps.

d_brennen · 18 Oct 2021 at 18:30

I'd say the pump has gone short or otherwise drawing lots of current

V F · 18 Oct 2021 at 18:33

I'm curious, why is there a gap seeing through to the gold contacts? Usually the plastic is flush to each other.

413x · 18 Oct 2021 at 18:35

V F said:
I'm curious, why is there a gap seeing through to the gold contacts? Usually the plastic is flush to each other.

It may just have been from pulling the cables out

413x · 18 Oct 2021 at 18:35

d_brennen said:
I'd say the pump has gone short or otherwise drawing lots of current

Yes. This seems to be most likely.
Obviously I can't be sure it's the psu but I feel the pump was drawing too much power

V F · 18 Oct 2021 at 18:36

413x said:
It may just have been from pulling the cables out

Ah, is the PSU modular? I assume the connector has fused itself together...

413x · 18 Oct 2021 at 18:39

V F said:
Ah, is the PSU modular? I assume the connector has fused itself together...

Yeah it's modular.

I've pulled the two apart and it's absolutely mangled inside there. The metal contacts are nowhere to be seen

413x · 18 Oct 2021 at 18:43

Any reason not to check over all the cables and just replace the cpu cooler?

I mean I'd rather not replace the psu too

V F · 18 Oct 2021 at 18:46

Something could be wrong with the motor of the cooler. Only way to diagnose it running on its own with a cheaper PSU isolated.

Quartz · 18 Oct 2021 at 18:50

413x said:
Yeah it's modular.

Have you checked the cable at the PSU end?

413x · 18 Oct 2021 at 18:53

Quartz said:
Have you checked the cable at the PSU end?

Yeah absolutely fine. No sign of any other damage in the whole unit

The cable from the psu to the cpu cooler also had nothing else attached

d_brennen · 18 Oct 2021 at 22:52

I'd replace the cooler with a cooler master 212 before investigating anything else, personally

Haz123 · 18 Oct 2021 at 23:06

I would not use that AIO again, if it even works. Most likely an internal seal has failed and water got to where it should not be and caused a short. Is a little concerning that the PSU did not have an internal cut out to prevent that much power being drawn through a sata cable , was the connector in the correct slot on psu and not a mistake by putting it in the pcie gpu slots ?