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Can a faulty GPU damage a motherboard
- Thread starter Phil2008
- Start date
Any suspected faulty computer part added to a working system has the potential of damaging the working system. If it's a system that is important then I would not risk testing it on it. I normally use an old test bench (something I'm not worried to loose if it goes bang) for testing suspected faulty items and even before that I would check the faulty item for shorts and obvious signs of damage with a multi meter and a visual inspection of the PCB.
So you have to decide if the risk is worth it really or better to RMA the item if you don't know how to protect the working system from damage from a suspected faulty item. Even a faulty USB device can take out a motherboard sometimes or the USB port will blow a fuse and not work again. It really depends how bad the fault is on the item and what potential damage it can do to the working system.
Associate
- Joined
- 20 Jun 2016
- Posts
- 1,383
Yes. Unlikely but yes.
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Nov 2018
- Posts
- 2,840
It depends how faulty is was.
If it had a faulty fan - yes I would test it.
If it had potential to cause a short or catch fire - erm, no I wouldn't.
It's unlikely but you asked it it "can" happen. Anything can happen.
If I was suspicious of a graphics card I would test it in a spare PC first. Every enthusiast should have a spare PC or enough spares to build one.
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It's unlikely, very unlikely. But possible, sure.
I have had first hand experience of this.
1070 in my old PC, after some years of seemingly working fine, the PC would no longer boot with the GPU in PCI-E slot 1.
Moved the GPU to slot 2, worked fine, assumed it was the motherboard at fault (it kinda was but read on).
Anyway, years later again, new pc but using the same GPU, put it in new PC in PCI-E slot 1, get all sorts of weird issues, crashing, VERY poor FPS etc. Took me an entire weekend of testing/getting to the bottom of the issue. Eventually noticed, the GPU butting up against the SATA ports, in PCI-E slot 1. Put it in slot 2, worked fine.
Got a new graphics card, in new PC, slot 1 works fine, note a small but definite gap between GPU and motherboard, all working, still working today.
Now, smaller low profile 960, in old motherboard, in slot 1, definitely nothing stopping the card going right in, won't work. Will only work in slot 2.
So, turns out the 1070 didn't quite fit in the old motherboard either, and again was butting up against the plastic SATA port housing on the motherboard. And despite seemingly working for years, the slightly loose connection of that 1070 has damaged the PCI-E slot. I would guess due to slight electrical arcing that has ruined the contacts over the years.
I have had first hand experience of this.
1070 in my old PC, after some years of seemingly working fine, the PC would no longer boot with the GPU in PCI-E slot 1.
Moved the GPU to slot 2, worked fine, assumed it was the motherboard at fault (it kinda was but read on).
Anyway, years later again, new pc but using the same GPU, put it in new PC in PCI-E slot 1, get all sorts of weird issues, crashing, VERY poor FPS etc. Took me an entire weekend of testing/getting to the bottom of the issue. Eventually noticed, the GPU butting up against the SATA ports, in PCI-E slot 1. Put it in slot 2, worked fine.
Got a new graphics card, in new PC, slot 1 works fine, note a small but definite gap between GPU and motherboard, all working, still working today.
Now, smaller low profile 960, in old motherboard, in slot 1, definitely nothing stopping the card going right in, won't work. Will only work in slot 2.
So, turns out the 1070 didn't quite fit in the old motherboard either, and again was butting up against the plastic SATA port housing on the motherboard. And despite seemingly working for years, the slightly loose connection of that 1070 has damaged the PCI-E slot. I would guess due to slight electrical arcing that has ruined the contacts over the years.