receiving shock from PC

sneakysnail · 28 Aug 2020 at 09:15

I'll give you all the backstory. Shipped my Pc off to Thailand in February. I disconnect gpu, ssd etc and sent them in a secure padded box. I left one old HD screwed into the HD enclosure. There must have been a strong impact because the box was dented and the HD came loose and seem to have hit a fan at the back of the case. Box turned up the wrong way and dropped maybe. the bearing is broken so the fan/ blades came away from the outer part of the fan mounting it to the case.

I checked for damage to the mobo but couldnt find any. plugged everything in and it booted and the harddrive was even working. Was only using the pc around 2-3mins when I decide to restart and enter bios and adjust fan profiles etc.

The computer didnt post on restart. Tried turning off and on etc and felt a slight current through the pc when turning it off at the psu.

Mobo doesnt have a built in speaker for some reason so no beeps and also no onboard graphics. When computer failed to post it had 2 mobo leds on. Pci & boot led's. Removed the Gpu. receive only pci led as expected.

Current seems to be feeling stronger when I turn it off now at the PSU. The pc can be turned off but with power to the mobo and i can feel it. turned it off at the mains this time as it's a strong sensation now at the PSU.

Haven't messed with it since. This is a dying PSU right. not some strange shorting issue? Did consider even dodgy electrical outlet but tried 2 different ones, granted they are in the same room.

Ideas guys? strange that it booted up and ran without issues to start with.

Haze · 28 Aug 2020 at 09:37

Sounds like dodgy Thailand electrics, if you did not have this problem in UK, just guessing you were in the UK before

Semple · 28 Aug 2020 at 09:40

Only way to tell would be trying with another PSU.

sneakysnail · 28 Aug 2020 at 10:01

Haze said:
Sounds like dodgy Thailand electrics, if you did not have this problem in UK, just guessing you were in the UK before

It might be but it's a brand new house and i cant be sure until i get a multimeter. I didnt have this issue in the uk but that was 7 months ago and the computer had a loose hard drive rattling around inside the case potentially damaging the mobo or psu.

sneakysnail · 28 Aug 2020 at 10:03

Just tried 3 more outlets across 3 different rooms and am getting nothing. No startup, no fans spinning this time but not getting a shock from pc. PSU going out with a whimper I think. Will test psu and sockets when i get a multimeter at the weekend.

Haze · 28 Aug 2020 at 11:21

Build the pc out of the case, and see its a problem?

EsaT · 29 Aug 2020 at 12:36

Is wall outlet grounded?
Pretty certain Thailand building electric code isn't up to European level and grounded outlets might be not required everywhere.
(or badly built without actual safety ground wiring)

Without proper safety ground connection, capacitors in PSU's EMI filtering form voltage divider causing PSU's casing float half way between live and neutral.
And if you yourself are standing on conductive floor, or touching on something grounded you would feel that current leakage as constant shocking/"tingling".

Though if HDD properly screwed into metal cage has gotten loose in shipping, I would call most parts as suspected damaged.