My Graphics Card Fried Itself

[Dewarrior]

my graphics card just fried itself idk yet if any other components are affected as well,

What could have caused it, all I did was use my pc for a few hour just browsing the web, watching YouTube videos, etc then as soon as I started up a game barely 10 seconds later my pc just just off suddenly, it thought it was loads heading for a second but realised my light was still on, I opened the case to check what the problem could be and it smelt like something had just burnt, I turned my pc back on to see if it still works and i just saw a spark followed by smoke coming from the graphics card and immediately pulled the psu plug out.

So know my gpu is likely dead and have no other spare "capable" pc to test it out on and also see what else could have been damaged since I can only connect to the monitor to the gpu with an hdmi cable.

Can a warranty cover anything since it came with a 3 year warranty and I've only had it for about a year and 4 months, could it have been caused by the constant load shedding or power surges, because I always unplug my pc after
the power goes out and whenever i'm away to try and prevent power surges if they do ever occur, should I try and make a claim against Eskom, what could I do?

The GPU is a Palit GTX 1660 Super GamingPro OC:

Palit GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER GamingPro OC NE6166SS18J9-1160A 6GB GDDR6 192-bit PCI-E 3.0 Desktop Graphics Card - Wootware

Buy Palit GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER GamingPro OC NE6166SS18J9-1160A 6GB GDDR6 192-bit PCI-E 3.0 Desktop Graphics Card at Wootware with fast shipping & superb service.

www.wootware.co.za

 

[JeffTheApricot]

try your warranty through wootware

 

[Dewarrior]

the weather is pretty cool here so I definitely couldn't have been caused by any overheating

try your warranty through wootware

How do I do that?

 

[TRINITRON]

Which psu do you use?

 

[superrob]

Well I always try put something between our power and my electronics some sort of surge protection etc because if you read what comes out our wall sockets it could scare you.

@Vleisboom do you know anyone at Woot that could assist this young gent in checking if a warranty could cover his issue

 

[Dewarrior]

Well I always try put something between our power and my electronics some sort of surge protection etc because if you read what comes out our wall sockets it could scare you.

@Vleisboom do you know anyone at Woot that could assist this young gent in checking if a warranty could cover his issue

Well I do have my pc case as well a my monitor and router connected to a surge protector and only the gpu seems to have died, other electronics (TVs, Laptop, etc) in my house that were running at the time the gpu fried still running without any issues.

 

[superrob]

There's every possibility it's not surge damage unfortunately, which isn't bad because surge damage would not be covered under warranty just saying

 

[TRINITRON]

Btw if this ever happens again, dont try to immediately put your pc back on - rather unplug everything and wait an hour or 2 first

 

[Dewarrior]

I managed to find an old gt 520 lying around and the pc seems to boot up and function normally so the issue is likely just the gpu

 

[Dewarrior]

I just can't believe that this is the second time my gpu died on me, my previous gpu died only after a few months of use on my previous pc, I thought it could have been a because the gpu was second hand and the pc components were old, so I bought a newer pc and brand new gpu and the very same thing happened.

My previous PC still works today years later and used as a family pc but only with integrated graphics so I don't think it could have been a psu problem or power surge but a faulty gpu.

This happening again makes me afraid to purchase the PC in my previous thread if the same might just happen again expecially since it will be my first true Gaming PC that I worked to buy myself with much more expensive components expecially the cost of the gpu. Which makes me think a shouldn't bother anymore with getting a high end gpu and just get a much cheaper midrange gpu like an rx 6600, just something I could be satisfied with and maybe invest in a UPS if that even helps with anything since there was likely no power surge since everything else seems to work and have no history of power surges happening in my home or area that I know of, even with the frequent load shedding.

 

[Rickster]

-Get a decent Superflower PSU
-Get your power checked out by an electrician (low voltage etc)
And get a damn UPS/inverter.

 

[ThatGuyJD]

A power surge doesn't feel right for this issue. This sounds more like a VRM component dying. It's never advised to switch the PC on after something just randomly shuts down. It's a protection thing.

Try the warranty with wootware, email them and just ask. They should be able to help you out, please don't try and take the card apart yourself as it will likely void the warranty.

Would ask what PSU you're running as a weak PSU and if you're running both connectors on a single cable isn't advised either.

A UPS would have helped LESS THAN NOTHING IN THIS SITUATION.