4 ms·

>11. I want an all-metal case because a machine caught fire once. I would love elaboration on what happened.

panda88888 6y ago
I would guess something shorted in the power supply or power bus.
WalterBright 6y ago
The graphics card caught fire. Fortunately, I was at my desk at the time and couldn't help but notice the heavy smoke boiling out of the machine. I pulled the plug pronto which halted the fire, and put the machine out on the concrete patio till it stopped smoking. Curious, I plugged it in again and the fire started again. REmoving the cover showed the graphics card and a section of the mobo was burned to a crisp. I had to wash the floor, walls, everything in my office to get the stink out. Replaced the mobo and graphics card and I was back in business, but this time I bought some sheet steel and set the computer on that, which hopefully would buy some time to get the fire out. The machine had a metal case, which I'm sure greatly slowed down the spread of the fire. So for me from now on, it's metal cases all the way, baby.
- incompatible 6y ago
  "Curious, I plugged it in again and the fire started again" This reminds me of an old joke: https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgrammerHumor/comments/46sere/a_physicist_engineer_and_programmer_are_in_a_car/d07p2x3/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgrammerHumor/comments/46sere/a_p...
  - WalterBright 6y ago
    It wouldn't be funny if it weren't true!
  - tartoran 6y ago
    I once turned on my crt monitor and smoke started coming out so I freaked out and immediately unplugged it. My uncle, an electronist, was passing by and told him I screwed my monitor and wanted him to take a look. He plugged in, turned it on it worked just fine. I don’t remember ever having problems with that EGA monitor again. I could never explain that white smoke
    - incompatible 6y ago
      Maybe it was a literal bug.
- projektfu 6y ago
  I wonder if there was a tin whisker lurking there.
- gautamcgoel 6y ago
  Wow. What model GPU/mobo was it?
- curiousllama 6y ago
  Computer chips work because they capture magic smoke. I know this because when I let the smoke escape the computer stops working.
hsbauauvhabzb 6y ago
I had, from what I can tell, the 3.3v power Button wire met and catch fire, no idea how and it sounds very unlikely but the computer worked once the fire was put out - I just had to start it with a screw driver.
Symbiote 6y ago
I've seen the remains of a computer in a school, after the building was struck by lightning overnight. Only that one computer was affected, and inside it was mostly black dust.

I would guess something shorted in the power supply or power bus.

The graphics card caught fire. Fortunately, I was at my desk at the time and couldn't help but notice the heavy smoke boiling out of the machine. I pulled the plug pronto which halted the fire, and put the machine out on the concrete patio till it stopped smoking. Curious, I plugged it in again and the fire started again. REmoving the cover showed the graphics card and a section of the mobo was burned to a crisp. I had to wash the floor, walls, everything in my office to get the stink out. Replaced the mobo and graphics card and I was back in business, but this time I bought some sheet steel and set the computer on that, which hopefully would buy some time to get the fire out. The machine had a metal case, which I'm sure greatly slowed down the spread of the fire. So for me from now on, it's metal cases all the way, baby.

incompatible 6y ago
"Curious, I plugged it in again and the fire started again" This reminds me of an old joke: https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgrammerHumor/comments/46sere/a_physicist_engineer_and_programmer_are_in_a_car/d07p2x3/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgrammerHumor/comments/46sere/a_p...
- WalterBright 6y ago
  It wouldn't be funny if it weren't true!
- tartoran 6y ago
  I once turned on my crt monitor and smoke started coming out so I freaked out and immediately unplugged it. My uncle, an electronist, was passing by and told him I screwed my monitor and wanted him to take a look. He plugged in, turned it on it worked just fine. I don’t remember ever having problems with that EGA monitor again. I could never explain that white smoke
  - incompatible 6y ago
    Maybe it was a literal bug.
projektfu 6y ago
I wonder if there was a tin whisker lurking there.
gautamcgoel 6y ago
Wow. What model GPU/mobo was it?
curiousllama 6y ago
Computer chips work because they capture magic smoke. I know this because when I let the smoke escape the computer stops working.

hsbauauvhabzb 6y ago

I had, from what I can tell, the 3.3v power Button wire met and catch fire, no idea how and it sounds very unlikely but the computer worked once the fire was put out - I just had to start it with a screw driver.

Symbiote 6y ago

I've seen the remains of a computer in a school, after the building was struck by lightning overnight. Only that one computer was affected, and inside it was mostly black dust.