Posted April 13, 2020 I think?? This is a bit crazy to have this happen. So I had a HD for games/everything and a SSD for my OS, both plugged with the same cable that goes to my PSU, so far everything's fine, it's been like that since I first built it and everything has been fine I just bought a second SSD (1TB) to store my games from Crucial (same brand as my OS one) So I used the PSU cable to plug both my SSDs, and I used an old cable I had to plug my Hard drive, and then I saw smoke coming out of it. I shut everything down, and I'm like "Jesus what the hell? Maybe the cable was bad?" So I changed to another old PSU cable I had, and another SATA cable just in case, try again, and now there's a LOT of smoke coming out of the HHD, shut everything down in a hurry. I look at the hard drive and now there's a burn mark on my Hard drive connector, and both extremities of my SATA cable are melted. Not my PSU cable tho, just the SATA one. So I'm a bit freaked out right now, my computer is currently running fine without my HD but it's pretty much trashed. So my question is, what is the cause? My hypothesis is my old cables caused a short circuit to the HD because of too much voltage going to it? Is the HD covered by spontaneous fire? PSU: Corsair CX550M HHD: WD Blue 1T Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1177469-hard-drive-caught-fire/ Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 13, 2020 Remove the hard drive board if possible and look at the other side. How does the motherboard SATA connector look? "It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brain falls out." - Carl Sagan. "I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you" - Edward I. Koch "I didn't die! I performed a tactical reset!" - Apollolol Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1177469-hard-drive-caught-fire/#findComment-13477408 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 13, 2020 Author On 4/14/2020 at 6:29 AM, Godlygamer23 said: Remove the hard drive board if possible and look at the other side. How does the motherboard SATA connector look? My motherboard SATA connectors looks fine, I'm not sure I'd want to plug anything in the one that used to have my HD though. Otherwise the rest of my Hard Drive board is fine, it's really juste the SATA connector that is busted Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1177469-hard-drive-caught-fire/#findComment-13477435 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 13, 2020 On 4/14/2020 at 6:38 AM, Plucknet said: My motherboard SATA connectors looks fine, I'm not sure I'd want to plug anything in the one that used to have my HD though. Otherwise the rest of my Hard Drive board is fine, it's really juste the SATA connector that is busted Can you post some photos of the component side of the board? "It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brain falls out." - Carl Sagan. "I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you" - Edward I. Koch "I didn't die! I performed a tactical reset!" - Apollolol Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1177469-hard-drive-caught-fire/#findComment-13477445 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 13, 2020 Author On 4/14/2020 at 6:40 AM, Godlygamer23 said: Can you post some photos of the component side of the board? The board of the hard drive or the motherboard of my computer? Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1177469-hard-drive-caught-fire/#findComment-13477457 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 13, 2020 On 4/14/2020 at 6:46 AM, Plucknet said: The board of the hard drive or the motherboard of my computer? Hard drive board. "It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brain falls out." - Carl Sagan. "I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you" - Edward I. Koch "I didn't die! I performed a tactical reset!" - Apollolol Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1177469-hard-drive-caught-fire/#findComment-13477460 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 13, 2020 Author On 4/14/2020 at 6:47 AM, Godlygamer23 said: Hard drive board. Everything's seems fine except the connector, the board is very slightly burned bellow the connector as well Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1177469-hard-drive-caught-fire/#findComment-13477483 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 13, 2020 On 4/14/2020 at 6:53 AM, Plucknet said: Everything's seems fine except the connector, the board is very slightly burned bellow the connector as well [image removed] Is it possible for you to remove the board from the hard drive and flip it over, and then post pics? That's what I meant above when I said to take pictures of the component side of the board. "It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brain falls out." - Carl Sagan. "I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you" - Edward I. Koch "I didn't die! I performed a tactical reset!" - Apollolol Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1177469-hard-drive-caught-fire/#findComment-13477505 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 13, 2020 Author On 4/14/2020 at 6:59 AM, Godlygamer23 said: Is it possible for you to remove the board from the hard drive and flip it over, and then post pics? That's what I meant above when I said to take pictures of the component side of the board. Ah yes sorry. I noticed that one of the middle pins of the Sata seems broken, most likely due to the accident Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1177469-hard-drive-caught-fire/#findComment-13477531 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 13, 2020 On 4/14/2020 at 7:07 AM, Plucknet said: Ah yes sorry. I noticed that one of the middle pins of the Sata seems broken, most likely due to the accident [image removed] Is there any damage anywhere else on the board? Can you see where that trace goes to that the broken pin was originally soldered to? Is the pin completely broken from the pad? "It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brain falls out." - Carl Sagan. "I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you" - Edward I. Koch "I didn't die! I performed a tactical reset!" - Apollolol Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1177469-hard-drive-caught-fire/#findComment-13477537 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 13, 2020 Author On 4/14/2020 at 7:10 AM, Godlygamer23 said: Is there any damage anywhere else on the board? Can you see where that trace goes to that the broken pin was originally soldered to? Is the pin completely broken from the pad? No, the rest of the board doesn't appear to have any damage. The pin is still there, just seems soldered/broken as you can see Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1177469-hard-drive-caught-fire/#findComment-13477564 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 13, 2020 On 4/14/2020 at 7:18 AM, Plucknet said: No, the rest of the board doesn't appear to have any damage. The pin is still there, just seems soldered/broken as you can see [image removed] Not sure why that happened. It's a ground pin, and unfortunately, it goes inside the board within another layer. I don't know that I would try the drive again, even if you replaced the connector. There might be a defect within the board itself. "It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brain falls out." - Carl Sagan. "I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you" - Edward I. Koch "I didn't die! I performed a tactical reset!" - Apollolol Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1177469-hard-drive-caught-fire/#findComment-13477587 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 13, 2020 Check with WD if they will replace the drive. If the problem was on your motherboard, the breaker in the psu should have cut the power. I have seen power cables burning with too much load on them, never a data cable though. That being said, it has a 12 Volt line so anything is possible I guess. As for the reason, well there are many explanations and without being able to check the pcb I'm just guessing. 1. The drive took more power than it should, defective voltage regulator or resistor? 2. Your cable has been twisted before and that created a short 3. Something other created a short on the pcb, which in turn caused the fault One more thing, I guess you have seen that the grounding strip to the spindle motor is corroded? It should be silvery. Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1177469-hard-drive-caught-fire/#findComment-13477616 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 13, 2020 Author On 4/14/2020 at 7:40 AM, Applefreak said: Check with WD if they will replace the drive. If the problem was on your motherboard, the breaker in the psu should have cut the power. I have seen power cables burning with too much load on them, never a data cable though. That being said, it has a 12 Volt line so anything is possible I guess. As for the reason, well there are many explanations and without being able to check the pcb I'm just guessing. 1. The drive took more power than it should, defective voltage regulator or resistor? 2. Your cable has been twisted before and that created a short 3. Something other created a short on the pcb, which in turn caused the fault One more thing, I guess you have seen that the grounding strip to the spindle motor is corroded? It should be silvery. Expand The first time I saw a bit of smoke the computer did in fact automatically shut down. The cables I used apparently used to be kept in a very humid place, told my girlfriend. Maybe this caused the cables to go bad and caused the accident. And about the grounding strip, I assume you meant the middle one in the pictures I provided. Based on the fact it used to work fine before I switched cables, so it most likely broke during the accident. And if it's a ground like you said, it probably burned out due to the short, which caused the computer to automatically shut down the first time Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1177469-hard-drive-caught-fire/#findComment-13477649 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 13, 2020 On 4/14/2020 at 7:52 AM, Plucknet said: The first time I saw a bit of smoke the computer did in fact automatically shut down. The cables I used apparently used to be kept in a very humid place, told my girlfriend. Maybe this caused the cables to go bad and caused the accident. And about the grounding strip, I assume you meant the middle one in the pictures I provided. Based on the fact it used to work fine before I switched cables, so it most likely broke during the accident. And if it's a ground like you said, it probably burned out due to the short, which caused the computer to automatically shut down the first time Expand How old is this drive? "It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brain falls out." - Carl Sagan. "I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you" - Edward I. Koch "I didn't die! I performed a tactical reset!" - Apollolol Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1177469-hard-drive-caught-fire/#findComment-13477675 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 13, 2020 Author On 4/14/2020 at 8:00 AM, Godlygamer23 said: How old is this drive? It has about 5 months. I can't send it back to Newegg where I bought it since it's past the return policy, but maybe I still have a chance to Western Digital directly Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1177469-hard-drive-caught-fire/#findComment-13477684 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 13, 2020 On 4/14/2020 at 8:03 AM, Plucknet said: It has about 5 months. I can't send it back to Newegg where I bought it since it's past the return policy, but maybe I still have a chance to Western Digital directly I would definitely see what they can do. "It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brain falls out." - Carl Sagan. "I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you" - Edward I. Koch "I didn't die! I performed a tactical reset!" - Apollolol Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1177469-hard-drive-caught-fire/#findComment-13477692 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 14, 2020 On 4/14/2020 at 6:26 AM, Plucknet said: , and I used an old cable I had to plug my Hard drive Wait, did you use an old power cable from a different PSU? You know that the modular cables aren't standardized right? The ATX spec only specifies voltages/pinout of the component side. Reveal hidden contents CPU : Intel 14gen i7-14700K COOLER : Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 White + thermaltake toughfan 12 white + Thermal Grizzly - CPU Contact Frame Intel 13./14. + Coollaboratory Liquid Ultra GPU : MSI RTX 2070 Armor @GPU 2050MHz Mem 8200MHz -> USB C 10Gb/s cable 2m -> Unitek 4x USB HUB 10 Gb/s (Y-HB08003) MOBO : MSI MEG Z690 UNIFY RAM : Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 RAM 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) 6400 MHz CL32 (CMK64GX5M2B6400C32) SSD : Intel Optane 905P 960GB U.2 (OS) + 2 x WD SN850X 4TB + 2 x PNY CS3140 2TB + ASM2824 PCIe switch -> 4 x Plextor M8PeG 1TB + flexiDOCK MB014SP-B -> Crucial MX500 2TB + GoodRam Iridium PRO 960GB + Samsung 850 Pro 512GB HDD : WD White 18TB WD180EDFZ + SATA port multiplier adp6st0-j05 (JMB575) -> WD Gold 8TB WD8002FRYZ + WD Gold 4TB WD4002FYYZ + WD Red PRO 4TB WD4001FFSX + WD Green 2TB WD20EARS EXTERNAL HDD/SSD : XT-XINTE LM906 (JMS583) -> Plextor M8PeG 1TB + WD My Passport slim 1TB + LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive 1TB USB-C + Zalman ZM-VE350 -> Goodram IRDM PRO 240GB PSU : Super Flower leadex platinum 750 W biały -> Bitfenix alchemy extensions białe/białe + AsiaHorse 16AWG White UPS : CyberPower CP1500EPFCLCD -> Brennenstuhl primera-line 8 -> Brennenstuhl primera-line 10 LCD : LG 32UD59-B + LG flatron IPS236 -> Silverstone SST-ARM11BC CASE : Fractal R5 Biały + Lian Li BZ-H06A srebrny + 6 x Thermaltake toughfan 14 white + Thermalright TL-B8W SPEAKERS : Aune S6 Pro -> Topping PA3-B -> Polk S20e black -> Monoprice stand 16250 HEADPHONES : TOSLINK 2m -> Aune S6 Pro -> 2 x Monoprice Premier 1.8m 16AWG 3-pin XLR -> Monoprice Monolith THX AAA 887 -> 4-pin XLR na 2 x 3.5mm 16 cores OCC 2m Cable -> HiFiMAN Edition XS -> sheepskin pads + 4-pin XLR na 2 x 2.5mm ABLET silver 2m Cable -> Monoprice Monolith M1060 + Brainwavz HM100 -> Brainwavz sheepskin oval pads + Wooden double Ɪ Stand + Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7BK -> sheepskin pads + Multibrackets MB1893 + Sennheiser Momentum 3 + Philips Fidelio X2HR/00 + JBL J88 White MIC : Tonor TC30 -> Mozos SB38 KEYBOARD : Corsair STRAFE RGB Cherry MX Silent (EU) + Glorious PC Gaming Race Stealth Slim - Full Size Black + PQI MyLockey MOUSE : Logitech MX ERGO + 2 x Logitech MX Performance + Logitech G Pro wireless + Logitech G Pro Gaming -> Hotline Games 2.0 Plus + Corsair MM500 3xl + Corsair MM300 Extended + Razer goliathus control CONTROLLERS : Microsoft xbox series x controller pc (1VA-00002) -> brainwavz audio Controller Holder UGC2 + Microsoft xbox 360 wireless black + Ravcore Javelin NET : Intel x520-DA2 -> 2 x FTLX8571D3BCV-IT + 2 x ASUS ZenWiFi Pro XT12 NAS : Qnap TS-932X-2G -> Noctua NF-P14s redux 1200 PWM -> Kingston 16GB 2400Mhz CL14 (HX424S14IB/16) -> 9 x Crucial MX500 2TB -> 2 x FTLX8571D3BCV-IT -> 2 x Digitus (DK-HD2533-05/3) Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1177469-hard-drive-caught-fire/#findComment-13481288 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 22, 2020 Author On 4/15/2020 at 6:06 AM, kokosnh said: Wait, did you use an old power cable from a different PSU? You know that the modular cables aren't standardized right? The ATX spec only specifies voltages/pinout of the component side. That might explain why. I just thought that since the PSU don't push power, the components that are connected to it are the one who draws it and so they should only drain what they need no matter what the cable is. I guess I was wrong Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1177469-hard-drive-caught-fire/#findComment-13511506 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 22, 2020 On 4/22/2020 at 4:08 PM, Plucknet said: I just thought that since the PSU don't push power, the components that are connected to it are the one who draws it and so they should only drain what they need no matter what the cable is. Yes, but if e.g. the 12V - pin in one cable is connected to a different position than in another cable, you might be supplying 12V into a pin that expects 5V. Hand, n. A singular instrument worn at the end of the human arm and commonly thrust into somebody’s pocket. Link to comment https://linustechtips.com/topic/1177469-hard-drive-caught-fire/#findComment-13511527 Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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