Installed new SSD, and now, burning smell from computer?

[dsc106]

Hello,

System specs in sig. Had this computer since 2012, no issues. High quality parts.

I picked up a 1TB Samsung 850 Pro to upgrade my 256 Samsung 840 PRO boot/system drive. I cloned everything over last night, all good. Computer on for hours. A few minor boot up problems (I assume from a new drive) that a few restarts worked through (system set "no boot device" a few times, I just powered off and restarted a few times and then it worked).

Then this morning, computer on for maybe an hour. Left to get coffee, came home, burning smell of wood and plastic. Like a campfire... but more plastic. Found it was computer. Powered down.

I don't know what the problem is or was, but the only "new" culprit is this SSD.

Either:

Total coincidence and something else not related to the SSD is failing?

Tugging on cables shorted something on power/sata?

Bad SSD (even though it seemed to work, boot, and perform fine?)

Shorted SSD (I screwed it into the 2.5 to 3.5 tray too tightly? Pulled it out and it seems fine, no black marks or signs of damage)?


Why: No smell last night for a couple hours, but strong smell this AM after an hour?



Again, it's possible this is something else - my battery back UPS system which I've had for 6 months without issue, or another random failing component...

specs/brands in my sig; parts built and purchased in 2012 with GTX 1080 TI this summer and misc. HDDs along the way (two western digital 6tb black drives, an HGST 10tb drive, etc.) but those have all been in for a while...

 

[UsandThem]

If you remove the new SSD and put your old one back in, is there still a problem? If no, then the new SSD is likely bad.

However, if you put the old SSD back in and there are still problems, you will have to troubleshoot your system to find the culprit. I'd personally look around the motherboard and PSU at the capacitors to see if any are swollen or leaking. The smell you described could be from a number of components in your PC, but many times that's what people describe when a power supply is beginning to fail.

 

[piasabird]

Maybe you caused a fan not to work or something is not seated well or a heat sink is hot and melting insulation off a wire. Open it up and see if everything is seated well. Often by the time you smell the burning it can be too late. However, sometimes the part heats up and the motherboards turns itself off and then back on before you cause significant damage. Check all the power connections like on the video card and auxiliary CPU power (P4). Might want to verify all the fans are still turning sometimes they rub on wires.

 

[dsc106]

I will do this. Let's say a PSU is beginning to fail (I have Corsair 850). If I run tests by powering on system, etc. will I cause further damage? Or will the PSU just go bad and I buy a new one?

Fine to run tests, just a little knowledge of what I might harm in doing so would be good so I don't dig myself a further hole if there is an issue...

Thank you for the help!! (specs in sig)

 

[UsandThem]

I will do this. Let's say a PSU is beginning to fail (I have Corsair 850). If I run tests by powering on system, etc. will I cause further damage? Or will the PSU just go bad and I buy a new one?

Fine to run tests, just a little knowledge of what I might harm in doing so would be good so I don't dig myself a further hole if there is an issue...

Thank you for the help!! (specs in sig)

Most quality PSUs will not cause damage to a system. And since yours isn't some unknown 850w $20 PSU, you should be fine.

But if it's your PSU that created that smell, you should be able to remove it from your PC and smell directly into it. If that burnt smell is in there, you will know as it will be super concentrated. But outside of that, just use a flashlight and look at the capacitors on your motherboard, and then take a look at things like the SATA connector on the SSD to see if there are any burnt marks or other odd looking things.

 

[JackMDS]

specs/brands in my sig; parts built and purchased in 2012 with GTX 1080 TI this summer and misc. HDDs along the way (two western digital 6tb black driv oes, an HGST 10tb drive, etc.) but those have all been in for a while...

Given the amount of heavy components in your system, my first Guess will be PSU.

Our Body works well for many year and then might fail. So is also computers' components.

 

[dsc106]

I'd be surprised if it was PSU as I thought 850w was still a good amount of overhead, but if it is, it is! I'll do some tests. It would be VERY funky timing with the SSD swap just happening, but there are crazier coincidences...

If it is the PSU, I'd like to stay Corsair as they are good (?) and all of my cables should be same for plugging/swapping (?). If so, what is a recommend PSU to jump to? Corsair HX 1200i? Or is there a better/higher end model? (perhaps with less wattage, if I don't need such a beast).

 

[UsandThem]

I'd be surprised if it was PSU as I thought 850w was still a good amount of overhead, but if it is, it is! I'll do some tests. It would be VERY funky timing with the SSD swap just happening, but there are crazier coincidences...

If it is the PSU, I'd like to stay Corsair as they are good (?) and all of my cables should be same for plugging/swapping (?). If so, what is a recommend PSU to jump to? Corsair HX 1200i? Or is there a better/higher end model? (perhaps with less wattage, if I don't need such a beast).

Pretty much all PSU manufacturers make decent, good, and high-end units. So Corsair has some good units, as well as Seasonic and EVGA (plus others, but those are the "big 3".

The EVGA G2/G3 are solid units, as well the Corsair TX-M, RMx / RMi, and the HXi for high-end, and the Seasonic Focus Plus (platinum and gold rated), and finally several variations of their 'Prime' units.

And you shouldn't really need any of the above units bigger than an 850w unit. That's plenty for your components.

 

[JackMDS]

Electronic and Technology are Not a Love affair with Brands and Marketing.

It "use to be based on Technical facts, and the fact is that out of any specific Hardware there are some that fails. Some Brands has lower rate other Higher but there is always percentage of Faillor.

So to say that it is Not Component X because I know that Brand X is good (they also have a Cute Golden Retriever Puppy in their Ads) and is Not the culprit, is Highly questionable.

What would I do.

1. First switch off the computer open the case
(do not laugh) put your nose almost touching the PSU and other components and smell. The component that is short would generate the mot smell.

2, (smell do not Help) Start disconnecting components from power and it let it run and see if after a certain disconnection the problem stops.

3. Personally, during the years as a Computers' Enthusiasts, I accumulated basic computer's part that can always try temp. replace to help with finding what is wrong.

 

[Arshad Hussain]

Try checking your power connectors, you may find one with loose connectivity and it could be the reason you may smell the burning smell. Best way is to shut down and check it before some drive burns