Both My Desktop and Laptop Died on The Same Night, Any Idea as to Why?

minty on 25/12/2022 - 14:02
Last edited 25/12/2022 - 19:36 by 1 other user

Howdy

Got a 1080Ti last week for my 11yr old desktop (i7-2600K, 16GB DDR3, upgraded to a 1060 6GB a few years ago) as it did everything that I needed, replaced GPU and updated driver, tested, and all's well. Powered off desktop and it wouldn't turn on the next day, well, power was delivered to everything that's visible (case/cpu/gpu fan, 3.5" hdd can be heard spinning) however nothing is being output to display. I swapped the 1060 back, removed cables/ram/etc and reattached everything to make sure nothing was loosened by accident and same thing.

Was 95% on the verge of replacing my desktop anyway and bought a 2nd hand CPU/MB/GPU combo with intention to keep the GPU (2080Ti) and sell the others, transplated those into the case and same. Have since splashed out and gotten an overdue desktop replacement and the GPU definitely works.

The same night the desktop was last working I had an old laptop on downloading and set to shut down when complete, woke up next day and it was off so didn't think anything of it and didn't turn it on until today, and it wouldn't power on, the onboard m.2 is not detected when transplated to another PC.

At this point the previous desktop with the 1060 is probably good for $300 or so so I'm not commited to finding out exactly which component failed as I thought it'd be down to either MB/PSU however seeing the swap didn't work I'm thinking the PSU, the cheapest one I can find is $50 on a pinch and it's not worth the money.

What I want to know is what could have possibly caused this? Both PC are old yes but the chances of them both dying on the same night is nil, I checked the microwave/oven and neither of them have been reset, could it have some sort of power wizdary thingy, even though the desktop was off at the time?

P.s. I didn't try the new desktop's PSU with the old setup as I didn't think of it until later and everything's all in place now.

Computing

Comments

  • CyberMurning on 25/12/2022 - 14:02
    +49

    must be santa not happy with your record in 2022

    • photonbuddy on 27/12/2022 - 10:56
      +8

      This.

      Bought a 1080Ti last week, and then a 2080Ti!

      That's an OzBargain fail right there 🤣

    • HeWhoKnows on 27/12/2022 - 21:33
      +2

      As the old saying goes…
      If it aint broken, then dont fix it

      But to answer Ops question..

      The obvious is an overnight POWER SURGE!

      • Tunblor on 28/12/2022 - 10:16

        There's only one way to pronounce POWER SURGE!, and that's "POWER SURGE!"

  • ParmiAndChips on 25/12/2022 - 14:03
    +15

    Climate change

  • Trance N Dance on 25/12/2022 - 14:21
    +2

    When you say all's in place now, does the old components work with the new PSU? Sounds like a power issue happened overnight.

    • minty on 25/12/2022 - 14:26

      I didn't try the old component with the new PSU, mainly cos I didn't think of it, and also cos now I just didn't want to mix any brand new component with the old.

      What sort of power issue would this have been? I thought that might be the case but I'm perplex as to what it could have been that's never happened in the 11yr past, and seeing the desktop was off at the time I'm just uncomfortable at the thought as I just splashed a good few dollars on the new PC and certainly don't want it to happen again now.

      • Trance N Dance on 25/12/2022 - 14:49
        +6

        A power surge either through the mains power, or if both computers were plugged in via ethernet a power surge through the ethernet wires.

        Also when checking the m.2 drive; is it an nvme drive and was the new port nvme compatible?

        • minty on 25/12/2022 - 15:10

          Pardon the dumb question but I've nil knowledge on power deliviery. The desktop was powered from one wall socket and the laptop was from a different socket, both PC are without ethernet cables. I would have expected the oven and microwave to have reset in case of a surge(?)

          The m.2 I chucked into a USFF I've lying around and it has worked countless of times before, is the surge likey to have destroyed many other components as well?

          • sAmiZZle on 28/12/2022 - 00:56

            @minty: +1 for the above answer. My computer got taken out by a lightning strike out front of my house and same with my router. However, powered from the same power extension board was my laptop which is fine to this day (I was led to believe that laptop power packs have conversion and thus more protection but I'm no electrician). It's likely your PSU was cooked and possible that most other components were ok since they were powering up, but not getting stable/enough power. Graphics cards and motherboards are very susceptible to a surge (as in my case). I had the HDMI connected to my monitor and literally just that output on the gfx card got fried, but the DVI which wasn't plugged in still worked. You should try the other PSU? Just pull out the plug and connect it to the other board (but there is always a chance the board is dead or only half is functional as in my case I had rgbs on the motherboard but it was fried even with another PSU, ram and gfx card)

  • foxmulder on 25/12/2022 - 14:51
    +6

    Surged? Do you even use power board with surge protector at all?

    • minty on 25/12/2022 - 21:26
      -1

      No I don't, do you have them on all of your appliances?

      • foxmulder on 25/12/2022 - 21:31
        +12

        Hi yes I use them.. Tese days power boards with sp are quiet affordable. You can get them around $30-40 for the 8 port. I use chepaer ones from Coles the like of Jackson (whenever they were on sale) for the kitchen.

        • minty on 25/12/2022 - 21:45

          I will have a look at them, how do connect individual items to the board logistically? For example I've my kettle on my corner and toaster/airfryer on another corner, if I get a board of 4/8 ports I'd just have this giant thing with 1-2 items plugged in(?)

          What about the office, I currently have monitor and powered standing desk on a 2-1 adapter into one socket, and the PC into its own socket, and prior to the laptop's demise it was on a different socket, would it be wise to plug all into one single surge protector board or would you invest into multiple?

          • foxmulder on 26/12/2022 - 09:58
            +1

            @minty: I'm guessing that toaster air fryer in your kitchen right? I connect all in one board - but I usually only use one appliance at any one time only. For desk - if it's just a desktop, monitor and laptop, and other small things the like of hdd dock, external hdd, hub, it's ok to be in one board. If you really have to have another board - connect to a different outlet or if you can, a different wall socket.

            • minty on 26/12/2022 - 10:14

              @foxmulder: Great, that makes sense, appreciate all your input :)

          • sAmiZZle on 28/12/2022 - 00:59

            @minty: Centrecom sell one that is guaranteed against lightning protection as well which I got after finding it the hard way. Just connect expensive equipment to it. I personally don't worry too much about minor appliances.

      • Postal Dude on 29/12/2022 - 22:57

        You can also have an electrician install one directly into the mains power board to protect the whole house.

    • koplik8 on 28/12/2022 - 13:03

      I use one of these. They are under $50

      https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/belkin-6-outlet-surge-pro…

  • GordonD on 25/12/2022 - 16:03
    +29

    They'd gotten old together, and they had decided that when one went it would not leave the other to struggle on alone, that they'd both go together quietly, without any fuss.

    • HumbleCat on 27/12/2022 - 20:40
      +8

      Ride together, die together

      Bad boys for life

  • avoidfullprice on 25/12/2022 - 16:54
    -3

    Network virus

  • USER DC on 25/12/2022 - 17:23
    +5

    Santa gifted your kids a usb killer?

  • clippers on 25/12/2022 - 18:53
    +1

    Inside job obviously..

  • SaberXLancer on 25/12/2022 - 19:44
    +1

    I think you forgot to plug your monitor (or plug it into a wrong hole)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zHVW7Zy_vg&ab_channel=DJLub…

  • rooster on 25/12/2022 - 20:15
    +7

    thats a classic lightning strike. causes a surge in everything, even things not powered up or plugged into the wall.

    you might find these weren't the only two casulties…

    • monkeyfood on 27/12/2022 - 13:32

      I have done it before, metal shavings fell into a powerboard socket, next time I plugged a cable in whole thing did a mini lightning. Not all but some other things plugged into the same board died or went funny, a monitor started displaying purple etc

  • altomic on 25/12/2022 - 23:52
    +4

    some sort of gypsy curse?

  • b0rnwithabeard on 26/12/2022 - 08:17
    +18

    this is clearly Dan Andrews’s fault

  • SteveB00 on 26/12/2022 - 08:53
    +8

    the chances of them both dying on the same night is nil

    That’s wrong. There’s a tiny but real possibility this is coincidence.

  • iCandy on 26/12/2022 - 09:17

    No.

  • chuderino on 26/12/2022 - 09:44
    +2

    Most likely due to the patriarchy or power related.

  • Happy501 on 26/12/2022 - 09:56

    Voltage drop through the mains.

    • mrvaluepack on 27/12/2022 - 07:33

      You mean surge.

      • Happy501 on 16/01/2023 - 22:49

        What do you think happens to DC devices during an AC voltage drop?

        • mrvaluepack on 17/01/2023 - 09:38

          Insufficient power and powers off.

  • RufRuf on 26/12/2022 - 11:23
    +3

    Bikies

  • pencilhead on 26/12/2022 - 12:25

    karma

  • the Unforgiven on 26/12/2022 - 20:30

    Do you have a $20 voltmeter plugged into your 230V socket?
    Do you have a battery back-up for your PC? Now here is the thing,
    even if you don't have it for your PC, your laptop goes through a battery;
    which is the same thing.

    I would have thought it a power spike or under-voltage, like some1 else said.
    Have you been blowing more light bulbs recently? I would get one of those $20 voltage checkers.
    They also check wattage & amperage & useage; very handy, pay a bit more for the better model.
    Why get one of those? If your voltage is too high, your appliances will not last long; you can read the rest.
    If it is too high, contact the people who generate the electricity

    b4 I go, guess what happened to my PC last Christmas Day? my 1080ti KiNGPiN died. Is that the X-Files theme I hear?

  • matt-ozb on 27/12/2022 - 07:11
    -5

    TLDR version of the story?

    • RolandWaites on 27/12/2022 - 12:39
      +2

      OP computer (x2) broke. Wants know why.

    • spaceflight on 27/12/2022 - 13:40

      PCs dead. Why?

  • 00000000 on 27/12/2022 - 07:42
    +1

    Desktop power supplies degrade roughly 8-10% every year. It's possible your power supply in the desktop is shagged.

  • OzzyOzbourne on 27/12/2022 - 08:51

    Gremlins

  • serpserpserp on 27/12/2022 - 09:07
    +2

    Putin.

  • drfuzzy on 27/12/2022 - 09:46
    +1

    Avoid using computers during your weekly ECT session.

  • THICKnSLOW on 27/12/2022 - 09:46

    I asked my magic 8 ball but it didn't respond.

  • Hangryuman on 27/12/2022 - 12:00

    my thought was power surge

    as I understand any power surge protection would probably use capacitors to absorb sudden excess voltage spikes (I think Australian power is expected in a range like 240-260V maybe) - newer smart power boards with residual current detection and such might help prevent such - I don't have so don't know

    alternatively something closer on the household circuit (I read something about toasters) - if it somehow caused a local spike to your household system (e.g. electric HWS systems can switch on and off to using maybe 3.5kW so maybe something like that)

    • Trance N Dance on 27/12/2022 - 13:03

      NSW's power grid range is supposed to be 216-253V (230V -6%/+10%).

      Should be similar elsewhere except QLD and WA who are still at 240V nominal.

  • conza on 27/12/2022 - 13:10
    +6

    Amazed at the people making fun, this is never great when this happens, and it can happen to the best and most experienced of builders.

    I would say when it comes to things dying, it's an 11 year old system immediately I think of the PSU. Unfortunately, it could have taken other things with it, biggest item at risk is the motherboard and GPU.

    Had a PSU kill a motherboard, I was testing someone's PC and used their PSU on my motherboard, their PC had been dropped, really stupid in hindsight but I just hadn't encountered a murdering PSU before.

    I think your best bet is to start with buying a new PSU, then go back to basics

    Outside of a case, build just the Motherboard, CPU + Cooler, Ram, w/ a PSU then mouse and keyboard, I'd only put in a GPU if the CPU you're using doesn't have an iGPU, if it doesn't then plug in your least valuable GPU, test boot that.

    From there you can start swapping in parts depending on success, and you'll find which ones were victims.

    Good luck to you, I hope you're able to salvage most of it.

  • Windows7forever on 27/12/2022 - 13:40

    That's really bad luck

  • mandelbrot on 27/12/2022 - 14:08
    +1

    SBF doing a rug pull

  • Dack Smith on 27/12/2022 - 15:05

    Time to buy a new pc and laptop - don’t be a Christmas Scrooge!

  • idonotknowwhy on 27/12/2022 - 15:13

    PC probably died because of something related to the changes you made. It can be the most random thing, like maybe some tin whiskers under an IC, then you flexed the board a bit when you moved it and it was just enough to disconnect.

    I've seen PCs die when they're moved to a different room, during house moves, etc. Seemingly all was well and then bam, no POST, GPU is dead, etc.

    There was a thing years ago with the Nintendo Switch, where after a firmware update, suddenly 3rd party power supplies were frying a chip, bricking the console.
    So many things can (profanity) a PC like that.

  • Qazxswec on 27/12/2022 - 15:18

    perhaps it was a murder/suicide situation, did you find that lately the desktop was being possessive of the laptop and was jealous when it saw you taking the laptop different places while it just stayed in the same spot?

  • Willy Beamish on 27/12/2022 - 15:26

    clear cmos on desktop, more than likely unrelated to the laptop unless they were both getting power from the same source that caused the issue

  • xdigger on 27/12/2022 - 15:49

    Covid 23 5G edition

  • kfear on 27/12/2022 - 15:55
    +1

    Remove all the RAM and insert one stick at a time, switch on. If it boots, shut down and add the next.
    Seen it a lot where if a machine moves it needs the RAM and/or GPU re-seated to get it to kick back into action, possibly a dodgy connection somewhere.

    I've worked in IT for ~20years

    • ziggy1312 on 27/12/2022 - 20:22

      Agree with this - had to reseat ram every year as the expansion and contraction due to heat - it got more often as it got older. Also the old z77 mother board I jhad - was a i5 3550 k finally died a year or two ago -

  • Ciderfizz44 on 27/12/2022 - 15:59

    So you have a surge protected board/outlet?

  • booksmaker on 27/12/2022 - 17:03
    -1

    Rhythm Nation by Janet Jackson? 😋
    https://voonze.com/technology-bizarre-mistake-a-song-by-jane…

  • htc on 27/12/2022 - 19:05

    A button battery for the mother needed replacement?

  • Eeples on 27/12/2022 - 19:35
    -1

    Try using the motherboards HDMI hole (DVI or dsub) to see if you get a picture.

    EDIT: actually does the motherboard beep at you? Take all the ram out and check that it can beep.

  • sirstiv on 27/12/2022 - 20:13
    -1

    Maybe its your power supplies

  • AlanHB on 27/12/2022 - 21:08

    I suspect that they eloped.

  • jake-sun on 27/12/2022 - 21:54

    Y2K22

  • mrkorrupt on 27/12/2022 - 22:43
    +2

    Disconnect battery and ac adaptor from laptop, hold down power for 1 minute, plug them both in and press power

    • minty on 29/12/2022 - 16:56

      Just want to say a thank you, unplugging the battery and reattaching it got it to turn on again and all seems well now. Appreciate your help!

    • Ramrunner on 29/12/2022 - 18:42

      This is actually good advice and a common fix for customers that bring us their "broken" laptops.

      Please always try this first.

      • minty on 29/12/2022 - 20:06

        I'll remember this forever going forward, but what's the rationale behind this?

        Is there some sort of "memory" of the power surge interuption stored somewhere where (if so what for?) and removal of battery resets this?

        • Ramrunner on 30/12/2022 - 14:39

          As far as I understand it simply does a hard reset on the components inside.

          • minty on 30/12/2022 - 16:52
            +1

            @Ramrunner: Gottcha, I'm sure this will be useful info going forward, cheers :)

  • anonymous12345 on 28/12/2022 - 00:52
    +1

    CMOS battery?

    • mrkorrupt on 28/12/2022 - 10:30

      If you can get to cmos battery easily, wont hurt

  • Canberralad92 on 28/12/2022 - 06:40

    Skynet.

  • Bangerbargain on 28/12/2022 - 12:01

    Jv came to visit you on Christmas?

  • redslert on 28/12/2022 - 14:41

    You might want to ask on more tech savvy forums rather than this one.
    E.g. ocau or find a sub-reddit…

    • Bangerbargain on 28/12/2022 - 21:36

      We got tech savy users here, some from ocau and other tech savy forums. =)

    • Trance N Dance on 28/12/2022 - 21:57

      Whatever happened to good ol' Whirlpool?

  • luffyex2010 on 29/12/2022 - 09:11

    Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night?
    Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic?
    Have you or your family ever seen a spook, spectre or ghost?
    If the answer is "yes", then don't wait another minute. Pick up the phone and call the professionals…

  • Ramrunner on 29/12/2022 - 14:27

    I would say 100% PSU for the desktop

    11 years old?

    You upgraded before to the 1060, then again to the 1080? You are aware they have vastly different PSU wattage requirements yes?

    1060 = 450W
    1080 = at least 600W

    And that's assuming it's still running at at least 80% efficiency (unlikely at 11 years old).

    You sure you didn't just burn out the PSU with the higher power draw? That would be my guess. The PSU is way too often overlooked as an essential part in the build process. When you buy a particular GPU, always check and make sure you have a sufficient PSU.

    My guess is you burned one or two rails.

    But then you don't even mention what PSU it is so I could be talking out of my behind :)

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