Computer Fire

[Fenris]

I had a small computer fire today was just smoke no flames actually. My question is why would it start I can’t figure it out. The red cable leading to the system speaker melted. It looks like it started at the mother board and went all the way to the speaker that sits on the bottom of the computer case. Only damage seems to be that one wire which is totally melted and broke off the small speaker. I took the speaker out since there isn’t any use for it that I know of, it just makes annoying beeps. What I was wondering though is why it might have started and is it alright to keep using the computer without that speaker there or plugged in. There is no damage to the motherboard or any of the cables that were plugged in next to it, so I can’t figure out how it started or even why it started. About an hour before it happened I had checked my system temp it was a little high was at 100f inside the case but I don’t see how that would melt the cable.

 

[LeeJend]

The speaker is only used to generate fault report beep codes at start up. It is not needed.

The question is why the wire melted. It is unlikely a bad speaker. There should be no power going to the speaker unless it is beeping, unless you accidently plugged it into the wrong header (like maybe the power light, HD light, usb header, etc).

If it was plugged into the right place the wire should not burn unless the speaker driver on the MB driver died. If the driver died more failures may follow. If you are absolutely positive the speaker was plugged into the right header on the MB there is now risk the whole MB could die and take other parts with it.

Your call if you want to take that risk or repalce the MB.

 

[Fenris]

Crap alright was hoping it wouldn’t be the motherboard, but at least that’s better than my first thought. I was playing BF2 when it happened and I thought I fried my vid card didn’t noticed till I had everything apart that the cord melted.

 

[LeeJend]

Make sure it was connected to the right headers. If it was then the MB driver failed.

Warantee still good by any chance? Bitch at them enough about starting a fire and they might send you the replacement before you mail back the old one.

 

[Fenris]

There might be a chance that it wasn’t plugged in to the right place. the LED for the HD died a while ago I remember messing around with the cords so I might of put it in the wrong spot how ever that was about 4 months ago so I assume the problem should of happened already.

 

[Fenris]

It’s an ABIT NF7-S I bought it at fry’s about 2 years ago so not sure if it is under warranty trying to find my warranty info on it now. Any idea if I contact fry’s or ABIT directly?

 

[LeeJend]

Depends on how long the HD was active at any given time. Also wire insulation will slowly age and carbonize.

It can take months before a wire actually starts burning. I've found house wiring that scared the **** out of me in 30 year old homes. It had been slow cooking and the insulation was brown and cracking off.

If you bought the frye's "no questions" extended warantee I think it's good for 3 years. If not the ABIT warantee is probably 1 year.

If you're not sure you could hook the speaker back up to the right header (with new wire). If it beeps when it posts then the speaker driver on the MB is probably ok and you had the speaker on the wrong header.

 

[Fenris]

Hmmm alright I think ill put it back together and power it up for a few min and check if everything is running alright it does look like a slow melt on the connector to the motherboard so it could have just taken a long time to start the problem.

 

[Son Goku]

I've seen some bad wiring. The house I grew up in was 27 years old, and the wiring going to the oven (as well as the stove crystalized). Perhaps needless to say, one Thanksgiving, the oven caught on fire and the turkey was quite well done...

If it doesn't work and you didn't get an extended warranty, check back with us. You'll probably need a new mobo at that point. In fact the HDD LED going bad before this, not sure where that problem was. But your system might be having some problems...

Peeps would need to know what CPU and stuff you have to help you with that purchase however. Getting warranty coverage (if you can) would be preferable however.

 

[Fenris]

Well hopefully everything is working fine now. On the computer now watching its temps they seem to be in the right area all the fans are working I was thinking that the Vid card fan might of died but its still going, so back to BF2 for a bit going to check temps again after a hour or so of play.

Well after 2 hours of playing my cp temp was 38c and comp temp was 52c so I don’t think it is a heat issue and all the fans seem to be working.

If I do need another motherboard which one should I get? My specs are:
Athlon xp 2800+
2x’s Geil 512 DDR 400 3200
AIW 9800pro 128mb
SB Audigy 2 zs
120gig WD (not running serial ata)

 

[LordOfLA]

Dont sue that board - its a sign a voltage reguilator has died somewhere and its now over-powereing components

Buy a new board your one is deader than a doornail.

 

[dreamliner77]

There should be no power going to the speaker unless it is beeping, unless you accidently plugged it into the wrong header (like maybe the power light, HD light, usb header, etc).

There is always a current running to the speaker unless it's some freakish amp that only turns on for a split second to make a beep.

 

[celticfan11]

Fires in pcs are always fun. I had a power supply today die at work. It was so hot i couldn't touch it for a few mins, to bad it didnt start a fire. That woulda been a sight for my eyes.

 

[mooo]

haha.. celticfan11 then the place burns down and you are out of work

 

[celticfan11]

no no, cause we are a company that does their IT work. They outsource to us. we would be out of 1 building from 1 client hehe.

 

[LeeJend]

There is always a current running to the speaker unless it's some freakish amp that only turns on for a split second to make a beep.

What makes you think that?

A continuous DC current flow will saturate the magnetics in the speaker coil and a continuous AC current flow would be making noise all the time.

It sounds like you are confusing a Class AB amplifier where there is always a current flowing through the push-pull output transistors to keep them operating in a linear range with current flowing out of the amp into the speakers.

BTW PC case speaker amps are those cludgy types that just send crude square wave pulse trains to make the beeps. They can not reproduce true audio.

 

[ElementalDragon]

yeah..... sorry to say it Fenris...... but i kinda agree with LA. don't think using that board is too much of a good idea. As far as i know...... don't think your case temp should be 20C over your CPU temp. On my system..... my video card is reporting the ambient temperature at around 44C, which i believe is like 4C cooler than my CPU, which is a P4 2.4 oc'd to 3.0. Only way i can think of that your case temp is hotter than your CPU by THAT much is either a) you have a heat lamp pointed at the side of your case, b) it's like.... 100 degrees in the room you're using the computer in.... or c) the temp sensor that monitors case temp's is shot.

 

[Son Goku]

BTW PC case speaker amps are those cludgy types that just send crude square wave pulse trains to make the beeps. They can not reproduce true audio.

There isn't much to it, though a very old DOS demo someone showed me (which is on my hard drive) from the 8088 days, does use the PC speaker for sound. It gets "music" of sorts, but nothing comples... I think there are some tone changes in the beeps, or I'd have to try to run it again to see...

The problem is that on modern CPUs, the demo causes the comp to lockup after a short amount of playback if one gets it to output sound. It also won't work in the command prompt in win2 or XP, but requires real mode DOS... The modified date on the files (checking this) looks to be 1990.

That's probably about the most one could get out of the PC speaker though...

And yes Fenris, if stuff attached to your board starts catching fire, it's really risky to continue using it...

 

[Mainframeguy]

Dont sue that board ...

he meant don't USE it, (not advising you to avoid a law suite with ABIT over fire hazard hehe)

 

[Fenris]

Alright well that sucks. I'm looking for a job right now just put in my two weeks last week. Last day of work is Monday YAY!!!!! Hated my ****ing job and the people I worked with all turned there backs on me and started being dicks. It was like high school at that place so glad I left but going to be strapped for cash for a little while which means no upgrades till I get a new job. Also been applying to jobs online so guess ill have to go to library and use there computers till I get new motherboard.