Question PC had a single loud pop, burnt smell but continued running fine

[fnh]

Was playing Hitman WOA with a RTX 3060 GPU and Corsair RM 550X PSU, when a loud pop was heard followed by a burnt smell was detected. PC was still running fine during the game but a normal shutdown was initiated, followed by powerline disconnection. Mainboard caps look fine except for 2 difficult to see by the GPU. GPU and PSU caps can't be wholly seen but advice needed on which likely candidate for replacement. RTX 3060 is second-hand used (bought 2022), but Corsair RM 550X is from 2019.

 

[TerryLaze]

but advice needed on which likely candidate for replacement.

All of them, including all the caps inside the PSU....
Unless you can clearly see which one has exploded, then you would have to replace that one and make sure that it did not pop due to something else, and also make sure that that popped cap didn't break anything else.

In other words, either get a pro to do it, which will be very costly, or find out which part failed and replace only that and hope for the best.

 

[fnh]

I'm thinking of RMAing my PSU anyway as I've located my printed invoice and I've still got the box to ship it out. But the GPU won't be easy to diagnose or capable to RMA. I'm just glad it didn't pop a fire or pop while it wasn't monitored leading to an unknown component failure state. Though I think I may have bought the Corsair PSU to replace my Seasonic PSU on similar grounds ...

 

[BFG-9000]

Once I switched on an office PC using the button and there was a tremendous bang + flash with flames momentarily shooting out of the PSU fan--it was seriously impressive! Well the PC booted and operated normally all that day, but after shutting it down it would no longer power-on the next day.

A large primary cap inside the PSU had vented, but presumably still had enough electrolyte in it to work normally until it completely dried out. I replaced the cap and the PSU still works fine to this day.

I mention this because if your PSU actually stops working, then it should be really easy to RMA under the 10 year warranty.

 

[fnh]

I mention this because if your PSU actually stops working, then it should be really easy to RMA under the 10 year warranty.

Yeah, I just hope its the PSU as it's the least costliest to replace bar destructive cascade failures (there was repeated GPU fan high RPM during the gameplay), though I now wonder whether it was the Seasonic S12 PSU that had a previous pop or another PSU because apparently I still have the Seasonic stuffed in a box (I would think I would have ditched a popped PSU). I must have went with Corsair for a PSU as they have a better presence here than Seasonic especially for something to deal with in a 10-year period.

 

[LordVile]

Yeah, I just hope its the PSU as it's the least costliest to replace bar destructive cascade failures (there was repeated GPU fan high RPM during the gameplay), though I now wonder whether it was the Seasonic S12 PSU that had a previous pop or another PSU because apparently I still have the Seasonic stuffed in a box (I would think I would have ditched a popped PSU). I must have went with Corsair for a PSU as they have a better presence here than Seasonic especially for something to deal with in a 10-year period.

Nothing is 100% perfect and all models have some units that fail. If the computer kept running it’s likely the PSU and only the PSU that went as a cap on the GPU would cause larger issues. A cap going in a fan also means the circuit has no filter meaning the fan would either be not spinning, especially at start up or spinning in a jerky fashion because the capacitor provides smoothing

 

[fnh]

I only realised that the Corsair RM 550 X had something called in-cable capacitors to reduce/eliminate ripples (read a forum thread over techpowerup that eventually devolved, but was still informative). They don't blow out do they? Also, before I shutdown the computer, I did get to see the GPU fans through the window and they were running fine. Though I didn't/couldn't see the other PC fans nor did I look at the CPU fan, no sound of abnormal whir/jerks was heard prior/after the pop.

 

[ilyas8485]

Given the loud pop and burnt smell during gaming, the most likely culprit is the power supply unit (Corsair RM 550X), especially since it's from 2019 and PSU capacitors can degrade over time. Although the motherboard caps look fine, the GPU caps are mostly hidden, but GPU failure usually shows other symptoms before a pop.

Stop using the PC immediately to avoid further damage.
Test the PSU separately or replace it first, as PSUs are common failure points and can cause damage to other components.
Inspect the GPU thoroughly if possible; if no visible damage but issues persist after PSU replacement, consider GPU testing or replacement.
Check motherboard for any subtle damage or burnt traces near the GPU area.
The Corsair RM550X is generally reliable, but after 4+ years, capacitor aging or a sudden failure can happen. Prioritize PSU replacement to ensure system safety.