HELP! Newly built rig not working and white smoke coming out from usb port D:

[tomatomanz]

G'day peeps, recently i plunged myself to get a new rig to replace my C2D rig.

New Rig Specs :-
----------------
1. i5 2500k
2. Asus Z68 V-Pro Gen3
3. 8GB DDR3 Corsair Vengeance
4. Cougar Evolution chassis
5. Corsair HX620 (taking from my previous rig)

After building it, and it works w/o issue, abt a week later i tried the usb ports on top of my pc chassis for the first time.

I noticed my external hdd that i plugged into the usb port, doesn't work.

So i tried my other flashdrive, and still the same, but i noticed some burning smell.. plastic... so again i tried another flashdrive, this time i actually saw white smoke coming out from usb port... D;

That time, my pc still working fine, just that it practically fried 2x external hdd and 3x flashdrives... =_="

So, at the end i switched off my pc and went out for dinner.

After coming back home, and switch on my pc.

All the lights went up and fans working, but no display.. no beeps either.

I haven't started o/c it yet so its not o/c issue and i did tried clear my cmos.. still no luck.

I did checked my temps on my proc and mobo before i switched off my pc, so it's not temps. issue.


Any ideas guys?... dam.. this its the first time that i actually saw smokes coming out from my usb port.. >_<

Thanks in advanced for those who replied.

[Ryanhabs]

To help narrow it down, You only saw the smoke and smelled the burning smell when plugging stuff in to the top usb ports? If that is the case check your usb connection to the motherboard. Also check the line from motherboard up to the panel where the usb connection was made. Look closely for any breaches in the insulation. It sounds like a contact was made that shouldn't have been. Its possible that this short could have done other damages to your system as well. The reason I mentioned inspecting your connections insulation is because on another forum someone had come across a similar issue with a CM HAF-X case and a metal point broke through the insulation and touched something else causing him mobo to fry. he contacted CM about it and supplied pics. They covered his case and his motherboard.

[tomatomanz]

Dam.. kinda unfortunately, i found out the problem..

My VIA host controller chip burned..

Apparently, i misplug my usb header into firewire header (via host controller) and cause the burned out

Dam.. firewire and usb header looks exactly the same!.. ArrGghhh..[thumbdown]

I guess theres practically slim to none chance having replacement for my mobo.. *sigh*...

There's go another 200bucks down the drain..

[russ18uk]

Sorry for your loss dude, but... How can you not see the writing on the mb which says USB 1 2 3 etc and IEEE and get them mixed up?

[tomatomanz]

This happens when you try to rush a build in 4am in the morning.. [blur face] ^^;

Anyways, quite sometime i didnt build a rig for pass 3-4yrs.. but i gotta say..

I didnt expect the a mobo can actually burned out by mistaken connectors/headers...

Power cables.. maybe.. but headers... didn't know its that severe consequences

By the way, does this effect the rest of my components/hardwares?.. like videocard, hdd, soundcard?...

As im gonna get a new mobo.. *sigh*.. even rma, it will take sometime to get replacement..

[akirarulez]

Power cables.. maybe.. but headers... didn't know its that severe consequences

To illustrate:

\


Your USB connector ground was directly attached to the +12V (twice)
Assuming it was the USB in the case, that would have been grounded to the case too. Leaving a nice short for the +12V, and seeing as it isnt protected by a fuse. Simple calculation gives:
Voltage divided by the Resistance equals the Current.

12V / 0 Ohm (near 0 atleast) = Very very high current that will blow your bridge

As for your question if the rest of the cards are affected. Prob not as they didnt have to handle that current. And the deviation in the voltage during the blowup shoulndt have affected them.
Just check the voltage components on the cards for damage.
(First 3 - 4 connections from the back on either side of the PCI-E slot)

[Silver Fox]

Join Date: Dec 2001

You've been here for 10 years... and you mix up firewire and USB header...

http://www.google.ca/search?q=facepa...=1920&bih=1060

The rest of your stuff should be ok in theory, so get a new mobo and don't repeat the same mistake ;)

[UltraNEO*]

You've been here for 10 years... and you mix up firewire and USB header...

http://www.google.ca/search?q=facepa...=1920&bih=1060

The rest of your stuff should be ok in theory, so get a new mobo and don't repeat the same mistake ;)

I'm sure everyone has a bad day occasionally....

[tomatomanz]

You've been here for 10 years... and you mix up firewire and USB header...

http://www.google.ca/search?q=facepa...=1920&bih=1060

The rest of your stuff should be ok in theory, so get a new mobo and don't repeat the same mistake ;)

In defense, this actually my first mobo has firewire support.. (well, kinda lame defense.. oh well ).

I'm sure everyone has a bad day occasionally....

Yeah.. I do hope no more "rub-it-in-replies"..

[ViolatorX]

Live and learn. I did the exact same thing 5 years ago building someone else's system. Killed the mobo same as you. I offered to replace the mobo out of my pocket, but the guy was nice and bought a new faster cpu/mobo combo instead.

<-- always double checks mobo headers now. [good]