If you tuned into our recent Gearlog Radio podcast, you know that our beloved PC Magazine Labs was recently threatened by a small fire that started inside the Voodoo Omen, a high-end gaming rig, during review testing. Fortunately, I managed to get things under control before the situation got out of hand. The experience was exhilarating, to say the least. But on the flip side, it sparked a few precautions I took note of that you can apply to avoid your own fiery mishap. These quick tips can apply when building a gaming rig yourself or when purchasing one from any of the boutique distributors, such as Alienware, Voodoo, Northwest Falcon, and so on.
Inspect
A number of things fall under here: Check for shipping damages--if you notice dents in the chassis, this could cause components to become damaged and/or loose in the system. I say send the system back to the vendor, but do take a moment and check to make sure all cables are properly secured, and reseat the video cards, memory, and so on even if there is no apparent mishandling. Additionally, some distributors will ship water-cooled systems with the liquid coolant already installed. This can be dangerous if shipped improperly, so check for spillage, or request to pour it in yourself. The last thing you want to do is transform your PC into a light show.
Think Smart
Call it a matter of preference, but I call the see-through-window option an advantage. Had it not been for the window on the Omen, I probably wouldn't have spotted the situation as fast as I did. Every second, especially when it comes to electrical fires, counts. Also, a temperature gauge should be located somewhere on the external area of your chassis, to keep you up how things are running on the inside.
Invest
While not the most visually stunning piece of equipment to have lying around, a fire extinguisher, even a small one, can help you avoid catastrophe, even if you've taking all the proper precautions. The fact is, components in gaming systems generate a lot of heat; especially rigs that have everything overclocked from the CPU to the memory and video cards. Safety is first.
Though I was bummed out that I wasn't able to put the system through testing, the Voodoo Omen's water cooling system (pictured below) was definitely a breathtaking piece of tech. So much in fact, that I'm on the search for both similar and alternative types of cooling solutions on the market today. Check back soon for cooling solutions on everything: CPUs and video cards, memory, and other components.
Post by Brian K. Neal
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August 31, 2007 4:43 PM
That's what you get for getting an HP.
September 2, 2007 5:22 PM
Well its a very common board used by alot of overclooking fans. Even sold as one. I would like to know why it caught on fire,
September 2, 2007 10:01 PM
Looks like it's possible that an internal USB cable was plugged into a firewire header. They have the same pin layout and I've seen the result. I used to work in a PC repair shop and a guy brought in system that this happened to. It was a mess, much worse than this. Sad thing is he was a high level IT guy for a major company and he's the one who put it together.
September 3, 2007 12:18 AM
I disagree- Looks more like the graphics card shorted.
Ask them to reseat all connections, and plug it back in. Also, reset the computer. Did they try resetting the computer?
September 3, 2007 2:37 AM
I think both the USB/FIREWIRE and VIDEO theories are correct. Maybe the video card pinched and subsequently cut/shorted a usb/firewire lead when seated. Pins 1 & 2 are +12V and pin 4 is ground on the PCI-E socket. Looks like a busy spot on that board in any case(pun intended).
September 3, 2007 6:41 AM
In my experience with electronics, there is nothing much like this than a short circuit. If 28 amps of power can melt a header, how much more in this high-end rig which sports a very beefy power supply. And it is good that the testers were very quick to respond immediately with less panic.
To me, this is an accident. Voodoo must have tested this system before shipping and something might had just happened along the way with the cables or bare contacts. And more, this may not be a point against Voodoo.
I call for innovation to power supply manufacturers. Lets say, put some fuse on the DC cables?
September 3, 2007 11:46 AM
I reFUSE to add extra circuit protection! that is SHORT sighted thinking. It is best to have the CAPACITY to obSERVE(R) the components for shipping damage and cable problems.
You know the rules: ALL electrical equipment runs on smoke. Once you let the smoke get away, it usually quits operating. British car owners were very familiar with this concept, as LUCAS, the Prince of Darkness had a patent on the whole thing.
( We had intermittent wipers FIRST and headlight switches that were labeled " smoke, smolder and burn )
Washington D.C. doesn't get anything done today because they let the " smoke and mirrors " get away from them.....
( oh, us CRAY-ONs did the ultimate in overclocking..)
September 4, 2007 11:13 AM
We've had a bunch of high end machines catch fire. variety of manufacturers. Usually its the voltage regulator on the video card that starts it but all the cross ventilation fans cause it to quickly jump around the inside. We also were lucky that there was a window that we could see the fire before it tried to take the office with it.
Moral of the story, my house no longer has high end machines in them. They aren't safe.
September 5, 2007 6:57 PM
I must agree with Oldtimer8080.As a previous owner of a Spitfire (why would anyone name a car after a plywood fighter plane?)I am far too familiar with the likes of electic nightmares.I keep a fire extinguisher at my desk as a matter of habit.When was the last time that the distributor on your car cut itself in half?
October 25, 2007 4:14 AM
i honestly thought spitfires were ww2. even so,i always keep a co-2 extinguisher by my drivers seat.
carb or f.i.