Fixing a Viewer's BROKEN Gaming PC? - Fix or Flop S5:E18

[@EastyyBlogspot]

"I was not expecting it to be this easy " and i see only 6 min of a 28 min video....oh he might regret that lol

[@Lurch-Bot]

Famous last words.

[@Dinkleberg96]

i was thinking the sdame thing 😂

[@raiznsisig]

immediately scrolled down as soon as I here that...hahaha

[@jonathanalter1890]

This is where Ketchup and Mustard cables come in handy. Red was 5V and Yellow was 12 volts. Black was ground. You knew what you had.

[@animalyze7120]

There was a reason for that and idiots complained it was ugly so they got rid of it and look what happens. All for nonsensical aesthetics.

[@qT_p13]

Who needs standards? Just let manufacturers do whatever they want.

[@ivandavid6693]

but not even ketchup and mustard helps every time :D in 90's (1997 i think) when we bought our first 1GB (yes one GB) HDD, we nedded to use the last available molex and gues what.... cables in the very last molex in the line were in correct order but they were flipped in the second last molex from which it continued to the last one. almost impossible to notice. So we fired it up and nice lighting flashed out of our case, blew a hole in eletronics of the HDD, killed IDE controller on the mobo, killed the Pentium 100MHz and the power supply. Really expensive lesson back then

[@harshbarj]

You still need to measure the voltages. Colour coding your cables only works if you also test.

[@brianmessenger]

@@animalyze7120yes, but they could all easily get together and decide on a standard layout, but they can’t even get a standard for their own power supplies.

[@DragonBane299]

Bruh what a good friend, getting an i9-12900k and 3080 gaming pc for free I could never

[@adamtajhassam9188]

I am very curious if it still works because both the 12600k and 12900k had the same reaction.

[@ForsakenSanityGaming]

Had I the money, I'd do the same for my close friends 😄

[@tourmaline07]

I was going to say that is a bloody good PC to get for free 😂

[@ChristopherAndersonPirate]

@@ForsakenSanityGamingI don’t have any close friends :( not even my wife likes me.

[@animalyze7120]

Which the user promptly destroyed trying to add crap they didn't need. Typical.

[@pizzanut180]

So , what did we learn today kids? Dont mix cables !

[@adamtajhassam9188]

Dont mix PSU cables.

[@AAjax]

If you have multiple PCs in your life, buy non-modular PSUs or store the extra cables in the basement.

[@stupidzombies95]

BuT tHeY'rE tHe SaMe

[@bobbymoss6160]

But stock cables are not pretty...

[@DePhoegonIsle]

@@stupidzombies95 You mock, but every other PC cable makes pains to ensure different standards are marked with different ends. Can you really blame consumers for thinking that... even with the same Manufacturer?

[@Kehnnnt]

These longer videos are so nice to watch. Probably not nice to troubleshoot but i do appreciate seeing a challenge

[@GregSalazar]

Glad you like them!

[@reactionswithmike]

@@GregSalazarGreg, we love them ❤

[@marxman6896]

I wish I had friends that just handed me ~$1200 PCs for free.

[@animalyze7120]

He got a free i9 and 3080 and promptly tried to destroy them both. Amazing, just WOW!

[@brucepreston3927]

​@Matt-j5uHow exactly did he get scammed? He gets some of the parts for free that he uses to fix stuff and he makes money from the videos he posts...Even if people are just trying to get free parts, it doesn't matter as long as he can make an interesting video...

[@tazgamerplays]

There really needs to be an industry standard pin out on power supplies. If not then they should design the plug going into the power supply to not fit other models.

[@benjaminsmekens2344]

100% this, the amount of times I got sick and tired of ridiculous PSU's (same model - different revision) and bought cable sets for them to then not work has been 50/50... Now I only buy new psu's even if I'm just missing a single cable because who knows what they may have changed. It's such stupidity that one side is standard while the other is an electronic minefield.

[@whohan779]

@@benjaminsmekens2344 Not a problem on be quiet! PSUs. Basically no such things as "cable revisions" and they have every cable purchasable with a complete compatibility list.

[@christianbilling3540]

corsair atleast have a chart stating what cables are compatible with which of their psus. for example my corsair psu takes type 4 cables BUT... SOME only Some of the older type 3 cables are compatible some aren't but their compatibility chart explains it clearly enough if you bother to look it up

[@Mikael-jt1hk]

or maybe people should just fucking listen to pc building 101.. I never had any kind of urge to use a random cable in my power supplies.

[@projectartichoke]

Wow! I really learned something. Only use cables that come with the modular supply, or be sure to test the pin outs. So glad I stumbled across this video.

[@Eric79-f7i]

You're a good dude Greg. You had every right to flop that build, instead you decided to replace his platform and get him game ready. that's a class act gesture.

[@edwardcanez]

he was the one who broke the components. It was working fine at 6:52

[@GregSalazar]

@@edwardcanez Ah. So I was the one who connected incorrect cables from a different unit? Got it. I was doing my job, thanks. And once it led me to the culprit, I replaced what was broken. In all fairness, that rig was powered on multiple times in that state before it ever arrived in our office. It should have died much earlier.

[@edwardcanez]

@@GregSalazar You replaced it because that's what you do in this series. You would do it one way or the other, and it's great. And it's great that you are in a position to help people for free and produce good content about it. Many people would charge for the work despite producing content with it. But what do you think should be the outcome if the same thing happened in a repair service? Should they just give it back broken worse than they received? It goes in badly wired, and it comes back bricked. No customer would be fine with it. You are doing this for free, but you should still take on the same responsibility over the hardware a repair shop would, and you did that by replacing what was broken. Bad things happened, and you owned up to them as you should. Just don't agree that you deserve the praise of the comment above and that you had "the right to flop it." To be clear, I think you acted exactly as you should.

[@Eric79-f7i]

@@edwardcanez I watched the video in it's entirety. The customer used the incorrect cables from a different PSU, and admitted to doing so. The system failed during power cycles in the diagnosis steps. That's a customer induced failure. If you brought your car to the mechanic with the wrong fuel in the tank, and the engine blows when they start it.. not their fault and they are under no obligation to replace the engine free of charge. @GregSalazar went above and beyond by giving the customer a new platform at no charge, even though it was customer induced. I stand by my original comment.

[@edwardcanez]

@@Eric79-f7i the problem with your point is that he unplugged, saw it working, and then plugged back in the same way, which caused it to break. That would be the same as draining the tank, seeing the car working, and then putting the wrong fuel back in to test it again. It's just bad luck all around. If it had broken when he tried to turn it on before changing something, I believe he shouldn't replace anything. He acted the right way under the circumstances.

[@brentw8365]

Reminds me of a similar EVGA PSU cable mixing issue. 6 months ago, a Reddit thread blew up since OP's HDDs died after mixing cables from the original & RMA PSU, but had a different revision.

[@GregSalazar]

Yeah I was honestly left pretty disappointed with EVGA (and myself) by the end of this video. Pretty wild stuff.

[@TerminalzPain]

I was just thinking about the same story, someone sent in a faulty PSU for RMA and their instructions tell people to NOT send cables, so he didn't and the one they sent him back had the pin outs changed due to an updated revision and his PC blew up lmao :D

[@Dan-Simms]

At least EVGA replaced everything that got fried for the user, but still, what a F up. So dumb to change the pin out on a revision of the same model.

[@blahorgaslisk7763]

@@GregSalazar It's the same with Corsair and a lot of others. The safe way is to never mix power cables. Not in the computer and not on the table when replacing a PSU. I really hate that there haven't been a standard set for these cables, and also the way the old ketchup and mustard colored cables went away. With the old colors you could easily compare two cables and see if they were cabled the same way at the PSU connector. I remember the first PSU's with all black cables. Sure they looked good, but the first time I saw PSU's from different manufacturers that used the same kind of plugs I knew there would be problems caused by this.

[@animalyze7120]

That instance was EVGA's fault as they overlooked that point and the user did have it registered which gave them the model and skew number. It was an oversight that ended up being a mega expensive blunder.

[@johngangemi1361]

GQ cable set mixed with BQ cable set = BBQed components. Wow! Great video Greg! That pop is electronics letting the smoke out!

[@zagloba1987]

You had such a good hunch about the not matching cables before you even turned on the pc. I was screaming to the monitor, "Replace the power supply!". Sadly you got confused with the semi modularity. That would be such an epic save man. Never in my life I have seen a PSU with different sets of cables. Even semi modular ones.

[@rodrigowilson5885]

how could he start that system with that psu inside omfg, he killed the board and the 12900k and gave the guy a 12500 🤮, the worse is that he did not take responsability for his error...

[@TheCuboidman]

@@rodrigowilson5885 except the fact that the dude has already tried to start it several times. That was enough to kill the mb and cpu. The fact that Greg heard a pop, does not change the fact that the pc was toast, it was jsut the final blow on a mortally wounded victim. It was a very small chance for it to be recoverable even if he would have changed the psu first.

[@rodrigowilson5885]

@@TheCuboidman well but he did not and he sent to the guys that should know better bruhh

[@rodrigowilson5885]

@@TheCuboidman btw the system was still working and after he brocke he did not have the balls to say so and blame the other... and gave him shit back. im a pro pc builder and this is just despicable...

[@rodrigowilson5885]

@@TheCuboidman if greg was a pro he would take that power supply out first and try to fix...

[@RadioDeadAir]

12v to those 5v LED fans = dead. The fan motors should be fine because they took 5V when they're rated for 12v, but those hubs are probably toast, too.

[@GregSalazar]

Good point, explains why the LEDs were shot but fans survived!

[@OlettaLiano]

@@GregSalazar I had some old fans that I wanted to kill just for fun, but they somehow survived being hooked up to a 24 volt car battery. I guess some fans are pretty tough.

[@turtlefrog369]

hubs are trash anyway. i always connect everything to my mobo. works fine.

[@ChristopherAndersonPirate]

@@turtlefrog369yeah I have the built in fan hub on my Pc case just randomly stop working until I smack the PC or restart it after jiggling a bit, then it’s fine.

[@TheTeshok]

Corsair rgb plugs are not standard. You need the hub.

[@Klutch_it]

Pretty sure on the future Greg's survey's on sending in PC's... "did you attempt to use different cables than what came in with the PSU." This knowledge would have saved a lot of components. Nice job Greg on this one! Love your attention to detail, sucks that this was not known ahead of time.

[@GregSalazar]

Definitely something I'll be checking much sooner in the future!

[@TheOdog1970]

One of the things I like about Seasonic is all their cables have part numbers on them and they have a page that tells you what part numbers work with which power supplies

[@Mikael-jt1hk]

i like to buy a power supply and use the cables it comes with.. Nothing else matters unless you are an idiot.

[@fistwood]

Holy fuggg, who would have thought??? They basically look like the same cable. I would have made this mistake too! Thanks for these videos Greg! We learnt a ton!

[@CoreyPL]

Motherboard: Sir... please... stop... something... feels... wrong... Greg: (pushing power button) stab stab stab stab stab Different generations of modular cables from the same manufacturer and not standardized pinouts are the bane of service techs existence. I feel the pain that motherboard and CPU felt in their last minutes... RIP

[@GregSalazar]

I'm surprised it didn't die much sooner (before we ever got ahold of it). Just shit timing that it kicked the can right as we narrowed down the SATA drives and cables. Once I'd found one mismatched, I'd have spotted the GQ molex cable as well. But hindsight it 20/20. I learned a lot from this one. Glad he's back up and running 😄

[@nalistuff]

@@GregSalazar The SATA cables created the loop or better short to the mainboard ground plane so the protection circuit of the PSU could work its magic. Removing the SATA cables caused the PSU to turn on fully before the protection kicked in. I had the same thing happen to me once, the rule: Just create a dead short, fine, the PSU will protect itself! But create a short with a higher resistance, not good, something dies!

[@Lurch-Bot]

When I read this, I heard it in my head in Codsworth's voice.

[@CoreyPL]

@@Lurch-Bot As you should my friend, as you should. Wasteland workshops were full of those screams.

[@CoreyPL]

@@GregSalazar I agree with @Nalistuff - those fried SSDs tripped the protection in PSU, and with them gone, voltage said "LETS FING GOOOO!!!" This PC shouldn't be alive much sooner and it was pure luck that with that exact hardware combo PSU tripped protection. Only way to prevent this is to probe check all connectors before first boot, but just like you said, who does that? Until just a few years ago this wasn't necessary almost at all. I think we will soon start to see automatic pinout checkers just like your PSU tester.

[@kingklump]

I am VERY glad that I learned about not mixing power cables early. This can cause some very expensive headaches. Thanks again, Greg!

[@costearobert2216]

This is new to the fix/flop series and a small thing that did big problems. Indeed the PSU suppliers always said to use the same cables fom the PSU you buy, but this is to be remembered with this episode. GJ Greg! Really love your series ❤

[@madao937]

I understand exactly why you didn't call this a flop because you got a post and then system literally died completely on your hands. I think this was a lost/flop on your stash but i think that replacing those was the right call Greg. Learned so much from this video alone. Great job and what a friend to give a 3080 system for free. WOW.

[@jaskiratsingh5800]

The fact that you replaced two really essential and expensive parts for free is awesome!

[@GregSalazar]

It happened on our watch. It's our responsibility. Was an expensive lesson 😄

[@jaskiratsingh5800]

@@GregSalazar a lesson us viewers learned as well! Glad we can support you by watching. Keep it up!

[@ILikeMetricMusic]

​@@GregSalazar it's nice Be Quiet is a sponsor. It's why whenever I do build a new gaming tower (going all team red) it will have a Be Quiet power supply & CPU cooler 🙂

[@therealAsrian]

well sir you just saved my future build 😳I had plans on using some extra wires from my old modular psu. Thank you good sir!

[@leonleon8779]

I am sorry the parts gave up their life for this rig, but this is definitely a learning repair, for me I am kind of cheap and did not go for modular supplies, I might have been lucky. Great work Greg!

[@ilitsa]

I've been saying for close to 10 years that psu cables NEED to be standardized. Issues like this in this year are ridiculous to still be happening

[@johnmichaeldomondon7287]

Greg, I have been a viewer of your channel especially the Fix or Flop playlist. First, thank you so much for uploading these videos. I have learned so much from you. I recently ran to issues I upgraded my PC fans. I was stuck in loading to windows and also get an error loading into windows, after my upgraded fans. The steps you showed from identifying what could've gone wrong help me in trying to determine the issues. Long story short, your videos saved my PC. Thank you.

[@jonathanmaybury5698]

This video demonstrates the potential dangers of swapping power supply cables. It effectively illustrates the risks involved, making it an essential watch for every PC enthusiast.

[@Keaton.]

Remember: sometimes you need to remove the power supply from the wall and press power a few times to discharge some OC protection from MoBo.

[@GregSalazar]

We do that almost every time we fire up a platform. Wasn't the issue here.

[@Soddus.]

you should press the power button while the cable is still connected

[@Arhamjamshaid-f6g]

Man i just love this series❤. Thank you.

[@GregSalazar]

I appreciate it!

[@squeakyknee]

I honestly cannot believe that in the day and age we STILL dont have standardized PSU pinouts for cables. Theres no reason. I mean there's even cases where the same exact unit uses different pinouts because one was a newer revision of the same unit. Wtf is that? Glad you got them up and running and you were really generous in the swap outs for sure. Love these videos and hope that person enjoys their rig!

[@TheSjuris]

Newer revision in the psu game usually means a new manufacturer. New manufacturer different pinouts. Why I usually buy Seasonic.

[@williammathies2998]

Thanks!

[@Kbyte27]

The owner of the computer must be banging his head on the wall now, for doing such an easy yet expensive mistake. You're a good one Greg, for going the extra mile to fix this PC, and not leave it as a flop.

[@fredsorre6605]

The fact that we still don't have a standard connectors for Modular power supplies has always baffled me since its very easy to mistakenly take cables meant for a different power supply and plug them into another one ending in a burned out PC this is why I am still buying wired Power supplies for my personal use not only are they cheaper things like this would never ever happen and since I never really cared if my cables are visible or not its never gonna be a problem for me.

[@aworbotasa]

Greg, Thank you for the wisdom you provide through your KZbin channel with the fix or flop series, this helps me a lot when I am also busy repairing a computer. good episode again.

[@343_GuiltySpark]

700W BQ is made by Andyson 750W BQ is made by HEC 750W GQ is made by FSP Completely different PSU manufacturers.

[@GregSalazar]

And that's completely on EVGA IMO. How can two units made by entirely different manufacturers be considered part of the same vendor (BQ) family? It's a joke, creates unwarranted confusion, and can even kill systems.

[@lorduggae]

PSU's are so confusing. You've got brand A with 7 sku's for each watt rating, in turn made by 4 different manufacturer. It's that any consumer gets it right.

[@OlettaLiano]

True, but logically thinking, they should all have the same pinouts. Isn't there a standard?

[@robertomanfredi342]

I have a 650W GQ. Is the whole GQ line made by FSP? Never had issues.

[@turtlefrog369]

@@OlettaLiano unfortunately ATX doesnt specify pinouts on th PSU side in the standard. It really needs to be standardized. No more buying cables!

[@taylorbertrim7625]

Bro, you really out did yourself on this one. Excellent work, good of you to upgrade all of that stuff!

[@TheTijningmar]

This is such a great example of why you shouldn’t mix cables. I had heard of it before, but hadn’t seen the true damage it could do.

[@Maitreya3001]

This series is not only entertaining but also shows so much about lessons learned over time. One would never have guessed to check all the things that you found out in this video, I think this could be a lesson for all of us for one aspect or another

[@quantumreality215]

What's just mindboggling is how the PSU's cables *just* happened to be mixed and matched in a way that fooled the PSU tester. I bet if Greg had used the "wrong" SATA cable the 5V and 12V tests would have immediately failed.

[@GregSalazar]

@@quantumreality215 Yep. Exactly this. Looking back, it was a perfect storm of coincidence and timing. I'm honestly surprised the rig didn't die long before it ever arrived in our office in that state. But it fried on our watch, so it's our responsibility.

[@Miniputt_999]

That is a good friend giving a rig with a i9 and a 3080. Scary to see what the wrong cables can do to a rig, but happy to see that the pc is up and running again, and with such a quality power supply :D Looking forward to the next video :)

[@Yuenix]

My brother Greg Salazar, you are one of very few tech tubers who is still and continue to go out your own way free of charge, in helping to fix & troubleshoot as well as even giving away your own parts for free to people. You still continue to stay true who you are and have not BECOME SOLDOUT to corporations/sponsors and for clout. Thank you Greg for not changing and continuing to lend your ear & time for your audience EVERYDAY. I say this because many of the so called "tech tubers" that I USED to watch have become corporate slaves or controversial sellouts now. But you my friend have not changed, but stayed the same, Thank you Greg😊

[@BamaShanks]

Good to know. Really appreciate the opportunity to learn haha. I could definitely see myself doing something like that .

[@Darshan6800]

Love your videos, helped me build me own after a decade of using a prebuilt HP

[@JihadiJoez]

I’m addicted to this series and you’re awesome for helping these people out

[@outlet6989]

Hi Greg, this happened to me, too. I changed a low-watt PSU with a higher-watt one. I used the cables connected to the system to the new PSU to save time and had the same results. I should have read the instructions for both PSUs, which clearly stated that I should only use the cables that came with each PSU. This was a great example of what can happen when you DON'T read the instructions. I now use a paint-type marking pen and put a dot of paint on the PSU and all the cables that came with it.

[@brandon_gb]

Another great episode. Appreciate them very much. Got into pc gaming and building within the last year and your vids have been a great help.

[@Justin-eu3yd]

super cool of you to still replace the damaged components after learning about the cables. great video as always!

[@potatopoweredchannel3081]

My popcorn time starts now. Cheers greg!

[@GregSalazar]

Cheers!

[@wolfstorm5394]

Man this was packed with insight, this is why i love this series!

[@GhostPsi69]

Greg sees different PSU cables and still powers on the PC... Damn rookie misstakes Greg!

[@itsKtoday]

Ah... so close to saving the system before the pop! But we all learn and im sure you will include during the process to really check the cables in the future during trouble shooting, Id probably overlooked it too tbh (those cables look like the correct ones)! Love the videos, love seeing all the different problems that come in. I've repaired computers for family and friends over the years, and this is my favorite series to watch! ❤ Your a stand up dude by still replacing the hardware and getting a system up and running for him to enjoy!

[@shadoudirges]

Mixing power cables... a dastardly devious minefield of a broken pc for Greg to troubleshoot.

[@HoJoGoGo]

I was bit by the same thing a few years ago, mixed GQ/BQ peripheral cables by accident and killed a 750GB SATA SSD. Since then I keep the cables in the original boxes if I need them in the future.

[@crshovveride]

You were very kind to this person. It was mostly an honest mistake due to lack of knowledge, and to get him up and running was great. Not many people in the tech industry would’ve done as much. They probably would’ve just told him to get a prebuilt. I myself have learned so much from your videos-this series most- and am grateful you keep helping others

[@eio1971]

Wow that was an adventure. I hope you keep doing fix or flop. I'm learning so much.

[@nessim.liamani]

Thanks Greg! Excellent work and I learned a lot. One remark though : The current AIO setup is not optimal because the tubing is positioned at the top. To prevent air bubbles from circulating through the pump and to ensure efficient cooling, it's best to flip the radiator so that the tubing is at the bottom. This change will promote better coolant flow, reduce noise, and enhance the pump's lifespan.

[@GregSalazar]

This is a common misconception after many watched a GN video and misconstrued what was stated there. I won't bother repeating what I already have in dedicated videos on this subject. Long story short: no. This won't hurt the pump. Not even close.

[@MarcoGPUtuber]

Either I sleep or I watch Salazar. Easy choice - Watch Greg Salazar.

[@turtlebro4498]

Sucks that components were fried but a good lesson and a new step added to TS steps. before powering on a PC, check all cables. Thanks for the entertaining and educative video.

[@fierce134]

Ugh... Greg you are a better person than I. The text back of "It was an oversight", without an apology would have driven me to the edge and nust been done with it. Hoping there was something off camera we didn't see

[@GregSalazar]

Stuff happens. He was a good dude. I think he was just hesitant to reveal his mistake and/or a bit embarrassed. I've unknowingly done the same thing to my PC before. I cannot judge :-)

[@fierce134]

@@GregSalazar That makes me feel better then! Great video as usual

[@TheZombieKillsss]

This was the most interesting and fun fix or flop ever! And ive seen every episode.

[@Meaus1]

Hooray for Be quiet got to love quality. 🎉

[@flipsideca]

Why are power supply manufacturers not using standard wiring schemes?

[@davisnguyen5413]

Thanks for saving my pc Greg and thanks for the life long lesson of never mixing cables lol

[@Lilly-1337]

That's why I always keep the modular cables in the box of the PSU they came with.

[@frenindeed8713]

Another great video Greg! You did what you could and still helped the guy out. Very entertaining watch!

[@paxvesania2008]

Dayum...what a cool and generous friend. Also, the problem this time around was absolutely bizarre with the core issue simply being a mismatched PSU cables.

[@johnpaulbacon8320]

Great job on this diagnosis. Personally I have only ever used - OCZ and Seasonic PSU's. Both brands of PSU's have served me very well. Now I only use Seasonic PSU's exclusively in my systems. Keep up this Very wonderful playlist series and support. Take Care and Blessings.

[@poppasteve2976]

There really needs to be standardization among the PSU manufacturers. No such thing as idiot-proof, as mankind can always make a better idiot.

[@CAOSWOLFIII]

Definitely a lesson to be learned is if any thing even remotely looks odd best to remove it look closer ask questions and don't bother plugging any power in hardware if it's not plugged into the board if weirdness in cables get a known good supply and use that.

[@gregfisher216]

Mercy Greg ,this is one for the books! Just so I understand , don't mix and match power cables on your power supply. As the old Jonny Cash song ,one piece at a time doesn't apply here as far power supply cables go. When I built my rig ,I got a Seasonic power supply semi modular and aside from getting a DOA power supply from Amazon , The replacement has run without a hitch!

[@MrIsmaeltaleb85]

Hindsights 20 20. Maybe in future tests, use a known working powersupply to trouble shoot from the get go. You're a good man Greg. ✌️ from 🇦🇺

[@Sevunteen]

You are the man responsible for getting me hooked up on the Dominator Platinum ram, it just looks so damn clean. With a set of AL120s. I even sprung for some dominator titanium.. for my girlfriend's rig....😐😀 As far as the way you operate bro you do what you do man it makes you who you are. Everybody just keeps in their own lane and it's all good, do your own thing.

[@MarcoGPUtuber]

2:53 Ah, but you've never met me. I'm crazy enough to do this. Oh wait nevermind, you have met me. Carry on.

[@DalmarCrynimar]

One of your best videos IMO!

[@zellevmusic232]

never thought there could be a killer molex, but the more you know lol. good job on the fix man

[@outlet6989]

Hi Greg, My solution for that PC cable mixup is relatively simple. After I purchase a new PSU, I mark each cable and the PSU the same color using a PAINT-filled marker. This keeps me from using the wrong cable when wiring my PC. If I have another PSU, I do the same thing but use a different color.

[@olandersnake]

This is where standardized pin-outs one the power supply side should be a thing. I hate seeing this stuff happen. Not the first time either. Had a customer that swapped out his power supply from a Corsair 650w to an EVGA 850w. He only swapped the main power supply and none of the cables. Fried everything. He was a stickler for backups, so he still had his important data. One whole new computer later (minus the case and EVGA power supply with the correct cables) he was up and running. Luckily, it was an older high-end system, so swapping out parts with newer stuff we didn't have to go crazy expensive. He had a 9700K and went with a 12400f.

[@rikprince8414]

Well done getting it back to some semblance of functionality. Not sure that I would have taken it on. I've discovered that the sentence "My friend GAVE me this computer.." is an ENORMOUS red flag. Also, look out for "I got it at a flea market/church bazaar/yard sale.." and my all time favorite... "I found it..."..... :)

[@jsawhite]

I feel ya. We picked up a set of white replacement cables, from EVGA's website, for an EVGA power supply in my son's machine. turns out of they were for a different PSU. as soon as we plugged it in, we could smell burning electronics. Lost the motherboard, CPU, ram, and GPU (3070) in one fell swoop... that hurt big time!! fortunately his drives survived so he didn't loose data, but we had to make a 2 hour trip (one way) to microcenter to buy replacement parts to get his machine back up and running. Since then, _if_ I get a new set of cables, I'm using a multi meter and testing each and every pin to make sure expected voltage is there!! really wish there was a standard for PSU cables, but there's not...

[@darkknight327]

Great video and good on you for replacing the fried components. That being said, am I the only one who noticed the majorly incorrect installation of the cooler?

[@originalface320]

I've been a pc builder for a couple of decades and I could see what was coming when Greg didn't follow through on checking the psu cables after a good power up with the drives and hubs disconnected. Greg, I feel for you mate, it's a costly mistake but you only make it once. It happened to my own home build years ago, upgrading a seasonic 700w to 850w (semi-modular) in the same series. I just swapped out the psu with cables in place because it appeared they were labelled as compatible......POP! luckily I just lost the psu and the first ram slot (so a bit of damage to the mb or cpu but the other 3 slots worked). Definitely lesson learned. A few years later I noticed a huge demand all of a sudden from customers for repairs due to the same issue, especially people with corsair PSUs'. It was when more people were colour coding there builds and buying packs of braided colour cables that were not fully compatible....POP! It's even more common with hubs and molex connectors. sometimes just the psu goes pop but it can take the whole system to the recycle if there are cheap fans and hubs involved. When buying cables and powered hubs, check the pin-out diagram on the manufacturers website, it's a money saver.

[@auntmaryspals7978]

You went way above and beyond for this guy. I have a neighbor that I've done a multitude of free repairs for that is just an idiot when it comes to his gaming pc. No more.

[@wojtek-33]

You had it right at the beginning. The two different cables on the GPU were a guarantee they were wrong. No power supply gives you 2 different cables for pcie. I was like cool he's going to throw a be quiet in there and be done...nope lol

[@Molasar54]

I got a windows key from your sponsor and it was a great experience. Good price with your discount and key worked flawlessly. I highly recommend them if you need a key

[@egotistic6788]

@GregSalazar I do have a recommendation. When you're testing on the bench if you could get a semi top view of the rig that would be amazing to see. That way viewers could a have a top-down view of what's going on as well. Anyways keep up the great work you do I know a lot of people including myself enjoy what you do!

[@rainerbehrendt9330]

That was the Reason to replace my old BeQuiet 650W PSU with a 1000W PSU from the same Series and i also looked up the Cable Compability at the Manufacturers Site. Worked like a Charme.

[@bassam1985]

damn, everyday you learn something new.. I didn't know about EVGA compatibility cable issues... good to know, thanks for this..

[@CantBurn20]

Never knew about incompatible cables.....good info, thanks

[@umerkhan91]

good work you're doing right there mate!

[@AuroraButterflyx]

Lesson learnt, we all learn from our mistake. It’s just a shame it was expensive one. Good thing to remind us is to never mix match power cables from different power supplies, always keep power cables in the same box or at least label them if we need to use the extra cables in the future.

[@Redicat]

Hey Greg both saved this guy's ass and learned a lesson at the same time awesome! 👍

[@whiskeredgundam7765]

This is why I keep the box for every psu I have and the accompanying cables in said box.

[@theblower069]

This is why it`s called fix or flop a good video Greg.

[@Herejustforfun]

I did the same thing with a modular power cable connected to a 2.5 inch hard drive. Drive fried but it wasn't a big loss. I glad it didn't harm other components in the system.

[@quantumreality215]

As soon as he said there was a pop and he'd just connected the SATA drives, I was like "yep, those drives just blew."

[@Gorgen2k]

Should be a sticker on power supplies boxes warning about do not mix cables between dif models even if from same brand. Only use the cables that came with the box. As most first time builders might not know about that kind of stuff, and would just think ey its from the same brand and it fits. I just use that extra cable from my old psu....

[@zakking5654]

I think you definitely cooked something with that pop lol

[@GregSalazar]

Multiple things, unfortunately.

[@zakking5654]

@@GregSalazar I made that comment as soon as I heard the pop lol. So before I found out the rest of the video. Thats crazy how much damage the wrong cable can do.

[@blahorgaslisk7763]

@@GregSalazar I worked RMA for a company selling motherboards and many times that pop was just my PSU "adjusting" a tantalum capacitor that had shorted out. That PSU had no over current protection at all, so a capacitor shorting 12V to ground just got what it asked for and blew up. Often the motherboard would start up correctly after that. Now it wasn't repaired of perfectly fine. That capacitor was missing after all. So I made a comment about it and sent it to the MB manufacturer while returning a new MB to the customer.

[@Robcomments]

Make it clear to all owners You require all information on what was done/swap/happening before/after. This pc would have been a very easy fix if he told you about the swap power connections from different PSU. My process with fault finding is tear everything down and rebuild like it’s a new pc I’m building. Would I have spotted the two different model power cables? That would be down to pure luck really. Very nice of you to rebuild a working system.

[@FatCatFanatic]

Dude got this rig for free? I want friends like that!

[@miangel9058]

This feels like getting the wrong blood type donation… things WILL go wrong

[@marcsantos7087]

great job on this one, too bad so many things were damaged due to the wrong PSU cables being used. But at least you got him back up and running.

[@mbwatson1000]

This video is great. It warns people about the inherent risks of using modular power supplies. Modular power supplies are great, but it is vital to remember that the supplied cables are part of the PSU and you should never mix them with cables from another PSU. As soon as you said the PSU was semi-modular, and that the system exhibited symptoms of a short, I suspected the fault you found. It also looked as if the voltages were negative, which means total destruction of anything attached to that power is almost certain. Bye bye CPU, Motherboard, SSDs, and LEDS. I guess even the RAM might be damaged.

[@andrebossert8567]

I have had this problem many times. An unknown feature of many motherboards is voltage overprotection. Esp asus and gigabyte boards you have to remove bios battery for the error to clear otherwise it will stay unbootable for a few days.