I'm not an electrician but I some clever heads together

[beachlover]

Hi everyone
I have the strangest problem that no matter who I ask in the trade they seem to scratch their head and tell me to buy a surge protection unit. I have bought a million surge protections units Just sayin

Here is the problem and some of things done over the past three years to try to resolve it ....

I seem to be getting some sort of problem that is blowing up my computers. No amount of electrical test seem to find the faults. It's not just bad components or the company's where I buy the machines either.
I have estimated Over 16 devices blown and 47 repairs since 2014. This is from five different companies where I have purchased computers with a warranty.
Computers last typically for anything up to two days or two weeks before failing. This most common failure benign burnt chips on the GPU s

It is my understanding The modern motherboards have built in surge protection and they go into protection mode when a surge is detected. I have had this happen but when I next switch on the computer the GPU is damaged or becomes damaged.

Work carried out on my electricity by the electrician working for the housing association house I live in

1 - four different surge protectors bought
2- ups bought with surge protection
3 - 2013 a full electrical test on RCD panel and all sockets - passed
4- 2015 another full electrical test - passed
5- electric supplier monitored for surges from outside- none detected
6- two sockets faceplates replaced (the ones used for my computer)
7 - independent electrician hired tested sockets. No fault found.
8 - Eco Max Home Voltage optimiser fitted on RCD panel and set to 230v

Other information.
No other devices in the house fail and we have two HD TVs, a MacBook, two iPhones, router, and the usual lamps, kitchen equipment. New mouse,keyboard,HDMI cables,USB cables purchased

UK based electrical system with RCD panel with an additional Volt regulator fitted. We have 240 volts coming into the house
The housing association also fitted a gadget that regulates the volatage 230

On the last occasion I saw the the computer component frizzle smoke and could see the damage. I'm really worried about a fire risk
I have on occasion see sparks come from the switch on the outlet.

I would appreciate your thoughts on why this is happening to me as three independent electrical test and Electricians tell me they can not find or think of what could be causing it.

No computing for me for a while

Many thanks

 

[beachlover]

I know I know
That a lot of failures

The sparks from the sockets '!!! What does that mean????

The last time the GPU burnt I saw sparks as switched on the socket and then I heard crawling and smoke
When I lolled at the GPU I could see visable burnt components

 

[beachlover]

Do you have a lot of computers plugged into the same circuit?

No
I don't have any at the moment as they are on repair
I only have one desktop and on iMac typically connected
By same circuit do you mean the whole RCD thing
When I look at my panel it has separate RCD for
Shower
Cooker
Lights
Sockets

 

[Kamikaze]

Might be high voltage on the telephone line and a problem with the master socket. Did you have anyone in to check that?

 

[beachlover]

If it is the GPU or any parts of the MoBo or plug-in cards that are failing, it is unlikely to be a power quality issue. Voltage surges on the AC mains will normally damage the power supply unit in the computer only. This isolates and converts the incoming AC power to the low DC voltages required by the computer. The PSU is able to withstand some thousands of volts between one side and the other, and will tend to go up in smoke itself before anything breaks down to the point of spitting out damaging voltages to the motherboard.

If the failures are specific to the GPU, are there long cables running to displays / projectors etc? Are the displays fed from the same power circuit? Do you have any signs of circulating ground currents (bad audio hum, radio interference, sparks when you plug the graphics cable in?)

I'm seeing sparks from the switch on the socket
Why is this the case

 

[beachlover]

Might be high voltage on the telephone line and a problem with the master socket. Did you have anyone in to check that?

Who do I ask to check the master sockets
I guess that is openreach?
Phew I don't think I have the linguistic skill to explain all that to BT India

Ohhppss sorry

 

[The Ghost]

If you have had the supply checked we might rule out spikes and power surges. If you have had the electrical system checked you should not be getting sparks from you socket. If you are then it has not been checked properly. Have you always plugged into the same sparkly socket? It (btw) is arcing the sparking meaning a defective socket. Which I am sure should not have been missed on checking. However I cannot see how that would affect your computer(s) so adversely. It is strange that the various computer suppliers could not give further info on what actually happened to your equipment when repairing or replacing. I presume you have tried other sockets?

 

[Pat H]

Curious how you can see the GPU damaged. The GPU is the Graphic Processor unit used for the display. The CPU is the Central Proccessing unit. But both are normally covered by a massive heatsink assembly. They can't normally be seen without disassembly.
I'm wondering if you are seeing another on board component damaged that's not a GPU or CPU and maybe that part, if correctly identified, would give a clue. Any pictures of damaged parts?

 

[sparksburnout]

I have seen this problem before. The naturally occurring lines of tectonic EMF are being focused onto your GPU, it only happens very rarely. You need to contact your DNO and ask them to conduct a Incedental Diagnostic Ionospheric Or Tectonic survey.

 

[shaun1]

You mention replacing cables but have all of these machines been connected to the same monitor? Is the monitor connected to the same circuit?

 

[beachlover]

Curious how you can see the GPU damaged. The GPU is the Graphic Processor unit used for the display. The CPU is the Central Proccessing unit. But both are normally covered by a massive heatsink assembly. They can't normally be seen without disassembly.
I'm wondering if you are seeing another on board component damaged that's not a GPU or CPU and maybe that part, if correctly identified, would give a clue. Any pictures of damaged parts?

Yes I did see the damage to the graphic card
I heard it sparking and smelled it burning. When I took the card out I could could see the silver solder on the card had gone black. Burnt
I have got a picture
Give me a bit of time to figure out how to upload it from my phone as I have no computer to change the extension of the pics I took
I can assure you it was a burnt graphic card the nvidia 1060 I paid a lot of money for (crys)

 

[beachlover]

I have seen this problem before. The naturally occurring lines of tectonic EMF are being focused onto your GPU, it only happens very rarely. You need to contact your DNO and ask them to conduct a Incedental Diagnostic Ionospheric Or Tectonic survey.

Right
I will do that today
I had them monitor the meter before for about a week
They wouldn't do it any longer as they said the equipment is expensive and the only had one of them.
I have heard of EMI
This is the stuff that can make your internet have drops? REIN ? And you can detect it with a medium wave radio?
Or am I barking up the wrong tree?

I did try a different socket in the same room and that particular computer lasted about a week ( forgot which one as I have had so many)
By the way I did think it could be the monitor so I spent a week just using my tv a a monitor and same happened
GPU had to be replaced. To be fair the companies I bought the computers from have been very supportive and even they cannot understand how many times I have components replaced

 

[beachlover]

Right
I will do that today
I had them monitor the meter before for about a week
They wouldn't do it any longer as they said the equipment is expensive and the only had one of them.
I have heard of EMI
This is the stuff that can make your internet have drops? REIN ? And you can detect it with a medium wave radio?
Or am I barking up the wrong tree?

I did try a different socket in the same room and that particular computer lasted about a week ( forgot which one as I have had so many)
By the way I did think it could be the monitor so I spent a week just using my tv a a monitor and same happened
GPU had to be replaced. To be fair the companies I bought the computers from have been very supportive and even they cannot understand how many times I have components replaced

There is a photo of the GPU after I took it out
You can clearly see the black burnt bits that where previously silver

I'm not an electrician but even I know that a graphic card should not burn after five day's
Those nvidia cards are pretty robust and anyone who has put on in or out of a PCI slot will know

 

[DPG]

I don't believe damage of that severity would be caused by emi. Do you know any of your neighbours well enough to try your PC in their house and see if anything amiss happens? This may help narrow things down. Also, and apologies if you have tried this, have you tried a laptop on its own with nothing else plugged into it at all except the power supply? Daz

 

[David Prosser]

I think SSE are normally booked out for months in advance for doing the Incidental Diagnostic Ionospheric Or Tectonic survey as it seams to be quite a common problem down there.

 

[beachlover]

I don't believe damage of that severity would be caused by emi. Do you know any of your neighbours well enough to try your PC in their house and see if anything amiss happens? This may help narrow things down. Also, and apologies if you have tried this, have you tried a laptop on its own with nothing else plugged into it at all except the power supply? Daz

Thanks to all of you for your time and suggestions
Thant pic was of the previous GPU
I have a pic of the current GPU and something similar has happened and I can see a smal burnt bit on one of the silver soldered places

If not electro magnetic stuff then what the heck can it be?

I don't own a laptop but I have previously and they have had to be returned to the manufacturer with damaged GPU/motherboard
Bearing in mind nvidia normally solder the gpus to their motherboard

I did think to ask my neighbour if I could run a lead across the road to see if still happened in my house
I don't think that would be ideal though as a car might hit the lead . LOL
I can't really go park myself into his house for five days
His wife might not like that ... just sayin

What should I ask the electrician to test for when he comes next week?
I'm gonna ask him to change the sockets and ask him why I see sparks

What else ?

I think SSE are normally booked out for months in advance for doing the Incidental Diagnostic Ionospheric Or Tectonic survey as it seams to be quite a common problem down there.

thank you david
I have asked anyway hopefully sse will get back to me soon. By the way I already did the radon report thing online and this is a low radon area.
I don't mind waiting months
This problem Has been blowing up my computers since I move here in November 2013 so waiting another few months won't matter
All I want is to come home from work switched on a computer and use it like everyone else in the U.K. Is able to without fear of it blowing, causing a fire risk or having to ask the manufacturer for yet another refund

I'm just desperate to find the problem

What did you mean by it is common down here? Could it be the mast on the fire station nearby?