A technician builds a custom computer for a customer, installing a high-end video card that draws 550W at maximum load. After a day of using the computer, the customer notices video loss and a burning

The correct answer is C. ATX 3.0 16-pin connector. A GPU drawing 550W at maximum load requires the ATX 3.0 12VHPWR (16-pin) connector, which is rated to deliver up to 600W. These connectors are known to cause thermal damage and burning smells if not fully seated, if the cable adapter is used improperly, or if an underpowered or n

Hardware and network troubleshooting

Question

A technician builds a custom computer for a customer, installing a high-end video card that draws 550W at maximum load. After a day of using the computer, the customer notices video loss and a burning smell. Which of the following should the technician troubleshoot first?

Options

AVideo card seating in the PCIe slot
BRAM overclock configuration in the BIOS
CATX 3.0 16-pin connector
DChassis fan-speed settings

How the community answered

(22 responses)

A
18% (4)
B
9% (2)
C
68% (15)
D
5% (1)

Explanation

A GPU drawing 550W at maximum load requires the ATX 3.0 12VHPWR (16-pin) connector, which is rated to deliver up to 600W. These connectors are known to cause thermal damage and burning smells if not fully seated, if the cable adapter is used improperly, or if an underpowered or non-compliant cable is used. A burning smell combined with video loss after heavy GPU use is a textbook symptom of power delivery failure at this connector. PCIe slot seating (A) could cause video loss but not a burning smell. RAM overclock (B) would cause crashes or BSODs, not burning smells. Chassis fan speeds (D) affect airflow but wouldn't cause localized burning at the GPU power connector.

Topics

#Video card#Power delivery#Troubleshooting#Component failure

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