Dropped PC

[dmbp]

Scenario: new PC is on the backseat of the car. After a sudden stop, the PC fell on the car floor.

No unusual PC behavior yet but:

1. What is the likelihood of damage?
2. Are these type of damages common or are PC's robust nowadays?
3. What should be checked / tested to ensure everything's ok?

Thanks in advance.

[classicsoftware]

Welcome to http://www.pcguide.com/ubb/pcgubb.gif forums.

You need to open the case and make sure:


The case cover comes off easily and the frame is not bent
All fans are spinning
Remove and re-seat all memory chips
Remove and re-seat all peripheral cards
Using a flash light and a magnifying glass, check the motherboard for loose capacitors
Remove and re-seat all drive cables.
Run any diagnostic software that came with the system to test all hardware components
Stress any individual components you can running them at full load.

[rio_bugarin]

No unusual PC behavior yet but:
As long as there are no unusual behavior, you don't have to worry.

1. What is the likelihood of damage?
in your case, it might be just some minor scratches on the case or some bent corners.

in some worst case, cracks from the inside. but mostly, damages will be physically noticeable.

2. Are these type of damages common or are PC's robust nowadays?
I will rank virus attacks as the number 1 destroyer of PC.

second will be overheating.

third would be accidents. just like what happened to you ^_^

others may have other opinions

3. What should be checked / tested to ensure everything's ok?
you may try to do a test on the hard drive. those things are sensitive to shock.

Also, you may want to do a memtest if you're really that concerned.

you may even disassemble your PC and check for physically noticeable cracks.


I do however recommend that you just wait for the signs for hardware failure. There are time when we are looking for some defects that is not there, we end up making one ^_^

[classicsoftware]

As long as there are no unusual behavior, you don't have to worry.


in your case, it might be just some minor scratches on the case or some bent corners.

in some worst case, cracks from the inside. but mostly, damages will be physically noticeable.


I will rank virus attacks as the number 1 destroyer of PC.

second will be overheating.

third would be accidents. just like what happened to you ^_^

others may have other opinions


you may try to do a test on the hard drive. those things are sensitive to shock.

Also, you may want to do a memtest if you're really that concerned.

you may even disassemble your PC and check for physically noticeable cracks.


I do however recommend that you just wait for the signs for hardware failure. There are time when we are looking for some defects that is not there, we end up making one ^_^

I can't disagree more. There could be parts that are damaged but not destroyed that may come back to bite you later. Simply running memtest is no answer at all. If you have a car accident and there appears to be no damage, does not mean that you should not check the car out. The same goes here. PC's were not built to get bounced around the interior of a car. If that should happen, a thorough going over is what is required.

[kiosk]

2. Are these type of damages common or are PC's robust nowadays?

I worked for a company that assembled and sold supermarket vomit box PCs. You wouldn't believe the amount of abuse those computers went through before reaching the customer, and miraculously, very few were damaged in the transport.