Help! Kid spilled cold Starbucks on PC!
Posted by BooBearBabydoll@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 19 comments
My autistic 6 year old son dumped a little bit of cold Starbucks coffee onto the top of his computer. He's homeschooled and I'm panicking because I can't afford $1700 to replace it. His scholarship for unique abilities is what paid for this, but he is only allowed 1 every 2 years. We got it 6 months ago. This PC has been a lifeline for us in helping him learn to talk. He is nonverbal, but with these games, he now has at least a 500 word vocabulary. He is devastated and I can't do anything but cry. I tried 91% isopropyl alcohol and qtips. It won't turn on for more than a second. I tried my best. This is the computer, a repair shop quoted me $500 to even look at it. I can't afford it. What type of mobo would work in this? I'm about to try a CMOS battery reset as a last resort.
msi - aegis zs2 gaming desktop - amd ryzen r9-9900x - 32gb memory - nvidia geforce rtx 5070 - 2tb ssd - black - black || the aegis zs2 a9nvp-1407us
Accomplished_Emu_658@reddit
It happens. Slow down. Something could still be wet. Do not open power supply but did it get wet?
BooBearBabydoll@reddit (OP)
Power supply did not get wet. I only removed the ram sticks and the graphics card. It has an ssd hard drive, but I'm assuming it's the CPU because it shuts off as soon as that lights up. I'm having trouble getting the battery out to try and reset that.
Accomplished_Emu_658@reddit
Its not a cmos issue
BooBearBabydoll@reddit (OP)
Thank you, you saved me the issue of getting the battery out (apparently this is the most difficult one to get out in the msi boards). I really appreciate everyone's help. I'm coming to the conclusion it's the CPU.
fray_bentos11@reddit
Is the RAM in when you try to turn it back on? It won't boot without RAM in.
BooBearBabydoll@reddit (OP)
I tried with and without ram trying to see if I could isolate the part. I'm 90% it's the CPU, got it to turn on for the 7 seconds just now and it crashes at the CPU light. There's liquid cooling in this CPU, I think it got into the liquid cooling system and I've never messed with liquid cooling. Do you know what CPU is needed in this computer? Is it done at this point? It doesn't seem salvageable at this point. 😖
Competitive_Owl_2096@reddit
Have you let it sit to dry for a few days, ideally fully disassembled
BooBearBabydoll@reddit (OP)
It just happened about 2 hours ago. I did take parts out but it shuts down as soon as the CPU light turns on. If it's the CPU I might as well get a new computer, right? I haven't built a computer in 10 years. I'm lost at if what I'm doing even matters. I'm worried I won't get it back together if I disassemble and I don't remember how to use thermal paste properly.
Competitive_Owl_2096@reddit
Don’t try to turn it on at all. Never ever without drying it. Unplug it. Let it dry for a while.
BooBearBabydoll@reddit (OP)
I did make sure it was dry before attempting to turn it back on. It was on when it happened, but took about 10 seconds before I got to it and that's what I'm worried is what happened, I got instant corrosion. I panicked when it happened and all common sense went out the window.
Competitive_Owl_2096@reddit
It wasn’t dry if this happened only 2 hours ago
Playful-Mastodon9251@reddit
trying to turn it on after getting wet will have caused instant corrosion.
noggre@reddit
This rig is major overkill for a 6yo. As many suggested, don't try to turn on a wet computer, you may burn w/e has the remainders of coffee on it. Dry everything up, and pray to whoever you believe in, it turns on.
fray_bentos11@reddit
Just pick up a cheaper laptop plus a USB C dongle so you cannot it to the monitor and keyboard. The experience won't be much different from using the desktop.
aragorn18@reddit
Sadly, it sounds like some of the components have been damaged. It's hard to know which ones exactly. My first intuition is the power supply and possibly motherboard. But, there's no way to be sure without replacing them with known working components.
BooBearBabydoll@reddit (OP)
The power supply I know didn't get wet. It won't turn on for 7 seconds, but for the half second it does I can see it shuts down as soon as the CPU and Dram light turns on on the mobo.
sredevops01@reddit
Try out it in a bucket of rice for a few days if you are out of options. For some reason it's good at taking away the water.
BooBearBabydoll@reddit (OP)
It was a glass bottle of cold Starbucks coffee, so sugary and sticky. I wish it was just water at this point.
BooBearBabydoll@reddit (OP)
Tried watching the lights for the split second it turns on. The first 2, red and gold. Says those 2 lights are CPU and Dram, the CPU is the last to stay on. Can't get it to stay on for more than a second for the 7 second test. Best Buy has 2 of these computers left, but I can't afford it. I'm praying someone here can help me figure this out. 😭🤞🏼