--- title: "Expensive Motherboards Are Literally Bursting Into Flames" description: "A small number of Pc gamers are noticing their Asus motherboards heating up and — in some rare cases — catching fire." date: "2022-01-04" modified: "2022-01-04" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/expensive-motherboards-fire" categories: - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "asus" - "gaming pc" - "the digest" --- # Expensive Motherboards Are Literally Bursting Into Flames ![A small number of Pc gamers are noticing their Asus motherboards heating up and — in some rare cases — catching fire.]() *\Image: Futurism\* ## Where There's Smoke As if the [global chip shortage]() hasn't been unkind enough to PC builders and gamers, some are noticing their Asus motherboards heating up and — in rare cases — catching fire, [*Tom's Hardware* reported last week](). The boards, which are a high-end model targeted at gamers called the ROG Maximus Z690 Hero that retails for $600, appear to have a backwards capacitor that may be causing neighboring transistors to burn out, as YouTuber Buildzoid suggested in a [recent video](). In the worst case, as one [Reddit user pointed out]() in a post last month, the mix up caused two transistors to visibly generate smoke. ## Up in Flames Fortunately, in most if not all cases, the systems shut down before their PCs could fully burst into flames, [according to *Ars Technica*](). Asus publicly acknowledged the issue last week, with its PR team starting to fan out the flames. The company set up [a webpage]() that allows users to check if they own a faulty motherboard. "We have recently received incident reports regarding the ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboard," a statement received by *Tom's Hardware* reads. "In our ongoing investigation, we have preliminarily identified a potential reversed memory capacitor issue in the production process from one of the production lines that may cause debug error code 53, no post, or motherboard components damage." The company is also working with "relevant government agencies on a replacement program" — so there may be some hope for affected users after all. **READ MORE:** [Asus Admits Fiery Z690 Motherboard Flaw, Starts Recall Program (Updated)]() \[*Tom's Hardware*\] **More on PCs:** *[New Gaming PC Consumes so Much Power That It's Banned in California]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()