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Just found out my new $180 hotswap PCB was dead after I finished the whole build.

Spent three hours putting everything together, lubing switches, the works. Powered it on and got nothing. No LEDs, no response. I was ready to start desoldering everything, but on a whim I checked the USB-C port with a multimeter. The 5V rail was fine, but the 3.3V regulator was showing a dead short. Turns out a tiny bit of metal debris from the case filing must have gotten lodged in there during assembly. A careful poke with some tweezers and a blast of compressed air fixed it. Saved me a full teardown. Anyone have a good pre-build PCB check routine they swear by?

2 comments

2 Comments

avery_nelson5d ago

No, but I check for debris with a magnifying glass before powering anything on now.

spencer_bell5d ago

Buddy of mine found a dead spider inside his PC once.