electrical short somewhere

Just recently built my own computer

problem is, there is a short somewhere in it that I don't know how to find..

You can touch the case and feel a slight buzz, and my computer doesn't boot up sometimes if I touch it before I turn it on, from what is I'm assuming, me shorting out something in the ram or elsewhere..

I've unplugged the computer from the wall, and am still feeling the buzz so I'm not quite sure what it could be...

 

???

If you unplug the computer, wait 5 minutes, touch the case - do you still 'feel the buzz'?

 

by the feel the buzz, I meant if I put one finger on it, I get a very small buzzing shock...similar to a toy shock lighter when the battery is dying. I'll unplug it for 5 and let you know.

 

no, it goes away if I leave in unplugged awhile.

 

Ok, sounds like you've either got a floating ground, or something grounding to the case. Did the problem just appear, or has it been happening since day one?

You're probably going to have to rebuild the machine, check for obvious shorts (especially underneath the motherboard), frayed or damaged cables, broken connectors, etc.

Can you get your hands on a multimeter?

 

pretty much since day one.

I checked cables before...nothing there, so I'm assuming the mobo.
Should I have some type of non conductive washer between the mobo and case? I have it between the screw and mobo...idk if that was backwards or not. :-/

multimeter, probably not. :-/

 

No, just the brass standoffs so that the mobo doesn't sit/contact the case. If you plug in your old machine, does it do the same?

 

Hi,

Get the outlet you are plugged into checked. Sounds like it has no ground connected.

Jim