Gaming mouse exploded and nearly caused a serious fire

Do you think you have one of best gaming mice? Think again. A Reddit user recently reported a disturbing incident involving his Gigabyte M6880X gaming mouse, which reportedly spontaneously caught fire, filling his apartment with black smoke and causing extensive property damage.

A user named lommelinn shared images showing a melted mouse, burn marks on a desktop, and a destroyed mouse pad. They reported finding the device “burning with a large flame” which was quickly extinguished. Despite their quick actions, the room was covered in black particles, damaging other equipment, including the modular synthesizer.

The Gigabyte M6880X is an old wired optical mouse that is over ten years old. Given its age, normal wear and tear may have been the cause of the incident. It is noteworthy that the device does not have internal batteries, which eliminates battery-related overheating. Experts speculate that short circuits or material degradation over time could be potential causes.

Gigabyte mouse caught fire and almost burned down my apartment
byu/lommelinn inpcmasterrace

In response, Gigabyte has contacted the affected user and is actively investigating the matter. “We have been notified of an incident reported by Lommelin involving M6880X gaming mice. The safety of our customers is our top priority and we are actively investigating this matter. Our team has contacted Lommelin to offer support and further investigation into this matter. In the meantime, we appreciate the community’s understanding and patience as we work to resolve this issue,” the company said in the thread.

Most PC components include surge protection measures to protect connected devices. However, computer mice lack these security mechanisms, making them vulnerable to electrical disturbances. This incident serves as a reminder of the potential dangers associated with older electronic devices. Users are advised to regularly check their equipment for signs of wear and tear and consider replacing devices that show signs of wear and tear to avoid such incidents.