A gaming PC equipped with G.Skill memory has seemingly saved its owner’s life by deflecting an incoming bullet fired from the neighbour’s apartment. While the system suffered catastrophic damage, the resident escaped without injury, though a lengthy cleanup was required to clear the mess.
Reddit user @angelbabyzz shared this one-of-a-kind incident, where a seemingly accidental firearm discharge sent a bullet flying through the wall, hitting the PC’s G.Skill DDR5 memory just at the right angle to be deflected away from the sleeping owner. The user said she was startled in the middle of the night after hearing a loud bang. After checking around, she found that her PC’s glass was shattered, with a visible hole in the motherboard, near the memory slots.
During the process of figuring out what had happened, her neighbour arrived shaking, terrified that she had hurt someone. Apparently, her dog somehow triggered the firearm, sending the bullet through the wall. After the police investigation of the scene, @angelbabyzz says they informed her that the original trajectory of the bullet was aligned with where she was sleeping, and that the RAM’s heatsink shielded her by deflecting the bullet elsewhere. This is clearly visible on one of the DDR5 modules, which got bent and dislodged from its slot.
While @angelbabyzz isn’t sure about the claim regarding the dog’s fault, she believes that the incident was accidental based on the neighbour’s reaction. That said, the police are charging the neighbour with neglect, and her firearm has been confiscated.
Regarding the now damaged PC, @angelbabyzz said that the neighbour’s insurance is expected to cover replacement and cleaning costs, with the neighbour covering any remaining difference. Unfortunately, this couldn’t have happened at a worse time, as the bullet destroyed what’s now the second most expensive part of the system, the DDR5 RAM. The motherboard is also out of order, although the CPU and GPU may still be working.
Apparently, the Redditor’s insurance firm offered $3,500 to cover the costs, which may not suffice to fix the PC, the hole in the wall, or any unreported damages. Let’s face it, a good chunk of that budget will likely end up paying for a new RAM kit.
