Electronics Advice For Supermicro MB Damage

[SCompRacer]

I have been wanting a dual processor MB and got my chance now.

But....it is a Supermicro P6DBE that has sustained damage to a little can thing by the second processor. Looks like a capacitor to me, and someone punched a small hole in the top of it.



Got it for nothing from my supplier who owed me a small favor. It is/was brand new, never even installed till one of his guys dropped something on it, possibly a small screwdriver. He did not want one of his guys to use/sell it to a customer for obvious reasons. Can find no other damage to MB, including tiny printed circuits, using a high power magnifyer.

So what do you think...a little air getting in there hurt anything? Do I risk anything firing it up to try it? Is it possible to get one somewhere and replace it?

Appreciate any advice before I wander off on my own.

[This message has been edited by SCompRacer (edited 21 May 2000).]

[Brian R.]

I am an adventurous sort and I would install the cheapest video, processor and memory I could find, start it up and see what happens.

[SCompRacer]

I am to an extent the same, Brian R., but at the moment all I have is installed in my PC.

I can envision attempting to warranty some of it.... and upon an RMA, they say "looks like he put it on a MB with a bad capacitor, warranty denied!" Or they would be a MURCer, and remember this post.

I have tested it with an ohm meter, and get the same readings from it's neighbor. No direct shorts to the top, though I do get readings off both tops.



[This message has been edited by SCompRacer (edited 21 May 2000).]

[Guyver]

You are correct, the little "can" thing is called a capacitor. There are meters that can give capacitance readings "in-circuit" but they are (were) very expensive the last time I priced them. You may want to find someone who can work on those small traces, and pull the capacitor out and use a capacitance meter to verify it works properly. With that kind of visual damage (it may have just been another board that was powered dropped on top and had 2 circuit traces short out on the metal cap), but then again, it could have been worse. If the hole goes all the way through, it may end up boiling off the dielectric inside.

If your buddies have them sitting around, you could try and get a few motherboard stand-offs, another power supply (a test-bench unit), an old ISA (or PCI) video card, and a stick of throw-away memory, and an old AT style keyboard with a PS/2 adaptor to test this bad boy out.

Attach the stand-offs, insert the video card, memory, attach the PS, keyboard, and power up (if an atx style PS/mb combo, you will need an additional switch to do the power-up).

Hope this helps.

Guyv


[This message has been edited by Guyver (edited 21 May 2000).]

[Greebe]

Scomp... please give the value if this capacitor. This would be xxx uf and I can tell for the color it's a 105c degree type which I might have on hand.

[SCompRacer]

Thanks all for the help!

The damage appears sharp object related Guyver. No evidence of burn, and I can see the edges of the metal rolled into the capacitor. Hard for you to see that in photo though.

That is real kind of you Greebe. It is a 10 volt, 2200uf 105C capacitor. Have to wait for the wife to get home to be sure (I am partially color blind, gets real interesting when I am into wiring harnesses/resistors) but it looks green with a wide gold band with letters R J H on it.

De-soldering/soldering will be no problem as I have some electronics background. If you do have one e mail me directly at richol@enteract.com so I can get you compensated for it.

Thanks again!



[This message has been edited by SCompRacer (edited 21 May 2000).]

[Greebe]

Scomp, this wasn't cause by a sharp object but rather it literally blew up! The cuts in the caps can top are there to release the electrolyte within it safely.
LOL sometimes not so safe as they can explode and expose the metal foil (shorting out other componets) or burn you/take out an eye.

I need the dimensions also, perferably in mm