More bad caps :(

[Fat Tone]

I've been battling a weird problem that looked like OS/virus/malware for a couple of days. The main symptom was IE closing straight away, sometimes throwing errors. Other times disc access seemed really laboured.

Finally spotted this on the EPOX EP-8RDA+ mobo:




ARGHH!!!

This is from a system I sold to a colleague in Feb 2004. The other system he had from me had problems too, so this is quite embarrassing. Is it worth trying to replace the caps? Will anything else have been stressed as a result?

[az]

Replacing the caps will not be expensive, but it won't be easy either. Do you think you're up to this? Socket A boards should be pretty cheap off ebay nowadays, shouldn't they? I don't think it's worth the effort.

[Fat Tone]

It looks like a simple solder job:


I have plenty of soldering experience (my degree was E&EE) but not too much recently.

I'll see if I can get replacements from the local Radio Shack later.

Failing that, maybe this is the time to get a newer mobo into the HTPC (the ASUS one in there are not been used much. It has a Sempron 3000 on it atm). I don't really want to say to my colleague he has to upgrade again, and I don't really want to buy an old board off of ebay.

[Tjalfe]

you can't get it fixed under warrenty?.. 3 year warrenty is not unheard off on a motherboard

[Fat Tone]

I think it is just older than 3 years as I was running it myself for ~8 months before he had it.

Just found 3 more with coroded or bulging tops (not so bad though) near the ram I'm going off the idea.

Update: Manf date 0803

[Greebe]

Radio Shack doesn't sell the caps you need. Try www.DigiKey.com get caps rated LOW DCR, low imedance and a temp rating of 105c

Panasonic EB, FM or FC series - ordered highest to lowest quality specific to your needs

[Greebe]

BTW many of the caps they put on these MB's only have a ~2000 hour MTBF rating so if it's on for 8 hours a day for a year that's all you should get, anything more you are looking at icing on the cake. This helps cut cost in manufacturing and just enough under normal use to get them past the 1 year warranty thats normally included.

[Fat Tone]

Greebe, Thanks for that, but I need a UK supplier, which would be www. maplins.co.uk, they havea store I could visit tomorrow.

Looking at http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...11992&doy=29m9 it quotes 2000 hours at 105C. Presumably, at a much more likely 30C-40C that increases enormously?

Also, IIRC Electrolytics only start to work at 10% of rated voltage? I need 2200uF, 10V. Would 2200uF 25V be ok? Only if they are being used at >2.5V I guess. There's a number of others too, which don't exactly match those on offer

[Technoid]

My soldering obessive coworker, just told me that he has changed caps on just that model also.....

Also, IIRC Electrolytics only start to work at 10% of rated voltage? I need 2200uF, 10V. Would 2200uF 25V be ok? Only if they are being used at >2.5V I guess. There's a number of others too, which don't exactly match those on offer

And he says that that is OK if the cap physically fits, and remember what Greebe said about low impedance and to change out all of the ones in that row not just the blown ones.

[Fat Tone]

Ta.

I can't find the right combinations of ratings and size, and whats to say others won't be going in the near future? I'm gonna give the chap a range of upgrade options, ranging from a new NF2 mobo. swapping with my Asus A7N8X-VM400 (HTPC), upgrading to my Asus K8N-E Deluxe (A64 3400, S754) or going to a socket AM2 system.

T.

[Fat Tone]

Doh! Sorry Greebe, I didn't realise they are also a UK supplier. Looks like they have what I need in the FM series. OK, repair goes back on the list of options.

[Greebe]

[Kooldino]

Same thing happened to me with pretty much the same board.

Not sure if I'm confident enough to try replacing caps though.

Do you need a de-soldering iron? Can you take pics when you do it so I can see the step by step?

[gt40]

Can't beat Digikey's service,
I will order parts at 7:00 pm and have them at my door before 11:00 am the next morning!

[The PIT]

Same thing happened to me with pretty much the same board.

Not sure if I'm confident enough to try replacing caps though.

Do you need a de-soldering iron? Can you take pics when you do it so I can see the step by step?

I think you're refering to a solder sucker or desoldering brade. Unless you've got perfect eyesight I wouldn't even try it. I can't do it anymore as I can't see what I'm doing.