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Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

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    Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

    Hi all,

    I have a little Soltek QBIC 3701M SFF PC (circa 2003) used as a media center PC in my living room. Being small form factor, it's expansion options are limited, and it only has one PCI slot and one AGP slot. The PCI has a digital TV card in it, and about a year ago I got a Leadtek FX 5900 XT to fill the AGP slot. Well, the card worked OK but there was some glitching when changing channels with the digital TV card.

    I thought it must be power because at the time it only had a 200W PSU, and when I tested the system with an external 350W PSU plugged in to the GPU, the glitches seemed to go away. So I set out to find a higher power replacement PSU, which turned out to be an extremely long and difficult exercise since it uses a very uncommon long thin form factor of PSU (FLEX-ATX).

    Eventually (after many months of searching and e-mailling) I discovered that the Shuttle Silent-X PSUs, although 4cm or so longer, would fit in place of the Enhance 200W, so I ended up putting in a Shuttle PC40 250W PSU recently, which works well. However, when I put the 5900 XT back in, it wouldn't work correctly -- as soon as Windows loads the drivers, it hangs or BSODs. It boots up fine, BIOS works and *most* of the time, safe or VGA modes work of Windows, but as soon as it boots proper, tries to load (or even install) any of the ForceWare drivers (I tried 6x.xx, 7x.xx and 8x.xx series), it crashes. Sometimes Windows will almost load the "Welcome" screen but it hangs after a moment and you see some display corruption (odd pixels here and there). So I purchased another card, an XpertVision 6200. It had exactly the same problem, yet both of these cards worked fine in another system. Oddly, an old GF4-4200 worked fine.

    Interestingly, ATI cards seem to work fine also - a 9800 Pro, a 9600 and a 9550 have all worked fine in this PC (yet, all of the cards that work correctly have terrible quality TV-out compared to the nVidia, and since this is used primarily for digital TV through s-video, it's kinda a backwards step). It seems modern nVidia cards refuse to work on this box, yet the 5900 XT *DID* work in the past, even with the 200W PSU -- which I tried again in place of the 250W -- it just refuses to work *now*.

    I tried everything, and I mean everything to try and get the cards to work, formats, reinstalls, different drivers for GPU and chipset, older service packs, bios settings, mobo jumper settings, removing hardware, IRQ settings, removing/reseating/swapping RAM... nothing works. Eventually I wondered if I might have a bad cap issue... I looked over the board carefully with a flashlight, and it seems most caps appear to be Sanyo with a K vent and are not bulging, and I also could not see any leaking electrolyte. However, there is one cap with an X vent wedged in between the AGP and PCI slots that looks very suspicious to me, I cannot see any leaks at the top or underneath, but it definately looks like it's bulging... I can't quite see the make of it but it also looks like a Sanyo?

    Here is a detailed pic:



    OK... so, does that cap look bad, and could it be causing my problems? (and if so, why is it only modern nVidia cards that are failing yet ATI cards -- including 9800 Pro -- work fine?) What do I do now? :\

    System specs:
    • Soltek QBIC EQ3701M, circa 2003
    • SL-B7A-F motherboard
    • Athlon XP 2500+ Barton core
    • nForce2 chipset, on-board GF4MX with TV-out
    • 2 x 256MB Corsair PC3200 Twin-X dual channel RAM
    • Nebula Electronics DVB-T card (PCI)
    • Seagate 7200.7 120GB HDD
    • LG DVD-RAM drive


    Kind regards,

    {R}
    Attached Files
    Last edited by willawake; 01-28-2006, 08:28 AM. Reason: pic offsite and too big

    #2
    Re: Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

    OMFG, the Holy Bible!! J/K

    From the pic, there's no doubt about the bad capacitor though. Replace all 1000uF and up.
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      #3
      Re: Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

      Hahaha, sorry, it's been quite an ordeal I've been through, I had to share. ;(

      So you think it definately looks bad and that it could be causing my probs? All the other caps look ok, it's just that one... I spose I could try to replace it but I do suck at soldering - maybe I should find someone else to do it who is good at it.

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

        That capacitor is definitely bad.

        And it is definitely not a Sanyo, I would bet on it being a GSC capacitor, I'm holding a GSC in my hand right now comparing with the pic you posted and it looks exactly the same, that logo on the stripe, the GSC name should be facing the AGP slot, and the farad and voltage rating should be facing the other direction (the white populated PCI slot)

        It is most likley the cause of the problem; either the other cards has better power filtering on their own or they consume less power which this bad cap is still able to provide...

        If the other capacitors are not of this make but Sanyo (which is a excellent brand) only swap this one out... But take the mobo out of the case and look it very carefully over so you do not miss another bad cap...

        BTW; That was an excellent photograph!
        Last edited by Per Hansson; 01-28-2006, 02:49 AM.
        "The one who says it cannot be done should never interrupt the one who is doing it."

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

          That cap is definitely NOT a Sanyo. Sanyo/Nippons have a "K" vent. As mentioned, thats a GSC or a Lelon most likely.
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            #6
            Re: Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

            Here is a high-res pic stolen from ixbt.com that shows that indeed all caps except that one between the AGP and PCI slot is a Sanyo... There are also 4 Panasonic T-Vent caps on the top of the board used for the input side of the VRM circuit that are most likley just fine too...

            The smaller caps below 500uF on the board can be pretty much anything but are probably fine too, just swap out that cap between the AGP and PCI slot and you should be fine again...

            http://www.ixbt.com/mainboard/images...7a-f-board.jpg

            EDIT; After washing my glasses I now see another crap cap right between the south and northbridge on the mobo...
            "The one who says it cannot be done should never interrupt the one who is doing it."

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

              Originally posted by Per Hansson
              Here is a high-res pic stolen from ixbt.com that shows that indeed all caps except that one between the AGP and PCI slot is a Sanyo... There are also 4 Panasonic T-Vent caps on the top of the board used for the input side of the VRM circuit that are most likley just fine too...

              The smaller caps below 500uF on the board can be pretty much anything but are probably fine too, just swap out that cap between the AGP and PCI slot and you should be fine again...

              http://www.ixbt.com/mainboard/images...7a-f-board.jpg

              EDIT; After washing my glasses I now see another crap cap right between the south and northbridge on the mobo...
              Originally posted by shoddy web server
              Forbidden
              You don't have permission to access /mainboard/images/barebones-2k3-jul/eq3701m/b7a-f-board.jpg on this server.

              Apache/1.3.34 Server at www.ixbt.com Port 80
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                #8
                Re: Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

                Meh, I'll steal it for real instead of hotlinking then


                Image source
                Attached Files
                Last edited by willawake; 02-27-2006, 03:30 PM.
                "The one who says it cannot be done should never interrupt the one who is doing it."

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

                  LOL... good find... well there you go guys, that's my tiny mobo... I'll have to check that other one in-between the bridge chips closely. Hopefully it looks like there won't be that much to replace, I let out a sigh of relief when I saw most were Sanyo's. Wow this forum rocks, you guys got straight onto this and are obviously very knowledgeable, thanks!

                  P.S. I'm crap with a soldering iron so I hesitate to do the replacing myself... any ideas? I'm in Australia, perhaps I could find a local electronics tech that could do it?

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

                    Originally posted by Per Hansson
                    BTW; That was an excellent photograph!
                    Thanks, that was an excellent reply! It's amazing what a digital camera with macro turned on can do... took me a few tries to get it focused right but came out good... a picture speaks a 1000 words, in this case looks like it helped.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

                      Someone that has been into TV Repair or similar should be able to do it...

                      It is a bit more tricky though since it is a multi layered PCB so the vias must be taken care off, i.e. it must be very gently done...

                      Make sure that the new caps you put in are LOW or ULTRA LOW ESR and are rated for 105°C

                      EDIT; This is totally on topic... If you have Opera scroll up to {RainmakeR}'s first Pic in the thread and down your resolution to max 1152x864 so it coveres the whole screen. Then grab the pic with the mouse and fucus your eyes on the bad cap, now make a very small circular motion with the picture... Woo, being drunk for free!!! Weeee

                      Doctor in white clothing; Per, come here now, and why are you <THUD>
                      Per: Muahahahahaha
                      Last edited by Per Hansson; 01-28-2006, 04:07 AM.
                      "The one who says it cannot be done should never interrupt the one who is doing it."

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

                        Ok, thanks heaps... any particular good brands to look out for (in terms of replacement caps)? I hear Rubycon is good, as well as Sanyo and Panasonic as mentioned above.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

                          I don't have the list, it's in one of the threads here at badcaps... All good brands and the types of caps they make listed from good to best...
                          "The one who says it cannot be done should never interrupt the one who is doing it."

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

                            Thanks, I will look for it. BTW, just a followup, I just looked at the board again with the flashlight, turns out the other dodgy cap in the motherboard picture above is actually a Panasonic T-vent cap on mine, and where the Panasonic T-vents are on the picture are actually more Sanyo K-vents on mine. So.... hopefully only one to replace then!

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

                              Considering the dodgy reputation that Soltek has, it's a bit of a surprise that most of the caps on this board are good caps - like the row of Panny FCs (?) on the high-voltage side of the VRM buck-converter. What are the values on these - 1000/16 ?

                              Comment


                                #16
                                Re: Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

                                Well, I took the motherboard to a local electronics technician this morning (wouldn't trust myself to do the replacing), and seriously in less than a minute he had it replaced with brand new cap rated at 105C, 2200uF 16v:



                                Just reinstalled all the hardware, and guess what? VIDEO CARD WORKS ABSOLUTELY FINE!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He didn't even charge me for the work, just 90 cents for the capacitor! He even used an air compressor to blow dust off the mobo while I went to get the capacitor from a supplier (he didn't have one thin enough for between the slots). To say I'm happy now would be an understatement.
                                Attached Files
                                Last edited by willawake; 02-27-2006, 03:32 PM. Reason: offsite pic

                                Comment


                                  #17
                                  Re: Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

                                  What brand is the new cap?
                                  The great capacitor showdown!

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    Re: Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

                                    FYI, in case you guys were not aware, Soltek has left the mainboard business...
                                    Ya'll think us folk from the country's real funny-like, dontcha?

                                    The opinions expressed above do not represent those of BADCAPS.NET or any of their affiliates.

                                    Comment


                                      #19
                                      Re: Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

                                      Originally posted by Chris1992
                                      What brand is the new cap?
                                      "Suntan", lol. Sounds dodgy but it does work, at least for now.

                                      Comment


                                        #20
                                        Re: Could this problem be due to a bad cap? [pic included]

                                        Suntan? LOL. Is it low ESR?
                                        The great capacitor showdown!

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