Anyone seen like this before?

[ramonarellano]

I just found these hairy electrolyte caps on my video card, it's an AOpen Aeolus PCX6600GT-DV128.

Anyone seen anything like this before? Is it probable that recapping will get the card working again?

Thx,
Ramón

[willawake]

Re: Anyone seen like this before?

no i have not seen hairy lytics before so thanks for posting
you have a good chance the card will work again. what other caps are on the card? i see some oscon which are probably ok so you only have to replace those 3 and any other from bad companies

[gastorgrab]

Re: Anyone seen like this before?

Looks like high-speed photography.

[ramonarellano]

Re: Anyone seen like this before?

Willawake, thanks for the response! I'll check out the other caps and start looking for replacements.

Gastorgrab, what do you mean "looks like high-speed photography"? As soon I heard some crackling I drew up my camera and got this shot within 1/2000 of a second

[PeteS in CA]

Re: Anyone seen like this before?

Looks like the one cap expelled some of its guts. I wonder whether that 6.3V cap was subjected to 12V, blowing up as a consequence. Maybe the VRM switch FET is shorted?

[Krankshaft]

Re: Anyone seen like this before?

Oooh the capacitor rope trick .

[PedroDaGr8]

Re: Anyone seen like this before?

I just found these hairy electrolyte caps on my video card, it's an AOpen Aeolus PCX6600GT-DV128.

Anyone seen anything like this before? Is it probable that recapping will get the card working again?

Thx,
Ramón

Typical cost cutting. 3 Oscons and cut it and use 3 electrolytics instead of 6 Oscons

[willawake]

Re: Anyone seen like this before?

3 crap electrolytics even

[Krankshaft]

Re: Anyone seen like this before?

Maybe instead of using paper between the plates they used that twine it almost looks like seizel or however you spell it.

That stuff they weave those horrible sandpaper-like rugs from.

[willawake]

Re: Anyone seen like this before?

reminds me of the fibres hanging around when a cap blows up.

[Junk Parts]

Re: Anyone seen like this before?

Did a mouse piss on it and blow it out? Did that crap get expelled from a cap on the mobo?

[Big Pope]

Re: Anyone seen like this before?

I just found these hairy electrolyte caps on my video card, it's an AOpen Aeolus PCX6600GT-DV128.

Anyone seen anything like this before? Is it probable that recapping will get the card working again?

Thx,
Ramón

Same case for 7600GT Pro 256MB DDR3!! Crapped caps are SACON FZ series, http://www.sacon.com.tw/ppdtlist.asp?area=39&cat=139

It is works aftrer recapping for me.

[Newbie2]

Re: Anyone seen like this before?

Same case for 7600GT Pro 256MB DDR3!! Crapped caps are SACON FZ series, http://www.sacon.com.tw/ppdtlist.asp?area=39&cat=139

It is works aftrer recapping for me.

Looks like it's easy for everyone else to recap their video cards, I can't even do anything on some old Chaintech video card, since the positive lead is stuck in there!

Looks like Chaintech put "anti-recapping" features on my old video card.

Though nice video card there Big Pope!

[ramonarellano]

Re: Anyone seen like this before?

I recapped my card and it's working again! You may sue me for bad crafting, but my copper bit wasn't able to melt the original tin solder. What kind of tin solder is this? I ended up having to rip out the bad caps using brute force, and cold soldering the new ones to the original legs.

I couldn't find caps for less than 25V (same farads as the original), that's why they're so big.

Now it's back to my RC flight simulator!

[Big Pope]

Re: Anyone seen like this before?

I recapped my card and it's working again! You may sue me for bad crafting, but my copper bit wasn't able to melt the original tin solder. What kind of tin solder is this? I ended up having to rip out the bad caps using brute force, and cold soldering the new ones to the original legs.

I couldn't find caps for less than 25V (same farads as the original), that's why they're so big.

Now it's back to my RC flight simulator!

OMG! It looks....

You need to replace with 1500uF 6.3v D10x16mm, this size is fit the original very much. Higher voltage always come with bigger size.

Also, you have soldered a wrong side, solder on bottom is correct.

[ramonarellano]

Re: Anyone seen like this before?

Hi Pope.

I realize what you're saying about both size and soldering, but this is what you get when you don't have access to the right resources and the right tools.

Besides, it works perfectly fine!

Ramón

[Krankshaft]

Re: Anyone seen like this before?

Yikes well let me guess this is your first time soldering or at least soldering on a multilayer board ?

Well we were all there once those joints bring me back to when I was 10 soldering on my first phono plug ahhh the memories .

Here are some future tips:

Try to keep the caps leads as low as possible the higher the leads are from the board the higher the ESR.

Use alot less solder with soldering a little goes a long way especially if there are small surface mount components around that can be bridged.

Also the joint shouldn't crust up like that.

That means that the solder blob melted partially and resolidified without the other solder in the area melting along with it.

The reason the solder on the board wouldn't melt is probably because you didn't use a high enough wattage iron. Tip cleanliness also plays a role your tip should always be clean and tinned with solder. I must admit I'm a hypocrite on the tinning part and don't do it as much as I should but I do always make sure to wipe the tip with a spounge to remove burnt flux residue.

It also helps to add some solder on the bottom of the board so that your tip has more surface area to melt during cap removal.

It takes patience with any multilayer board and if you want it to work afterwards it is always a slow and careful process.

If the board works and doesn't give you problems congratulations .

[ramonarellano]

Re: Anyone seen like this before?

I appreciate all the well ment recommendations. Now somebody please give me a new iron for my birthday, or try to do a better job with a 15W iron ; )

By the way soldering was part of my masters degree. I know how it SHOULD be done.

[PeteS in CA]

Re: Anyone seen like this before?

Perhaps the solder on the mobo is lead-free @#$%, which melts at a higher temp than tin-lead solder?

[Maxxarcade]

Re: Anyone seen like this before?

Ya a 15W iron won't do well at all for that. Only thing I've ever used a 15w for is small surface mount parts. Even my 25W won't work on a motherboard. I have to use the big soldering station at work, with a 1.2mm tip.