Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacitor?

[giyad]

Re: Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacit

replace the MFZ with polymer caps

I don't know enough about caps. As I understand, I still need the ESR and Ripple whether they are polymer or electrostatic... The issue is that I don't have the ESR or Ripple of the MFZ cap.

[stj]

Re: Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacit

polymer caps have lower ESR and higher ripple than any aluminium electrolytic - ever.
that's why they are now used on motherboards around the cpu.

[giyad]

Re: Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacit

polymer caps have lower ESR and higher ripple than any aluminium electrolytic - ever.
that's why they are now used on motherboards around the cpu.

So if I were to use poly caps, I just need the right capacitance and same or higher voltage? Everything else doesn't matter? Like I said the only issue is that I don't know what the ESR or Ripple are for this one capacitor. So my issue is that even if I decide to use a poly cap, how do I make sure its a good substitute?

If the Ripple of my capacitor is 2.2A, can I use one that is 6A?

[rhomanski]

Re: Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacit

[QUOTE=stj;643607]polymer caps have lower ESR and higher ripple than any aluminum electrolytic - ever.

Read it again. Yes.

[giyad]

Re: Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacit

[QUOTE=rhomanski;643614]

polymer caps have lower ESR and higher ripple than any aluminum electrolytic - ever.

Read it again. Yes.

So if the ripple is much higher it doesn't matter? For example if the ripple is 2.2A and I get a 6A ripple that's fine? And an 8mohm esr instead of 12. Sorry to ask these questions multiple times but you guys just said yes and I'm a noob so I want to make sure questions didn't get overlooked.

Ok I'll get polymer caps for all then just need to make sure the size fits. I can't find small enough polymer caps for the samxon, I need 8mm so gonna use a regular electrolytic cap.

[rhomanski]

Re: Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacit

If you have an electrolytic that handles 2.2A ripple and you buy one that can handle 6A is that good? If you happen to have 5A ripple I guess it would be. Lower ESR should be better when your buying low ESR caps anyway. So, yes.

It's always best to match as close as possible though. So you don't induce oscillations or some other problems. Lower capacitance=bad, lower voltage=bad, lower ripple=bad, lower ESR=good.

[giyad]

Re: Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacit

It's always best to match as close as possible though. So you don't induce oscillations or some other problems. Lower capacitance=bad, lower voltage=bad, lower ripple=bad, lower ESR=good.

Excellent thanks! Yeah the reason I ask is because all the polymer caps are around 5A or 6A and the ones I'm replacing are 3A and 2A.

[japlytic]

Re: Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacit

Generally, most of the large electrolytic capacitor manufacturers (especially the Japanese ones) have a "Standardization" catalog (or similar) of recommended current series to replace discontinued series e.g. Chemi-Con KY will replace Chemi-Con SXE:
- link valid at time of posting.

[Per Hansson]

Re: Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacit

Wow that's really useful, got any more examples?
I found this one:

[giyad]

Re: Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacit

That would have been great but Rubycon doesn't have any of the caps I'm replacing in their lists on their website. Its like they were all custom for this board. Anyway, those sheets are good to know about, I've already ordered my replacement parts just waiting on them to arrive. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

[giyad]

Re: Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacit

So I received the capacitors and replaced them. It wasn't too bad actually, pretty simple to replace. The only issue now is, my computer won't turn on. Most likely I either damaged the board, the parts are not correct, or I didn't actually do a good job with replacing them like I thought I did.

Does anyone know how I can test the board alone? When I plug it into power, an LED (SV STBY is what it says next to it) on the board lights up, so maybe I just have a loose connection, but I'd like to test the board if thats possible.

[ChaosLegionnaire]

Re: Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacit

errr did u remember to remove the cmos battery before u recapped the board? if u didnt, try clearing cmos to see if the board starts up after that.

[giyad]

Re: Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacit

errr did u remember to remove the cmos battery before u recapped the board? if u didnt, try clearing cmos to see if the board starts up after that.

No I didn't know that I had to remove the battery. I just researched how to remove the cmos battery on my board and the instructions say to just switch the jumper cap. I did that and its still not turning on.

I didn't completely understand the instructions though, steps 1 and 2 sound the same to me, but I plugged the power supply back in after I switched the jumper cap to pin 2 and 3 and tried turning it on, unplugged the power supply then switched the jumper cap back to original positions and tried turning it on again, but no luck. Should I try removing the battery totally?

Either way though, is there no easy way to test the motherboard by itself? I'm worried that its most likely a loose wire, or just simply the capacitors not being installed properly. Worst case is I did too much damage to parts while working on the board, but like I said there is an LED lighting up when the board is plugged in so thats giving me hope.

[ChaosLegionnaire]

Re: Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacit

figuring out and troubleshooting why a motherboard wont start post can be technically challenging and complex. u need at least a multimeter. do u have one? if u also have a post card, that will help as well.

u can start by just visually checking if u inserted the caps with the right polarity in the board. also, was the board still able to start post before u recapped the board?

[giyad]

Re: Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacit

I can get a multimeter, haven't ever used one, but this has been a fun learning experience. Not sure what you mean by a post card?

I know I inserted the caps correctly, at least polarity wise. Regarding it being able to start post,the computer would actually boot all the way into my operating system for about 5 seconds before restarting prior to me recapping it. I took it apart and saw the busted caps, so I figured that was the issue.

[ChaosLegionnaire]

Re: Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacit

a post card is a pci diagnostic device card and inserts into the pci slot and displays various post checkpoint codes as the board boots up. that way u can figure out what is causing the pc to hang and not boot. however, in your case its not necessary as your board wont even power on!

you could also have multiple faulty components. what psu are u using? im inclined to think it may be a bad psu as the system self reboots abruptly and now it wont even power on. also, bad psus are known to make mobo caps fail and go bad! do u have another system to test the psu in to see if it powers on as well?

[giyad]

Re: Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacit

I don't have another system to test the PSU on, at least not a system I'm willing to mess with. Although I doubt it was the PSU because it should still let the motherbard POST as it was before right?

I do want to show you guys the results of my cap replacements (5 pics attached, sorry its really hard to take a picture of the back of the board so that probably won't be very useful), as well as the LED which lights up on the board (2 pics attached, one for on and one for off) when I give it power. The last picture attached is just to show how there is something on the board, not sure what it is, that looks like it should be lighting up as well but is not. I saw it on some pictures of a POST card, so I assume the fact that this is not lighting up is a big deal.

I'm willing to buy a multimeter, can you recommend one? Hows this?

Also I appreciate your help, this is fun but hard to get somewhere when you have no experience.

[ChaosLegionnaire]

Re: Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacit

the numerical leds in the other led pic are most likely post diagnostic leds. your board has a post card function built in so u dont need a post card. however, they are only meant to work when the motherboard is powered on and starts the bios boot process.

since, it wont even power on. we have to check first if the psu is working. does the psu fan jerk a bit when u push the power button? also, unplug everything connected to the psu except the fans then try to use a piece of jumper wire and short the green wire on the atx connector to any black wire. this forces the psu to turn on without a board. does the psu fan remain spinning and do the case fans remain spinning? this usually just indicates the main rail side of the psu is not dead.

[giyad]

Re: Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacit

OK, so I tried unplugging everything and only leaving in two of the fans connected to the PSU. When I turn the power on the PSU on, I don't get any movement whatsoever, I don't even hear a sound. The PSU fan doesn't jerk at all, not even when everything was plugged in, let alone only the case fans.

I'm not sure which green wire you're talking about, is it the one in the picture i attached? Also don't know what jumper wire is, do I just take any wire I have lying around, stick it in the connector where the green wire is, and then connect that to one of the black wires on the atx connector too? Sorry for making you dumb it down so much

[ChaosLegionnaire]

Re: Do I need to use the same exact model and series or can I use any similar capacit

yes, i said green wire on the main atx connector. jumper wire looks something like this.

if u arent an electronics hobbyist and dont have any loose wires lying around that u can pull out and use, then prolly head over to whatever nearest electronics store closest to you and show them the pic of the jumper wire u want and buy some. its less than a dollar for one or a few of 'em.

for safety reasons, do NOT use any bare or exposed wire and have that bare exposed wire touching your skin when shorting the green wire as we dont know the condition of the psu.