Am I on the right track?

[dummptyhummpty]

I've inherited my girlfriends old Gateway desktop. After replacing a bad hard drive the system still runs unusually slow. Occasionally it won't get past POST unless all USB devices are unplugged. I noticed a bulging Nichicon (HM?) 1000uf 10v cap and planned to replace it since the system isn't worth throwing out. Is it ok to replace just this cap or do people usually replace all of the caps on the board at once? I can probably manage replacing this one cap, but don't trust myself to do the whole board.

I also have a eMachines that no longer posts with a leaking 1000uf 6.3v cap. I was planning to replace both of these caps at the same time. Since I only have a soldering gun, I was planning to purchase the 30 Watt ESD-Safe Soldering Iron that BadCaps sells. Will this be fine?

Thanks!

[yyonline]

Re: Am I on the right track?

Board manufacturers normally use many different brands of capacitors on a board. Some brands and series of capacitors are reliable, others are unreliable. So, take a close look at the board and see what brands of capacitors it has.

Nichicon HM prior to 2005 had a manufacturing defect. So, if there is failing HM on the board, I would replace all the HM. No telling when the others might fail.

It's hard to say more without knowing the brands of the other capacitors. Reply with that info and someone can help you out with what is reliable and what isn't.

[dummptyhummpty]

Re: Am I on the right track?

Board manufacturers normally use many different brands of capacitors on a board. Some brands and series of capacitors are reliable, others are unreliable. So, take a close look at the board and see what brands of capacitors it has.

Nichicon HM prior to 2005 had a manufacturing defect. So, if there is failing HM on the board, I would replace all the HM. No telling when the others might fail.

It's hard to say more without knowing the brands of the other capacitors. Reply with that info and someone can help you out with what is reliable and what isn't.

Thanks for your help.

The Gateway (554GE) has:
Nichicon HN(M) (one is bulging)
Nichicon HD(M)
Nichicon VR(M)
SME BP
SMG (look like the SMEs?) I can't find a model on these.
Rubycon A0427

I'll have to get back to you about the eMachine as I don't have time to pull the motherboard out right now.

[yyonline]

Re: Am I on the right track?

SME and SMG are series made by Nippon/United Chemicon. SME is bipolar, so it's probably on the board's audio circuitry.

A0427 is actually a date code for Rubycon (2004, week 27), not a series. But Rubycon is a reliable manufacturer, so don't worry too much about that one.

Definitely replace all of the Nichicon HM (or HN) on the board. Nichicon HM and HN capactiors made around that time have a known manufacturing defect. It has since been corrected, so newer HM/HN are okay. You can replace HM with Rubycon MBZ or MCZ. You can replace HN with MCZ. The site owner sells these in his store.

Nichicon HD is usually reliable.

Nichicon VR and Chemicon SMG are 85 degree capacitors, so they do not deal with heat as well. Some members have reported issues with these drying out. So, replace those as well if you want to be thorough, but I'd say start with the HM/HN as those are likely to be the bigger issue.

[370forlife]

Re: Am I on the right track?

Nichicon VR and Chemicon SMG are 85 degree capacitors, so they do not deal with heat as well. Some members have reported issues with these drying out.

Thats really only a problem with UCC KZG and one of the other KZ_ series (i can never remember)

[c_hegge]

Re: Am I on the right track?

Thats really only a problem with UCC KZG and one of the other KZ_ series (i can never remember)

It's KZJ

[dummptyhummpty]

Re: Am I on the right track?

I just wanted to updated you all. A guy I work with has replaced bad capacitors before and he helped me replace the three Nichicon HN caps on the Gateway board. The system boots and everything is fine except it doesn't consistently restart. Most of the time it will restart and just stay at a blank screen instead of going to POST. Has any one experienced this?

I tried using the onboard video vs the PCI-E ATI card and I even tried another power supply (which seemed to work at first) with no luck.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Am I on the right track?

Thats really only a problem with UCC KZG and one of the other KZ_ series (i can never remember)

J

[ratdude747]

Re: Am I on the right track?

I just wanted to updated you all. A guy I work with has replaced bad capacitors before and he helped me replace the three Nichicon HN caps on the Gateway board. The system boots and everything is fine except it doesn't consistently restart. Most of the time it will restart and just stay at a blank screen instead of going to POST. Has any one experienced this?

I tried using the onboard video vs the PCI-E ATI card and I even tried another power supply (which seemed to work at first) with no luck.

sounds what my now dead dell optiplex did when its hm's went bad. i would recap, just to be safe.

did you try different RAM? it might even be the HD...

[dummptyhummpty]

Re: Am I on the right track?

sounds what my now dead dell optiplex did when its hm's went bad. i would recap, just to be safe.

did you try different RAM? it might even be the HD...

Are you saying I should replace the caps I just replaced?

I didn't try different ram, but did run memtest86 up to 50% with no errors.

I don't think it's the HD as it does it when that's unplugged too.

I'm wondering if something is damaged or what? I thought maybe the BIOS was corrupted, but I can't seem to get it to reflash.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Am I on the right track?

Thats really only a problem with UCC KZG and one of the other KZ_ series (i can never remember)

Actually he was talking about 85 degree caps and he's right.

[dummptyhummpty]

Re: Am I on the right track?

Just another update. It turns out the heatsink wasn't on the CPU correctly causing the CPU to run hot. It seems to be working well now. I'll start a new thread when I'm ready to do my eMachines.