Is this bad??

[starfury1]

Re: Is this bad??

I think it was Stevo's first attempt at recapping and it was a seconded attempt with the Sanyos.

possibly doing a few things wrong (as you said) and on the learning curve.

I think he also used a multimeter for continuity checking and probes do tend to slip

so guess it all contributed to the resulting in the scratches.

light scratching of the solder mask so no big deal just doesn't look good
(unless of course you dig into the copper in a big way)
better if you don't but it happens

If the Hatino were low esr type they probably would have lasted for a while just not the best cap quality wise for the job.

When you look at the specs for the VR"M"
(module its is no longer but integrated on the MB)
You can see why these caps get a pounding and the best quality Low ESR is really a critical requirement I think for these positions.

Anyway so long as it lasts and gives you no problems you can call it a job well done....
(solder looks ok from the pics ...small volcanoes not blobs )
Hope you find a CPU with now worries.....

Cheers

[stevo1210]

Re: Is this bad??

This time through I have an issue with a different motherboard. This time it's a Gigabyte 8PE667 Ultra one.
I took off the northbridge heatsink because the previous owner broke one of the clips that held it down to the motherboard and in the process I decided to clean off the old heatsink paste and apply Arctic silver ceramique.
Only problem was that I used my nail to clean off the old heatsink paste because it was so hard to clean off with a regular tissue.
In the process my finger slipped a few times and caused the top of the chipset a few scratches. The motherboard still boots fine though, no issues whatsoever.... but can these scratches be repaired or is it better leaving it as is??





Thanks.

[Harvey]

Re: Is this bad??

If it works - don't worry about it.

Cleaning off old heatsink paste is easier if you use something like alcohol or acetone on a cotton bud or tissue. Just don't rush it and it comes off easy.

[shadow]

Re: Is this bad??

I agree with Harvey, I usually use alcohol to help dissolve the heatsink paste. However I do not use methylated spirits on chips because I am scared that it may possibly do some damage. Is this true? Or am I being too cautious?

By the way, those scratches do not look nasty at all. Therefore I would just cut my looses and leave it. By trying to fix it you will probably make it worse. Add to that that you will only gain cosmetic appearance that will be covered by a heatsink anyway if you do fix it.

[gastorgrab]

Re: Is this bad??

This stuff works great btw.....


ArctiClean 1 & 2 (Thermal Material Remover and Surface Purifier)

.

[Harvey]

Re: Is this bad??

However I do not use methylated spirits on chips because I am scared that it may possibly do some damage. Is this true? Or am I being too cautious?

The trouble with methylated spirits is you can never be 100% sure whats in it. Have a read of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denatured_alcohol when your feeling bored

That said - I doubt there's anything in methylated spirits that would cause any harm to something that's designed to have heastink paste & pressure on it, work at temperatures up to 100C and be soldered in at temperatures of 300C or more - and still maintain a mirror smooth surface

I've use it before now and had no problems.

[stevo1210]

Re: Is this bad??

Hello Everyone,

I have a Gigabyte GA-8IG1000-G Motherboard that came out of RMA not that long ago. Before I installed it back into my PC, I could see something that looked quite bad.
There are a bunch of traces that lead to the CPU that have some damage to them??
The traces were originally a blue colour because my PCB is blue. Now the traces that have been scratched across have turned a whitish colour. I'm just wondering if thats the top layer of PCB colouring gone or have the traces been permanently damaged??
The board still works well with no stability issues. In fact i'm posting on that PC now.

I took the board back out of my case today for a clean up in there. It's been a year since my last post and there hasn't been any problems with this board. In fact I'd have to say that this board is the most reliable out of all the ones I've had.
Anyway, I took an even closer look at the scratch. What is the white stuff that is showing through?? Shouldn't motherboard traces be silver or gold in colour??

Thanks.

[Fizzycapola]

Re: Is this bad??

I would think to repair the old one with silver paint to rebuild traces, through holes and pads. Solder onto silver with silver bearing solder.

Messing about with inconsequential cosmetic imperfections I would avoid, no good has ever come of me messing about with boards after they are already fixed.

[kc8adu]

Re: Is this bad??

its likely just cosmetic.
dont risk killing it for no good reason.
if it aint broke fix it till it is!