What should I do with these?

[c_hegge]

I was recently given an ageing PC with a faulty motherboard and a few missing components. I decided that the motherboard wasn't worth repairing, so I salvaged some parts off it (nothbridge heatsink, clips, caps, sockets, switches, etc).

My question is what should I do with the caps? The VRM in has Nichicon HD, VRM out has Ruby MBZ and the small 1000uFs are Ruby YXG. They all have 2001 date codes. Should I re-use them since they are reliable brand or just get rid of them because of their age?

PS. I don't have an ESR or capacitance meter or much cash to buy one with, so I have no means of testing them.

[everell]

Re: What should I do with these?

One of the biggest problems with electronics equipment aging is bad capacitors which have bad chemistry. Like an aging marriage, bad chemistry leads to serious problems!

[i4004]

Re: What should I do with these?

well, at certain time you'll probbly have esr meter, so keep them, if nothing to see how does aging affect them....
but chances are these caps are ok.
and will be ok for some time.
and when they start going bad just reform them.
so overall it's a nice experiment once you own the esr meter.
(you can compare them with new ones of same type etc.)

[stj]

Re: What should I do with these?

or they may have dried up with age - even the best have a lifespan.

[NxB]

Re: What should I do with these?

Depends on why the mobo broke. I reuse caps all the time of lower quality. Just don't do it in something you put a warranty on or you will have headaches. Being poor its usually better reusing than spending money on old stuff.

[i4004]

Re: What should I do with these?

>or they may have dried up with age - even the best have a lifespan.

yeah, but that is probably about 40 years....

ie, you have vintage gear restorers that just reform some mighty old caps and they work again.
offcourse, if they fail to reform them prior to using them, they go bang!

[c_hegge]

Re: What should I do with these?

I'll keep them in my stash of 2nd hand caps. I've used 2nd hand caps before, but not this old. The problem with the motherboard was that when you press the power button (or short the pins) it would power on, POST and then trun off again. I tried other PSU to no avail.