No screen output - cap prob?

[JCC]

Hi

I've got 2 ABIT VP6's that have failed. They failed a while back and we needed to upgrade anyway so I stuck 'em on a shelf and forgot all about them until I saw your website.

I'd like to see if I can bring them back into use as linux servers, but I'm not completely sure if the symptom I'm having indicates busted caps. The machines failed within 2 weeks of each other - the symptom is a completely blank screen on both.

I've stripped the board down of everything but the graphics card but I can't get any output to the screen at all (I've tried several different graphics cards and monitors). I've used different power supplies and there's a light on the board anyway, so the board is receiving power. I've also reset the CMOS, but to no avail.

Is this a caps symptom?

[zia]

are the tops of your caps bulging? Is anything leaking from them?

[Topcat]

www.kabalsrealm.com/systems/projects/vp6/

Take a look at that and do a comparison... If your caps look like the ones pictured, it's safe to assume that is your trouble. The symptoms you described sure sound familiar!!

By the way, they make GREAT Linux machines!!

[JCC]

Thanks both - much appreciated!

It's a cap problem - There's a slight discharge from a couple of the caps, and a few others are bulging. Given that both my VP6's went within a couple of weeks of each other (around the time of their first birthday - they were heavily used encoding machines), I reckon cheap power supplies must take some responsibility for failing to moderate the supply effectively. I've learnt my lesson - it's Antec all the way from here on in!

I'm not sure if I'm up to the soldering job myself. TC - I understand you do /did this commercially? - if I can't muster up the equipment / enthusiasm, can I call on you expertise?

Thanks again.

JCC

[Topcat]

JCC, whatever ya need, just let me know!! It's really simple to recap them! Whether ya need replacement caps, or just send 'em to me and I'll recap 'em for ya! Whatever I can do, feel free to let me know!

Good Luck!

[ncdave]

Abit will probably RMA 'em for you, and replace 'em with repaired ones. Maybe for free, maybe for $25 each.