Can I replace Solid State Capacitors?

[freakytiki4u]

I pulled a laptop apart and notice a swollen solid state capacitor. (see attached pic with cap circled in white.) I have replaced many Electrolytic Capacitors on desktop motherboards but never a solid state. I was wondering if:
1. Can solid state Caps be replaced?
2. Is it the same process as with electrolytic? Solder off old one, solder in new one?
3. Anything I should be aware of when dealing with Solid State Caps?

I noticed the solid state cap seems to sit on some sort of tiny base. A little black square. I'm not sure if Solid State Capacitors just push into that base or do I need to unsolder like a regular electrolytic cap? Any input will be greatly appreciated. By the way this laptop is a HP DV7 series with AMD video chip. A lot of the DV6, DV7 and DV9 series laptops have bad video chips from the factory but I have never noticed until today that any had a swollen solid state cap. I have fixed many desktop motherboards that appeared to be completely dead by changing capacitors and it stands to reason that I may be able to do the same with laptop motherboards and their solid state capacitors. Feedback?

[yyonline]

Re: Can I replace Solid State Capacitors?

That is a solid polymer surface mount capacitor.

Solid indicates the type of capacitor - it has no liquid inside - thus no vent on the top.

Surface mount indicated how the capacitor attaches to the board. It sits on a plastic base and the leads mount on the surface of the board instead of going through holes.

You can have regular (wet) capacitors that are surface mount, and solid capacitors that are though-hole. My point here is that the plastic base has to do with it being a surface mount capacitor. The plastic base has nothing to do with it being a polymer capacitor.

Polymer capacitors can be replaced, but they rarely fail. What makes you think this one is bad? They don't bulge like normal capacitors, as they have no liquid inside that turns into a gas.

[freakytiki4u]

Re: Can I replace Solid State Capacitors?

You cant tell in the picture but it is slightly swollen, or appears to be, and it was loose in the socket when I noticed it. I gently pushed down and it went back into place. ty for the info.

[jsog]

Re: Can I replace Solid State Capacitors?

That plastic piece isn't a socket, it's part of the surface-mount cap: http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...=565-3114-2-ND

The bulge might just be the way the aluminum case was made, or maybe it failed because another component failed and dumped way too much current through it. But it should not be separate from the board or the plastic base.

[freakytiki4u]

Re: Can I replace Solid State Capacitors?

I just talked to a Tech at Digikey Electronics and emailed him the same picture that I posted above. After giving him the numbers off the caps he advises that these are "Surface Mount Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors". I have new parts on order and when they arrive I will try to replace them and see if the laptop works. I will post results when I have them. See ya in a week. Thank you for replying "YYONLINE"

[freakytiki4u]

Re: Can I replace Solid State Capacitors?

Jsog, very correct, ty for the reply. I have fixed many desktop motherboards by changing swollen caps (and usually the power supplies also) and this laptop is dead as of right now so It cant hurt to try and the caps are so cheap. ty for the reply
Any ideas what other part may cause this one to swell?

[jsog]

Re: Can I replace Solid State Capacitors?

Maybe something upstream in the power supply. But nothing specific. Do some searching. If you're lucky, it may be a common problem with a known fix.

[freakytiki4u]

Re: Can I replace Solid State Capacitors?

Got the caps in today and It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be to replace them. Used fine tip for soldering iron and it was easier than replacing regular caps, but it did not fix it. This is one of the HP DV7 series laptops that have the bad video chip from the factory so the fix is to replace the laptop (not worth it to buy a new motherboard). Warranty has been out for a while now. I only tried the caps because I noticed one was swollen. It was a good try
Thank You for the replies

[momaka]

Re: Can I replace Solid State Capacitors?

This is one of the HP DV7 series laptops that have the bad video chip from the factory so the fix is to replace the laptop (not worth it to buy a new motherboard).

Sorry to rain on your sunshine, but if that's indeed a common problem with those laptops, you just wasted your time replacing those caps. The one in your first post is a polymer and looks normal.
By the way, I didn't see you mention what was the original problem with the laptop. This would have helped determine what might be wrong.

Either way, you don't need to replace the whole motherboard. Just reflow the GPU instead. Also what capacitors did you use as replacements (brand and series, that is)? If they are not suitable, you might have to put back the original ones after the reflow.

[freakytiki4u]

Re: Can I replace Solid State Capacitors?

lol, Momaka I dont know how you can quote me when I say this laptop is a DV7 series laptop that has a bad video chip from the factory and then say I didnt say what the original problem was? LOL
I do know this to be a common problem with this line of laptops because I own and operate a computer repair center and we receive many of these models ALL with the same problem.
With this particular laptop I just happened to notice some minor swelling in that cap (very minor and hard to see in the photo but it was swollen) so I decided to try to replace all 4 of the caps with the exact same replacements bought from Digikey Electronics. I actually emailed the Digikey tech guy the same photo I linked above and also gave him the numbers off the caps and he found replacements. The laptop when powered on gives 4 flashes of the lights at a time meaning the onboard video chip is not working properly (flashing light codes looked up from HP website). I am fully aware of how to re-flow the GPU but I am just as aware that a re-flow is also a temporary fix that will only last a couple of months. I have actually had 1 professionally re-flowed and performed a re-flow with a heat gun once myself on 2 different machines. 1 was a DV9000 that has the same issue and the other was a DV7 just like the one I was working on in this post. They both only lasted a few months and then went right back to the same problem. I have also read about quite a few others online who have them re-flowed only to have the laptop tear up again in a few months. This was strictly an experiment as I had never (until now) replaced capacitors on a laptops motherboard. I have replaced caps on many desktop boards and they have lasted for several more years. This is why i wanted to try it with a laptop board. Just an experiment. Not a waste of time.
After reading my own reply I sounded like an a-hole but that totally wasn't how I meant that to sound. lol, sorry if it sounded that way to you also. I sincerely appreciate your reply and input. This was the 1st time I ever tried to replace a cap on a laptops motherboard so I knew nothing about what kind they were or how to replace them and I still may not have used the correct kind but I do put faith in the Digikey Techs as they have never let me down before. I didn't really expect it to work but it was worth a try.

[pr0cess0r]

Re: Can I replace Solid State Capacitors?

those laptop need a gpu reflow or revall i have a lots of succes fixing them with my hotair station!