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GA-6VEM PS/2 ports fixed - it's not always bad electrolytics

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    GA-6VEM PS/2 ports fixed - it's not always bad electrolytics

    I was given this GA-6VEM a couple of years ago
    Using VIA's PLE133T chipset, it supports Tualatins - so I replaced all bulging caps, retaining the 330uf 25v Choyos
    Attached Files
    better to keep quiet and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt

    #2
    Re: GA-6VEM PS/2 ports fixed - it's not always bad electrolytics

    Fitted with a Tualatin 1400-S, it was quite a snug fit in a well made IBM Aptiva case, to make a respectable performance computer
    Now, a couple of years later, I decided to use that computer to play with Linux
    Fired it up, to be greeted with "Keyboard error or no keyboard detected"
    Tried many keyboards, and only one worked - an old HP where the numeric keypad doesn't work
    By this time I'd convinced myself it must be the original Choyo caps causing the problem, so I replaced them with 1000uf 6.3v Suncon
    Attached Files
    better to keep quiet and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt

    Comment


      #3
      Re: GA-6VEM PS/2 ports fixed - it's not always bad electrolytics

      Made no difference - so I tried removing the battery to force a CMOS reset
      Only result was now I had the classic "Keyboard error - Press F1 to continue"
      After using the HP keyboard to set it up, I thought "Compatibility - maybe a firmware issue"
      So I reflashed to second last BIOS F7 instead of latest F8, without any improvement - same for original F4 BIOS
      By this time I was thinking of what I could use in the Aptiva case - not a lot of choice, given the snug fit
      I couldn't face shoehorning in something else where it's not meant to go, so I thought of the Asus problem from this posting
      https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showpo...7&postcount=10
      The GA-6VEM did have a similar looking component, but C181 instead of Asus's C151 - shown in this pic at CP3, sandwiched between the keyboard fuse and the PS/2 connector block
      Attached Files
      better to keep quiet and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt

      Comment


        #4
        Re: GA-6VEM PS/2 ports fixed - it's not always bad electrolytics

        What the hell ? - I attacked it with a soldering iron, removed C181, leaving the board like this
        Attached Files
        better to keep quiet and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt

        Comment


          #5
          Re: GA-6VEM PS/2 ports fixed - it's not always bad electrolytics

          To give a perspective, here's the removed C181, sitting on one of the Suncon caps
          Attached Files
          better to keep quiet and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt

          Comment


            #6
            Re: GA-6VEM PS/2 ports fixed - it's not always bad electrolytics

            Now the acid test - was I going to get the magic smoke, or what ?
            Hooked it all up for the umpteenth time, powered on, and success
            Now it's back in the Aptiva case, and has successfully worked through some installs of XP and Linux
            better to keep quiet and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt

            Comment


              #7
              Re: GA-6VEM PS/2 ports fixed - it's not always bad electrolytics

              Congratulation. Good pics.

              Comment


                #8
                Re: GA-6VEM PS/2 ports fixed - it's not always bad electrolytics

                What's the purpose of those C181 and C151 capacitor packs, to ground noise or spikes from the I/O lines?

                Comment

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