Is this bad?

[Chris1992]

I was looking at my Dell dimension8300 and spotted a cap that was slightly bulging. I have many pics of it, all taken with a Kodak Easyshare DX7630 camera (highly recommended). Links to the pics:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...62/Badcap2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...62/Badcap1.jpg

This box was not showing any 'bad cap' problems at all. Ever. I just noticed this cap.

[MD Willington]

Looks bulgy...ticking time bomb probably...have you seen the thread about the DELL GX270's...probably the same thing happening here...

MD

[Chris1992]

Ticking time bomb? From what I can tell from the caps around it, it's only a 220uF cap. I thought only the 470+uF caps were supposed to fail? BTW I am the same Chris1992 from the PCChips Lottery.

EDIT: MD, do you mean that case overheating might be causeing the cap failures?

[willawake]

those are not the same series as the other nichicon fails. been looking at the pics and i cant make up my mind. i think it is too early for that cap to say for sure.

[Chris1992]

Near the 2ndary IDE connector - wonder if it's been causing the random loss of my CDRW and DVD drives in Windows? Just an idea I had....

[MD Willington]

BTW I am the same Chris1992 from the PCChips Lottery.

EDIT: MD, do you mean that case overheating might be causeing the cap failures?

Heya...I think everyone at the lottery should have a link to here, Pou Chen (PCC/ECS et al..) boards are all prone to CRAP cap failure...LOL

Actaully my DELL machine stays an okay temperature since it's not a Prescott based machine...

Having the cap in a hotter environment can affect it's longevity...I think Topcat had an example of some bad caps in a SFF system in the forums here...

MD

[kc8adu]

i have replaced a bunch of those in asus a7vxx boards.
the vent makes it look like a sanyo but the f logo gives it away.
whats the value on it?
probably 1000@6.3
its bad.
replace them and see if the ide issue goes away.

[Chris1992]

@MD: Never had a cap fail on my m810lmr but they're all Teapo and G.Luxon. I'm surprised at the badcap on the Dell 'cos it's a $1400 comp. My 810lmr machine was ~600 40mos ago.

@kc8: If the caps around it are any indication, it's a 220uF 15v. I think. And I can't replace it because I have zero soldering experience. Also, what's the brand?

@everybody: The board now fails to give me video and displays this combination on the diagnostic lights: A=yellow, B=green, C=yellow, D=green. Any idea what this means?

EDIT: @MD: Mine's a Northwood. Had no idea what the temps were - couldn't get Speedfan to work. But when I turned it off, the NB heatsink was always hotter than the CPU HS.

[Neo2_000]

Despite the recommended 1000uF advice, I have seen a number of lesser value caps fail so I use my discretion. Some cap brands are so prone to failure, I wonder if they have any floor value that might be considered reliable.

[Neo2_000]

Despite the recommended 1000uF advice, I have seen a number of lesser value caps fail so I use my discretion. Some cap brands are so prone to failure, I wonder if they have any floor value that might be considered reliable.
An ESR meter helps in assessing reliability.

Neo.

[Chris1992]

What's an ESR metre? And I am beginning to wonder if an overstressed PSU caused this. 2x optical, 1x HD, 1x FDD, GeForce FX5200, Linksys wireless card, modem, SBLive, and the mobo and 2.8ghz Northwood itself seems like a lot to ask of a 25W PSU that's probably rated at 20C when case temps in that kind of miditower can reach upwards of 30C.

[willawake]

25W PSU

lmao, but seriously 250W is pretty small. 400W would be more appropriate

And I can't replace it because I have zero soldering experience.

your excuse is not accepted anybody can learn to do it, just need the right information (which is here) and some practice and tools. prolly you can wait until you get stability probs and then you will make the decision.

i think the quality of the caps is more of an issue, heat as well.

[yanz]

yeah, i agree

http://www.epemag.wimborne.co.uk/solderfaq.htm

and willwake have some excellent pages too :

http://www.techmati.com/articles/caps/index.htm

[Chris1992]

@Willawake: Stability probs? My comp won't even turn on. :P And I can't replace the PSU 'cos it's a damn Dell proprietary part I think.

[Chris1992]

Or maybe it's a normal ATX part. In that case I can pick up a 400+W at Newegg for $35+. Brand recommendation? I need a cool-running unit. Wanna keep temps down.

[Neo2_000]

ESR stands for equivalent series resistance. An ESR meter is essentially a highly sensetive resistance meter, measuring down to .01 ohms. Over a period of time and especially when faulty electrolyte evaporates inside a cap, it's resistance naturally increases, affecting it's performance.

New quality caps in the 1000uF x 6.3V range typically measure zero ohms. From experience, I draw a line at 0.04 ohms maximum as an acceptable measure of reliability for these on used boards.

Larger values should have less resistance while smaller values exhibit larger ESR measurements. An ESR meter will reveal suspect caps which exhibit no physically visible signs of deterioration and because of the low power output of the probes it can be used to test caps in circuit provided they are not in parallel banks.

Such measurements are not an iron clad guarantee but do provide a valuable guide. A shorted cap will also measure zero but these are not common.

[URL=http://members.ozemail.com.au/~bobpar/esrmeter.htm]

http://www.siliconchip.com.au/cms/A_100895/article.html


Neo.

[Neo2_000]

It probably is a proprietary unit with a proprietary wired mobo terminal connector. Dell have at times adopted a generic whitebox standard for psu wiring but from what I have been told, only breifly.

Do a search of the web for standard psu connector pinouts and test with a voltmeter to make sure. You could always wire a generic uniut to Dell standard?

Aslo, PSU's are prone to badcaps too - look inside.

Neo

[Chris1992]

I think the PSU connector is normal ATX.

[willawake]

Stability probs? My comp won't even turn on

lol...i missed the important part.

test the psu first or borrow another working psu and see if you can get a boot, if its not that then a cap prolly failed open. still under warranty? if you cant recap yourself then seek the services of topcat and kc8adu of these forums, world renowned recap experts.

good psus? last one i bought was a fortron which is a great psu, 460w i think and damn heavy but too many wires. OCZ come recommended also and there is a forum where you can talk direct to OCZ

OCZ support forum
http://www.bleedinedge.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=45

topcat said this on another post :

I've had really good luck with Sparkle and Enermax PSU's, but I LOVE thermaltake CPU coolers. I've never had a Thermaltake PSU, so I can't offer any input on their lifespan or reliability. All my servers and my personal systems have Zippy redundant PSU's, and I've never had a problem out of them.

i think pc power and cooling is a brand which gets recommended too.

check http://www.dslreports.com lots of posts about psus.

the problem with a lot of psus nowadays is there is a trend for SILENT design. which means basically they put a low speed fan on and a big heatsink. so basically you get higher ambient case temperature. zalman i was not impressed with in that respect. got modded with a better fan in the end.

you might need a 24pin to 20pin cable converter for your new psu, check first.

[Chris1992]

PCP&C (PC Power and Cooling) PSUs are really expensive. I can't spend a lot -- I'm a student on a limited budget.