Blown cap on video card, help me location a replament?

[spatimouth]

Hi, I'm new to recapping things and I'm unsure of how to read this cap. Typically I look for the capacity rating and voltage, but this cap doesn't appear to have a voltage rating as far as I can tell. It's the one on the very top. To me the bottom number reads 16A. Any help would be great! I'm trying to use Digikey's website to order a replacement, as I am able to get a nice discount from them. Thanks.

[Dgtech]

Re: Blown cap on video card, help me location a replament?

An experienced tech just told me that this is a 16V 470uF cap. This can be verified by applying power and measuring the voltage across the cap.

[yyonline]

Re: Blown cap on video card, help me location a replament?

That's a 470uF 16V cap, so I agree with your tech on that. Looks to be surface mount, too. Are there through-holes underneath it that you could substitute a through-hole cap?

I'm not sure of the manufacturer/series of this one to recommend a replacement. Suncon/Sanyo, maybe? Maybe someone else can chime in on that.

What is the size? It looks to be 8mm diameter. Assuming 8mm:

One option is to buy 16V 470uF Rubycon MBZ from badcaps.net, and bend the leads to fit on the solder pads. This is likely better rated than the original cap, but I'd wait until others more familiar with these capacitors can chime in to be sure.

You might want to replace the Evercon caps while you're at it. Evercon are among the least reliable of the unreliable brands.

Edit: Looks like Suncon HVA:

But...HVA has no 470/16V in the datasheet. Ignore the recommendation about MBZ, it's not good enough *if* they are indeed HVA.

Could also be Suncon AX:

AX has 470/16V in the datasheet. 8x10.2mm. 0.17 ohms ESR, 450 mA ripple.
Possible replacements - *IF* it's indeed AX:
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...e=PCE3792TR-ND (good)
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...e=PCE4436TR-ND (better)

When selecting a replacement, you want to make sure that ESR is the same or lower, and that ripple is the same or higher.

I'd say that HVA is unlikely. Based on the specs of HVA, it's likely a polymer cap. The cap that failed likely is not polymer, based on the way it failed. The AX is therefore the more likely candidate. However, I'd wait for a second opinion on the cap identification before buying anything.

[spatimouth]

Re: Blown cap on video card, help me location a replament?

When I goto Digikey's website and look for 470mf 16V surface mount caps I get the following companies to choose from. Which one would you suggest? I need to order them from Digikey as I have a family member who works there and gets them at a nice discount..

Cornell Dubilier
Elna America
Panasonic -ECG
United Chimi-Con
Vishay/BC Compenents

[yyonline]

Re: Blown cap on video card, help me location a replament?

I edited my post about 20 times, as I was trying to type a reply and do too many things at the same time. Make sure you refresh the page to get the latest version of my earlier post, which has some additional information on possible replacements. I'd wait for a second opinion, as I'm not 100% sure my identification is correct.

[retiredcaps]

Re: Blown cap on video card, help me location a replament?

Cornell Dubilier
Elna America
Panasonic -ECG
United Chimi-Con
Vishay/BC Compenents

This board tends to favour Panasonic, and United Chemi-con.

See

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2280

[spatimouth]

Re: Blown cap on video card, help me location a replament?

I search Digikey's website and this is the only surface mount cap I could find that fits your best guess. It's made by Nichicon.

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...=493-2266-1-ND

BTW how do I tell the Ripple Current and Impedance from just looking at the cap?

[mockingbird]

Re: Blown cap on video card, help me location a replament?

That's not a surface mount cap, and I don't think it's possible to resolder surface mount caps. You want a through hole.

This will be good for you:
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...me=565-1661-ND

Also what are the values of those two blue evercon caps? You will need to change those as well. It's written on the side of the cap.

[yyonline]

Re: Blown cap on video card, help me location a replament?

I search Digikey's website and this is the only surface mount cap I could find that fits your best guess. It's made by Nichicon.

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...=493-2266-1-ND

BTW how do I tell the Ripple Current and Impedance from just looking at the cap?

That cap will suffice...however... the two panasonics I linked to are better than the original cap spec-wise. If the original failed, it can't hurt to have a slightly better one replace it.

You can tell the ripple and ESR of a cap by identifying it's manufacturer and series, and then looking up the information on the datasheet for that series. You can also measure ESR with a meter, but when you get into the low-esr caps that are on many computer components, the meters often aren't precise enough.

From the photo, it definitely looks like a surface mount cap, as I can see the black plastic base under it. Perhaps you can confirm, or get a photo from a different angle? Surface mount caps can definitely be resoldered, but it's a different process than through hole components.

[mockingbird]

Re: Blown cap on video card, help me location a replament?

From the photo, it definitely looks like a surface mount cap, as I can see the black plastic base under it. Perhaps you can confirm, or get a photo from a different angle? Surface mount caps can definitely be resoldered, but it's a different process than through hole components.

You're right, it is indeed a surface mount cap. How do you deal with those?

[yyonline]

Re: Blown cap on video card, help me location a replament?

My method may not be the best, but it works... I get a helper to hold a second soldering iron. Heat both leads at once, lift straight off the board.

If I don't have a helper, I'll melt the solder on a leg, and move that side just a fraction of a mm. I'll alternate between legs and "walk" the part off the board. If you move one side too far, you can damage the pad or trace. Sometimes with surface mount caps, you can lift one end off the board instead of walking it.

To resolder, just heat the leg and pad, and dab it with solder.

I have no idea if these methods are "correct," as I've had no formal trainign with this, but they work for me.

[seanc]

Re: Blown cap on video card, help me location a replament?

You're right, it is indeed a surface mount cap. How do you deal with those?

I just heat the joint up, wick the solder and tease the cap away. I usually end up breaking a leg.

[spatimouth]

Re: Blown cap on video card, help me location a replament?

I don't have the card on me right now as I'm going to be purchasing it from a friend. From his description it sounds like the gpu fan stopped working and the video card heated up and popped the capacitor. I'm hoping all I need to do is change the cap and gpu fan.

[Rulycat]

Re: Blown cap on video card, help me location a replament?

Don't forget those Evercon (GSC) caps.

[spatimouth]

Re: Blown cap on video card, help me location a replament?

I got the card in the mail and decided to put it into my machine to test it. Results: No video output and the video card. Took the bad cap off and the video card works, still all other caps get very hot and it appears to be in gimp mode as nvidia demos run at like 1 fps.

I ordered the bad cap but I have no idea how I'm going to solder this sucker on as the leads seem to be covered by the plastic base and I won't be able to stick a solder tip underneath it. I'm thinking of buying some solder past and heat it up with a heatgun.

[yyonline]

Re: Blown cap on video card, help me location a replament?

If you're referring to it being under a heatsink, these are usually removable. Post some pictures of the card front and back, note where the bad cap is, and I'll see if I can give you some guidance on how to get to it.

[spatimouth]

Re: Blown cap on video card, help me location a replament?

If you look at the picture of the blown cap you'll see it's a surface mount cap that sits on a black plastic base. I've never re-soldered on of those before so I don't know how the new part is going to look, or if the leads will be long to where I cut them off. When I desoldered the old cap it appeared like the leads were underneath the black plastic base and not very long.

[seanc]

Re: Blown cap on video card, help me location a replament?

Heat solder on one side, tilt cap.
Rinse and repeat until the cap is off.

Solder the replacement in.

[yyonline]

Re: Blown cap on video card, help me location a replament?

The new cap will come with a new black plastic base. Just heat up the lead that sticks out from the plastic base until the solder melts over it. Repeat for the other side. Soldering new surface mount caps is much easier than through hole caps.

Getting the old one off can be a bit of a pain, though. There's a few methods posted already to cover that. Just go slow and you'll be fine. When it's ready it should just slide off. Don't pull too hard and force it, which can lift the solder pad off the board.

[spatimouth]

Re: Blown cap on video card, help me location a replament?

I replaced the blown cap on and the card started right away but the cap got seriously hot. Turned it off and checked my solder job and it looked okay. Put the card back in and it started to artifact and now doesn't show any picture. So what ever caused the cap to blow has probably cause damage to the gpu chipset.