Electrolytics vs Ceramic

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  • Trinite
    Senior Member
    • Dec 2010
    • 143

    #1

    Electrolytics vs Ceramic

    Having seen all these threads about bad capacitors on video cards, I happened to note that my X1900XT has all ceramic caps (not even a polymer on there). Seeing as it is a 5 year old card (still runs great), I am surprised that more recent models continue to rely on more failure-prone electrolytics. Does this have to do with certain shortcomings of ceramics that could not be addressed, or does it have more to do with planned obsolescence?
  • severach
    Badcaps Legend
    • Aug 2007
    • 1055
    • USA

    #2
    Re: Electrolytics vs Ceramic

    Check the price of Tantalum and Ceramic SMD capacitors. After you're done crapping kittens tell us what you're going to order next. Remember that those come in fairly small values so you need to stack a lot of them to equal the capacitance of a typical electrolytic.
    sig files are for morons

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    • Trinite
      Senior Member
      • Dec 2010
      • 143

      #3
      Re: Electrolytics vs Ceramic

      I do realize that ceramics are more expensive. However, the X1900 series does not make use of stacks, and is relatively sparse in terms of what you would expect in order to make up for the lack of electrolytics. So I do not think cost is an issue, at least in that regard. It would seem that the PCB is more inductor-heavy to make up for the lack of capacitance.

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      • Rulycat
        Badcaps Veteran
        • Apr 2010
        • 724
        • United Kingdom

        #4
        Re: Electrolytics vs Ceramic

        A card failing means you need to buy another one. This keeps the companies in business.

        Comment

        • Trinite
          Senior Member
          • Dec 2010
          • 143

          #5
          Re: Electrolytics vs Ceramic

          Figured as much. Too bad you don't see more quality parts. But it seems people are even willing to buy parts they know will likely fail; seeing how Xbox 360 sales stayed strong despite the whole RROD issue, for example.

          Comment

          • ratdude747
            Black Sheep
            • Nov 2008
            • 17136
            • USA

            #6
            Re: Electrolytics vs Ceramic

            well, people want newer faster things anyway... why make somehting last longer than its usable life?

            then again, most people do not know how to recap things...
            sigpic

            (Insert witty quote here)

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            • PCBONEZ
              Grumpy Old Fart
              • Aug 2005
              • 10661
              • USA

              #7
              Re: Electrolytics vs Ceramic

              Checking Digikey
              16v ceramics max uF is 680uF [have to call, the 150uF 16v is $25.25]
              25v ceramics max uF is 470uF [$37.75 each]
              50v ceramics max uF is 220uF [$34.26 each]

              Now the 4v are cheap [under $2] if you buy 2000pc but they max at 100uF so you would need 50 to 60 to have enough bulk capacitance for a VRM Vcore.
              Just using them there would add $50-$100 to the cost of the motherboard.

              I for one would like to see some photos when you get them all soldered in.

              Your video card is counting on the bulk capacitance in the PSU and on the board [to the slot] to keep it from dropping out on transients.
              I wouldn't consider that a quality design...
              .
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              • ratdude747
                Black Sheep
                • Nov 2008
                • 17136
                • USA

                #8
                Re: Electrolytics vs Ceramic

                Originally posted by PCBONEZ
                Your video card is counting on the bulk capacitance in the PSU and on the board [to the slot] to keep it from dropping out on transients.
                I wouldn't consider that a quality design...
                .
                agreed. I really hope you were not using a gutless wonder with it or else your video quality will be in the toilet (or your gpu will be toasted). epic fail to the designers there.

                that said, it is with noting my gateway/jabil kadoka slot A board is all tants, but it is the only board I have see like that.
                sigpic

                (Insert witty quote here)

                Comment

                • Trinite
                  Senior Member
                  • Dec 2010
                  • 143

                  #9
                  Re: Electrolytics vs Ceramic

                  Originally posted by ratdude747
                  agreed. I really hope you were not using a gutless wonder with it or else your video quality will be in the toilet (or your gpu will be toasted). epic fail to the designers there.

                  that said, it is with noting my gateway/jabil kadoka slot A board is all tants, but it is the only board I have see like that.
                  I did have it running with a "520"W Aspire unit for a while, haha. It's on a PC P&C (non Teapo) unit now, though. The VRM section does seem to use some very complex silicon, so it may be possible that the designers intended to mitigate transients actively, rather than passively. There are 7 switching transistors, each coupled to its own inductor, so it seems that they did not necessarily skimp on input filtering/regulation. Looks more like just a different, rather unorthodox implementation.

                  Anyway, here is a shot of the reference design (transistors are covered by a heatsink, there are seven of them): http://www.xbitlabs.com/misc/picture...ler_bg.jpg&1=1
                  Last edited by Trinite; 01-10-2011, 01:00 AM.

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