Gigabyte GA-7zx

[dood]

Had 8 bad caps, 4 Choyo 1200uf 6.3v, 4 GSC 1000uf 10v. This was an emergency recap in the webserver at work. All I had were 1000uf 10v. Is that enough to substitute for the 1200uf 6.3v?

[Rainbow]

Re: Gigabyte GA-7zx

It's only 800uF less, it should be fine.

I have GA-7ZX-1 (cheaper stripped-down version of the GA-7ZX). Luckily, there are no Choyos - only Sanyo 1200uF/6.3V, G-Luxon 330uF/25V and some GSCs 1000uF/10V (but still good).

[dood]

Re: Gigabyte GA-7zx

Recap was no good. Looks like the MOSFETs got pretty toasty... the backside of the board is discolored where they're mounted. Luckily, we found another identical board that we can put in the webserver to get it back up and running....

[Rainbow]

Re: Gigabyte GA-7zx

Were the MOSFETs bad before the recap?

[linuxguru]

Re: Gigabyte GA-7zx

You should replace *all* Choyos and GSC, not just the bulging ones. Both of these are known to leak, dry or vent invisibly from the bottom seal. Substitute all the G-Luxon 330/25 caps as well, if they're there.

[dood]

Re: Gigabyte GA-7zx

Well, this board has a bunch of caps, and I don't actually have the right values for them. I think it's just going to get scrapped. The MOSFET's don't appear to be bad, visually, but it does look like they got quite hot, due to the discoloration of the opposite side of the board. I'm guessing it's just dead. Not worth my time to futz around with it any more, since we found the identical board to put in the server.

[linuxguru]

Re: Gigabyte GA-7zx

You can use 1000/10 safely for all the 330/25 caps on any Gigabyte board - they're not on the +12v or -12v rails. If you want to be extra safe, use 1000/16.

[dood]

Re: Gigabyte GA-7zx

but they were 1200uf 6.3v.... not 330uf.

[linuxguru]

Re: Gigabyte GA-7zx

I meant that you can use 1000/10 on Gigabyte boards to replace 330/25 also, apart from replacing the 1200/6.3 and 1000/10. It's advisable to replace *all* Choyo, GSC and G-Luxon, not just the bulging ones.

[dood]

Re: Gigabyte GA-7zx

Oh, right.... sorry. As you can see, that's what I did on this 7ZXE- https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1267

That's what I had those caps for in the first place.... anticipating more failures in that lab

[Bookworm]

Re: Gigabyte GA-7zx

To necro this thread, I have a GA-7ZX that just came back from a customer - it was on-loan as a basic server.

Upon checking carefully, none of the capacitors were bulged. However, several of the 25v 330uF G-Luxons were obviously tilted off of their leads. To the point where you could look at the thicker part of the internal leads completely. One was almost sideways.

I'll be recapping the board with 10v 1000uF's, and will probably be ordering a few bags of 6.3v 3300's.

[dood]

Re: Gigabyte GA-7zx

Holy crap... this thread is only 2 years old :o. I don't even remember the board I was recapping in this thread... That machine has probably died again since i last worked on it

[starfury1]

Re: Gigabyte GA-7zx

that might have been one of your early gunnie pigs

One of them was the reason I ended up here

Bookworm
yep they are junk get rid of them...BTW whats in the VRM?????
Choyo and GSC be gone too.....on those MB's

[Bookworm]

Re: Gigabyte GA-7zx

I'm not planning on tossing the board. Even WITH those munged caps, it ran 24/7 for at least two years with no crashes. (It was a loaner server to a customer)

There are only two types of caps on the whole board bigger than a 6.3mm - 330uF/25v, and 1200uF/6.3v

GSC and G-Luxons. (GSC for the 1200uf's)

I now have several thousand caps I got off of E-Bay, with another 5-8000 coming along shortly, so I guess I could replace everything with Rubycon ZL or JXA.

Is it certain that the 330uF/25v are on the 5 volt rail? (and not the 12).

[bgavin]

Re: Gigabyte GA-7zx

I'll be recapping the board with 10v 1000uF's, and will probably be ordering a few bags of 6.3v 3300's.

Bookie, you can get 50 or 200 pc bags of Rubycons from Wai Fong in Hong Kong. I have found them quite reliable and very fast shipping.

www.pcbulb.com

They don't have all the Rubycons I need, but they stock most of the common ones. They are the only Rubycon supplier I have found so far.

[Bookworm]

Re: Gigabyte GA-7zx

I'm going to keep that link, but I have another 12,000 capacitors showing up soon. I'll be set in the expensive end of board caps (2200uf, 3300uf, and so forth)

Hmm - their link is down right now, apparently.

I guess I should put power to the board and find out how much voltage is across one of those "25 volt" caps.

[bgavin]

Re: Gigabyte GA-7zx

I tried their link when I posted this morning, and it was done then. Weekend, perhaps server maintenance...

I have placed three large orders with Wai Fong, and never been disappointed. I would like to find another Rubycon vendor (anywhere) for those pieces that I can't get from Wai Fong.

Another place to search is with Big Pope for SamXon. I understand his distribution agreement now lets him sell large orders to US customers.

[Bookworm]

Re: Gigabyte GA-7zx

There's a good chance that shortly, TopCat will probably be able to sell some larger quantities - at least until the supply runs out.

[starfury1]

Re: Gigabyte GA-7zx

the ZL series you may possibly get away with on the VRM
but I don't think it would be recommended,
better to use MCZ (or older MBZ) series
especially if you going to run it like that 24/7.
(leave that for others to comment on, they would know better then I thought)

I cant give you a yes or no on the 5Volt thing...probably I think from memory
but there maybe a method in the madness with the use of 25 Volt caps lest with respect to USB from what pcbonez has posted.

There is another option too (7ZXE)
There are extra empty positions for the VRM output caps...this does enable you to use
apox 1/2 the uf value and populate all positions
(some say just fill them up, but thats another story)

the other 330uf you could use a lesser series no worries
(ZL I suppose might even be a little over kill).
seems from the post above using 1000uf is no worries too
( Height and diameter can at times pose problems)

Still when alls said and done not a bad run I suppose for what are considered crap caps (24/7 2 years)

Just looking at doods other post, its funny mine had GSC in The VRM output positions
and mine had all popped and yet the 2 that are popped on his, mine were fine.
His VRM o/p caps were Choyo...

I replaced with Panasonic FM's
(3300uf 6V3...diameter was 12.5mm, so they don't sit too well but it works fine)
So yeah go for it don't turf it

anyway just some input on it

Cheers

[Bookworm]

Re: Gigabyte GA-7zx

I just replaced every capacitor on the board that was 330uF and up. It boots fine (once I remembered to reset the CMOS)

Out of one of the boxes of caps, I ended up pulling out, let's see... 24 10v 1200uF (Rubycon ZL's) caps, and a batch of 1200uF 6.3v KZG's (I had them from a recent purchase, so I'm not too worried).

Man, I have two boxes of 500 caps, and at this rate, I'll run out next week. (Fat chance. I doubt I'll need more than 200 more to finish all the boards I need to do, and I have way too many more coming in the mail this week. I only have about 12 boards to do)

This isn't going to be a heavy duty machine. It currently has an Athlon 1000 in it, and will probably be a 'donation' machine.

Same with the 810LMR I just recapped with underpowered caps If it lasts another year, I'll consider it worth the effort.

It's just a straight 7ZX - I have another one lined up to be recapped as well.

Oddly enough, the Revision 5.1 board has two less caps than the revision 5.0 board. I wonder if I should go ahead and populate those when I recap it. (Three empty on the 5.0, five empty on the 5.1 )