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**linuxguru** · 03-01-2006, 12:45 AM

Re: Leadtek Winfast A250 with bulging caps

Yeah, the GSCs will definitely fail sooner or later, even if they're not bulging. It's not too much effort to replace all seven of the GSCs - you'll get a card that's good for another 5 years at least, after a recap with good brands.

**stretch0069** · 03-01-2006, 02:30 AM

Re: Leadtek Winfast A250 with bulging caps

Murphy's Law of Electronics - A component will fail just when its needed most

There's more, but the point is, the caps are cheap. Like linuxguru said, they're easy to replace. And, for me, I like soldering.

Then you'll have a card you won't have to worry about (caps-wise anyway).

Welcome aboard....join in the fun.

**willawake** · 03-01-2006, 03:15 AM

Re: Leadtek Winfast A250 with bulging caps

you could do the job yourself, it will not be difficult at all. If you do decide to use the services of the repair guy make sure he uses good quality low esr caps.

he basically said it wasn't worthwhile and that the expansion is only caused by heat they would still be sealed

thats just plain wrong. they will degrade further and burst in time. on the card you have oscons and a fujitsu. so if you replace the GSC caps with good quality ones the card should be fine until it is obsolete.

as to why the card is still working fine, who knows the real reason, perhaps one or several of the following :

- the card is reasonably tolerant of bad power
- the mobo is supplying good power via the agp
- the other caps on the card are doing their job

is that the original fan on the card still working fine? leadtek must use quality fans.

**Chris1992** · 03-01-2006, 07:05 AM

Re: Leadtek Winfast A250 with bulging caps

About the yello Fujitsu: here's a thread: https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=579

**Newbie2** · 03-01-2006, 02:06 PM

Re: Leadtek Winfast A250 with bulging caps

Since spaced is in Australia, he can go to a Jaycar there. They have normal low-ESR SAMXON caps, but not ultra-low ESR caps.

**spaced<->out** · 03-02-2006, 01:00 AM

Re: Leadtek Winfast A250 with bulging caps

Firstly thanks to all for the advice.

@Newbie: Yes, I've been looking at the suppliers websites recommended in the "where to get replacement caps" thread. Unfortunately according to the Jaycar website there isn't a store within a country mile of my location, but there are a couple of authorised dealers listed for my town. I will look them up and see if they can order-in for me.

@will: Yeah, AFAIK the fans are still going strong. That's plural... this model card actually comes with two fans, behind big ol' dust filters no less... total overkill

Winfast A250 TD spec page on Leadtek.com.tw | Direct link to card photo
(To be fair one of the fans currently on my card is not an original but I won't bore you with why unless you want those details.) I haven't actually observed it to watch if they're running in quite some time (was gonna do that as I finish this new system), but there was fresh dust buildup since the last time I'd cleaned it.

@stretch: That's Finagle's Law... Murphy was an optimist

For edification I measured and noted down all the details printed on the GSC caps.

3x Green: 8mm dia.
GSC | [RF] 105°C | T23A
1000uF | 6.3V

4x Purple: 10mm dia.
GSC | [LE] 105°C | T21A
470uF | 16V

There is also one more little one at the bracket end of the card (not shown in my photo), it has no X crease on top... I read somewhere here the little ones don't die, so this one would not be a candidate for replacing?
1x Black: 6mm dia.
GSC | 105°C | T1NA
330uF | 6.3V

Pending getting the parts, I'm about 50-50 whether I'll attempt recapping it myself... I don't think I have the right tools for it. The scale of the electronics on the card look far too small for the soldering iron we've got here.

**NDJeff** · 03-15-2006, 02:50 AM

Re: Leadtek Winfast A250 with bulging caps

Howdy guys, nice forum you have here.
I had to register to say I have the same model Leadtek card with EXACTLY the same problem. The green T23 1000 uf caps are bulging, and a couple have leaked.
My cooling fans no longer work either both of them are shot, so I have a 80mm fan rigged up to blow on the heatsink. I am trying to decide if it is worth hunting for the caps to fix it or just to run it til it dies.

**Chris1992** · 03-15-2006, 06:04 PM

Re: Leadtek Winfast A250 with bulging caps

Welcome to Badcaps Forums, Jeff, and I'd go looking for the caps to fix it. Keep the 80mm fan after removing the 2 40mm, and you'll have a nice video card. IIRC it benches better than my FX5200.

**davmax** · 03-15-2006, 11:32 PM

Re: Leadtek Winfast A250 with bulging caps

You will not find the cap values or sizes you need at Jaycar.

You will find them here: http://www.rsaustralia.com/cgi-bin/b...oid=-111454393

RS are very cheap, you have to buy five of each value. You will only need to replace the 1000uF and 470uF.

I do have some lower cost ones to spare if you are interested. They can be sent in an envelope. It is just a matter of being confident to make the replacement.

**spaced<->out** · 03-15-2006, 11:56 PM

Re: Leadtek Winfast A250 with bulging caps

Hi guys, posting an update, having just got the board back from having those bad caps replaced. (Sorry davmax, you're a bit late

)

Last week I took it to my local Jaycar outlet (Westend Electronics) and asked them if they had the components and could service the board, they said they could... although none of the staff I talked to handled that kind of thing themselves, it had to go to their 'technician'. I explained the board was working fine at last blush, but the visible signs were that it was on the way out, and left instructions to "replace all GSC caps and any bulging ones" (as the staff guy transcribed it on the job sheet) with high-quality components. The guy who served me could not give me a quote on how much it might cost but reckoned it would "probably" not be much.

Well... he lied, I was told on picking it up it was a "double-soldered board" that made removing and replacing the caps much more difficult than expected, which made the labour cost over AU$50!

That being case made me think it was probably a good thing I didn't try it myself, but still I didn't expect to spend that much. Maybe someone here can shed light on what a double-soldered board means for me?

Now, what can anyone tell me about "Hitano" caps?
He has used three 10V/1000uF Hitano in place of the green 6.3V/1000uF GSC caps that were showing physical failure.
He has also replaced the yellow Fujitsu cap that was on there with a 16V/820uF Hitano, and left the four purple 16V/470uF GSCs in place; neither of which was what I asked for, but oh well. Maybe the Fujitsu was failing and I didn't notice; maybe the remaining GSCs are going to hold out. At any rate if it's going to cost so much

I'll wait and see how it goes first.

Unfortunately they also told me they couldn't test the card: the technician didn't have anything powerful enough (in fact apparently he tried to test with something and blew it up). So they couldn't say that it works, but they're fairly sure it should. At least if I have any trouble I can bring it back to them.

Anyway at the end of that, for Jeff my advice would be that it's worth at least checking out if you can get any replacements, the caps are really cheap... it's just getting them on there that's the problem. Based on my experience be careful about paying someone else to do it, but as long as you can live without the card in case you mess up, it's only going to die anyway so you can't do any harm in trying...

**davmax** · 03-16-2006, 05:43 AM

Re: Leadtek Winfast A250 with bulging caps

Well Spaced-out you have had your problems. Does the card work now?

Double soldered is a strange statement. I presume it is code for a double sided board. This should not be a problem for a competent tech. Mother boards are multi-layer and it is even harder to deal with. So ???
It is a bit worrying that the tech could not test your card, it will fit many computers. What about the claim that something blew up something? What effect has that had on your card?

My local electronics supplier has Hitano. Looking at the data sheets they are low impedance, not the the more recent ultra low impedance type, still they will probably be OK. No real data on quality or life.

**spaced<->out** · 03-18-2006, 05:29 PM

Re: Leadtek Winfast A250 with bulging caps

Yes, I got the card into the comp the other day and it ran splendidly. So out of pocket regardless, I'm happy.

Pics of the recapped board are attached. The replacement caps are almost twice as tall as the originals, but I have plenty of space in my case so it's not a problem for crowding. I wonder what you guys think of the soldering work though, as it does not appear very tidy to me - not that I can attest I might've done any better at it myself. As for the something blowing up comment, that was just what the woman said and she didn't give me any details but it looks like things are a-ok...

Anyway, thanks all again for tolerating me and advising

Attached Files

**davmax** · 03-18-2006, 06:45 PM

Re: Leadtek Winfast A250 with bulging caps

Yes the soldering work on the board is bad. You are lucky it works. That whole exercise gives eveidence of an unskilled tech who repaired it.

**davmax** · 03-18-2006, 06:55 PM

Re: Leadtek Winfast A250 with bulging caps

This is what it should look like.

Attached Files

**gonzo0815** · 03-18-2006, 07:56 PM

Re: Leadtek Winfast A250 with bulging caps

If they don`t short the card, this soldering is ok. Clearly, an Profesionall should do better especially for 50 bucks, but anyway, most of that loking bad is the flux. And Elektronic flux is alway non korosive. So you can leave it. I think this gay had have some Power problems with his normal Soldering station and used an normal cheapo 80w Iron to get the job done. With such an iron you can`t do it better. I had the same problems and used an cheap 80w iron too. If you can solder, you can do it with almost every iron. Just the result isn`t that loking fine as with more adequat equipment. And the flux is needed to avoid shorting the lands.

**spaced<->out** · 03-18-2006, 08:17 PM

Re: Leadtek Winfast A250 with bulging caps

So you think it is right to leave it? I was looking at the cleaning directions with a view to tackling it (toothbrush and methylated spirits I can do) but if it's doing no more harm than just looking unsightly...

So I'm clear on this. Flux is that dark translucent, kind of glazed-appearance matter splashed around the solder points? Sorry to drag on, but I'm learning as I go here...

**linuxguru** · 03-18-2006, 09:29 PM

Re: Leadtek Winfast A250 with bulging caps

You can remove all the flux with a piece of absorbent paper towel and some isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. You can also use 409 household cleaner, if it is greasy flux mixed with salty residue. For difficult cases, use Carburettor cleaner - it's volatile and can cause headaches, so you need to use it outdoors.

**linuxguru** · 03-18-2006, 09:37 PM

Re: Leadtek Winfast A250 with bulging caps

BTW, the soldering *is* messy - the beads should be much smoother and more compact for professional hand-soldering. But if it works, leave it alone for now - you can clean up the soldering if it fails again later. That's still a possibility, since there are still 4 GSCs left on the board.

**davmax** · 03-19-2006, 05:12 AM

Re: Leadtek Winfast A250 with bulging caps

The main issue is that the card works.

The two soldering jobs to the right of the picture look as though the solder is splattered. Are you able to select these areas as pictures so that there is more resolution for us to inspect?
Or can you see solder splattering that you can confirm?

If more caps need replacing seeking a better repairer.

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