Why have almost all my failed motherboards been ECS brand?

[larrymoencurly]

ECS is the only brand I've had that failed and didn't show any obvious symptoms (at least to a non-tech like me) like bad caps, diodes, fuses, or transistors. When every other brand failed, I could replace some of those parts and get the mobo running again. Also when a cap did pop, every ECS mobo rebooted or shut down, while the other brands kept chugging along as if nothing had occurred.

I'm not overclocking or using high-power CPUs or video.

I'm asking because I just bought another ECS (G41T-M7), although it's supposed to be free after rebate.

[Th3_uN1Qu3]

Re: Why have almost all my failed motherboards been ECS brand?

I think you answered it yourself - because they're crap. ECS uses the bare minimum of components required, they're known for being cheap, not reliable.

[Kiriakos GR]

Re: Why have almost all my failed motherboards been ECS brand?

Next time get ASUS, it is simple as move and you get at the safe side.

I have lost faith to all the others, few months back, an very expensive Gigabyte stopped booting with out reason.
No more experiments, medium or high priced ASUS boards is all that I am touching those days.

[mockingbird]

Re: Why have almost all my failed motherboards been ECS brand?

Medium-priced Asus boards always use Apaq capacitors (If not in the VRM, then scattered in other locations), whereas you can find $100+ Gigabyte, MSI, Biostar with Sanyo SEPC, UCC PSK, or Nichicon LF caps. Stay away from Asus unless you're buying their $200+ boards.

[c_hegge]

Re: Why have almost all my failed motherboards been ECS brand?

ECS uses the bare minimum of components required, they're known for being cheap, not reliable.

+1. The reason for the failures is that ECS are junk

Next time get ASUS, it is simple as move and you get at the safe side.

I have lost faith to all the others, few months back, an very expensive Gigabyte stopped booting with out reason.
No more experiments, medium or high priced ASUS boards is all that I am touching those days.

Most of the experts here (myself included) disagree. ASUS are just as bad for build quality as ECS. If you want a reliable board, then Supermico, Intel or Gigabyte.

Stay away from Asus unless you're buying their $200+ boards.

Even the high end ones can be hit and miss

[smason]

Re: Why have almost all my failed motherboards been ECS brand?

ECS used to be pretty good back in the early 90s, but they bought or got bought by some company that was horrible. I forget the name PCChips or something like that? And went downhill fast. You couldn't run fast enough to give me an Asus motherboard.

Against my better judgement I did buy an Asus wireless router last week, it's supposed to be a well-respected model, we'll see.....

[c_hegge]

Re: Why have almost all my failed motherboards been ECS brand?

ECS used to be pretty good back in the early 90s, but they bought or got bought by some company that was horrible. I forget the name PCChips or something like that? And went downhill fast. You couldn't run fast enough to give me an Asus motherboard.

Yeah, it was PCChips.

[mockingbird]

Re: Why have almost all my failed motherboards been ECS brand?

Most of the experts here (myself included) disagree. ASUS are just as bad for build quality as ECS. If you want a reliable board, then Supermico, Intel or Gigabyte.

Stay far, far away from Intel, who still insists on using UCC KZG electrolytics even on their higher-end $150+ boards.

Even the high end ones can be hit and miss

The newer gen high end boards are looking pretty good so far.

[c_hegge]

Re: Why have almost all my failed motherboards been ECS brand?

Stay far, far away from Intel, who still insists on using UCC KZG electrolytics even on their higher-end $150+ boards.

KZG are discontinued, so that won't be happening for long.

[mockingbird]

Re: Why have almost all my failed motherboards been ECS brand?

All KZG class caps are discontinued... The question is which polymers will they use in place?


Intel using Capxon polymer and an unknown brand polymer (Possibly Matsuki/Lelon) in their latest generation flagship ($250+) motherboard:
Intel BOXDZ77RE75K


KZG in a $75+ B75 budget board:
Intel BOXDB75EN

[Th3_uN1Qu3]

Re: Why have almost all my failed motherboards been ECS brand?

Agree on intel boards, had one in not too long ago. Full of bloated KZGs, required a bunch of Ruby MBZ to fix. Asus is crap too, had to fix a shorted VRM caused by auto voltage settings when overclocking - the board was so smart, it blew itself.

I remain biased towards Gigabyte. Biostar makes some decent stuff nowadays as well.

[Kiriakos GR]

Re: Why have almost all my failed motherboards been ECS brand?

Looks that every converstation turn around capacitors.

Hey world... when I am saying my opinion I have and the features in mind.

Since 1995, I have use about 17 motherbords in my own system.
Mostly ABIT & ASUS, one MSI which was good at stock speeds, and one GIGABYTE.

Asus P4C800E Deluxe - Failed due shortcut caused by a USB memory stick.
Asus policy 5 years waranty.. they did honor it, I got a replacement.

GIGABYTE EP35C-DS3R sudenly failed to boot, it does reboot cycles but no beep and start.
GIGABYTE waranty is a joke, the company hides it self from the users and the problems.

Now days I got one fine LCR meter, I will check for capacitors issues, but this is not what a regular computer user has in mind when bying one MB.

My last MB an ASUS P5QC with three years waranty, this December I will complete my first 12 months with it.

[Th3_uN1Qu3]

Re: Why have almost all my failed motherboards been ECS brand?

GIGABYTE EP35C-DS3R sudenly failed to boot, it does reboot cycles but no beep and start.

That's a known issue. Tried removing the CMOS battery and leaving it out for a day or so? And of course every discussion turns around capacitors: this is Badcaps.net after all.

[c_hegge]

Re: Why have almost all my failed motherboards been ECS brand?

Intel aren't my first preference, but they are usually very reliable when they don't use bad caps, and I'll pick one over ASUS any day. My brother had a D945GTP, and that thing came with rubycon MBZ, and it's been fine. The CPU is a Pentium D, so who cares about the lack of OCing features?

Hey world... when I am saying my opinion I have and the features in mind.

Who cares about the features if the board dies young?

[larrymoencurly]

Re: Why have almost all my failed motherboards been ECS brand?

My failures with ECS mobos happened years after recapping or with original caps that looked good and measured good for capacitance and ESR (out of circuit).

OTOH my even older recapped ECS K7S5A Pro and a P4S5A2 mobos are reportedly still running well, and when I first got them they were full of leaky G-Luxons.

Also the Asrock mobos had loads of low quality Ltec caps that failed, but the mobos apparently had no other damage.

This new ECS is full of polymer and Sanyo caps but has a few OSTs

[shovenose]

Re: Why have almost all my failed motherboards been ECS brand?

I like ECS and Biostar.
Intel motherboards the worst, doesn't Asus make them?

[c_hegge]

Re: Why have almost all my failed motherboards been ECS brand?

^
Intel are usually made by Foxconn, but ASUS have made a few models.

[Pentium4]

Re: Why have almost all my failed motherboards been ECS brand?

I have an ECS board with almost purely Panasonic caps, and it's got over 25,000 running hours on it. The only non Panny's are the OST near the PCI slots. I think ECS is better than Biostar.

[c_hegge]

Re: Why have almost all my failed motherboards been ECS brand?

I've only ever seen two Biostar boards that I can remember, so I really don't know much about them.

[mockingbird]

Re: Why have almost all my failed motherboards been ECS brand?

Biostar has some decent stuff from the $150~ range and up.