DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

[stj]

Re: DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

do you need the fan? if you have a really big heatsink it may be o.k. wihout one.

get a fan with ball-bearings not sleeve bearings.

[canal]

Re: DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

Oh Thanks ... I've just ordered the cheapest I found on amazon and is very close to the one I had before (now dead)... but it is and was sleeve bearings ... All seems to consume less (0.xx A or 1.xx W) than before ... Don't know about others specifications.

It's a 60x60mm mounted on a really huge (or only big compared to nowadays) heatsink ...
But some reports that using only the heatsink without a fan with a K6-2 (and I've bought a K6-2+ 2.0v so it's like a K6-III) is not enought ! And the K6-III tend to be warmer than older K6-2 from what I've heard !

On my very old 486-DX2/80 (overclocked!) the fan has died long time before and I never care about that ... Use it still today with dead fan

Alex.

[canal]

Re: DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

So, I've mounted the new CPU fan I've bought and received ...

And.... CPU fan is still asleep ! Nothing to worry ... BIOS indicate 10°C for CPU and 0 RPM for fan (normal - it's stopped !).
I'm sure everything works normally but will do intensives tests with cards (PCI + ISA) and peripherals now... Perhaps will put my AT (not ATX) PSU back if all OK.

Also, I prefer a brand new fan that surely works than a dusty one that will ruin the CPU in case of higher temp ...

Even BIOS datas (saved by CR2032) still good... didn't suffer from soldering new caps on the board ... haha !!!

I would recommend everybody to repair or "recap" its mobo as it's not difficult and usefull ! Thanks badcaps.net for tips !!!

Alex.

[stj]

Re: DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

look near the fan connector for any small thing burned.

[canal]

Re: DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

No, nothing burnt here ... But if you look closely to the picture I sent there is almost nothing just near the CPU fan connector (it is the one between 2 ISA slots right near the flash BIOS - bottom of the board) - no SMD.

There is an utility on Windows for this mobo which seem to start the fan ... I will checked that since I can boot something but I need futher testing (and reassembling the whole machine) before...

I'm pretty sure that 10°C is very cold for such CPU ... The alarm is set to 70°C and CPU can go up to 85°C. My old K6-2 was if I can remember well around 45°C but I'm unsure.
I've read on an unofficial site that CPU fan can be stopped when not usefull ... that's the case I think but want to see the fan running ! Why not O.C. it ... :-D

Alex.

[stj]

Re: DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

i think unless your running it outside the house, it should be atleast in the mid 20's.

if it can be turned off, it's dangerous if the sensor fails.
it's under the cpu in the center of the socket - it should stick up to touch the cpu.

[canal]

Re: DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

i think unless your running it outside the house, it should be atleast in the mid 20's.

No it's hot here (inside the house!)

After 2-3 minutes of power up machine the CPU temp has now reached 45°C and up to 51°C. I precise that I use this K6-2+ 450MHz *underclocked* at 333MHz ...

if it can be turned off, it's dangerous if the sensor fails.
it's under the cpu in the center of the socket - it should stick up to touch the cpu.

Yes, saw that. This is the CPU hottest point. Works perfectly I think.


But now, it seems another harder / worst problem arise as I can't reach the boot-up process. BIOS hang before. Hope it's software (e.g. BIOS setting) not hardware failure.

Be back for that.

[canal]

Re: DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

Anothers things :

1/ It is said in the latest documentation of the mobo I found that CPU fan should rotate when CPU temp is over 25°C which is my case now and fan still not move an inch !

I try the fan by myself again with 12v DC red and black nothing on yellow: it works (it is a brand new one for 4 euros but works).

Then I plug it into the AGP fan connector instead of the CPU fan connector and power up: it works again ! CPU temp lower to 32°C like that. AGP fan speed reported as 3333, 34xx, 35xx RPM (works fine too !)

2/ Cannot reach boot sequence as BIOS hang just after :
"Award Plug And Play BIOS Extension 1.0A" can't see disks and/or cards (ISA and PCI). Stuck (sad Xmas to come :-D).
Try to revert to fail-safe BIOS setting. Nothing.
And no setting to stop PNP !

3/ With a DVD-Burner as primary slave only I got the HDD LED lighten just after POST which is abnormal as I know my board ... And still hang after PNP.


All 3 points suggest effectively that something -surely SMD- goes wrong ... but that's now a hard job ... the worst I think.

Clues welcome...

[stj]

Re: DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

what happens with 1 ram and just a videocard?

btw, i have seen soundblaster cards cause the boot process to stop.

[canal]

Re: DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

About 2:
^^^ In fact, there is just one ram (128MB) and just SiS6326 (videocard) and that's perhaps why it hangs ! All (soundcard, HDD, CDD, ...) is not re-mounted for the moment.

I've just found (5mn ago) a *really* clever tips ... just hit F4 and bypass this hanging step and it works !!! Can boot now (or I'm sure I will boot now).
Don't know why or what hangs but it could continue like that ... will investigate more.

About 1:
I'm now pretty sure that CPU temp was about 45°C (hard to remember) before it crash so perhaps CPU fan was idle at that time ...

[canal]

Re: DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

I tried unplugging and replugging AGP videocard but no. Nothing.

So, I have more clues ...

About 2:
I'm pretty sure it's my fault. I've bought and put a K6-2+ (note the "plus" after 2) not a K6-2 (without "plus"). This CPU is normally supported by my mobo and my BIOS (I have 12/30/1998 > 11/3/1998 I need). Information found here: http://compatlist.k6plus.com/
But in fact, it doesn't work. I forget to say the CPU is recognized as "Unknown-S CPU at 336MHz" at POST. Normally it should work like that (with this wrong POST and perhaps something to do after to activate internal L2 cache) but it seems not. Others had the same problem back in 2002 or 2004 (Google search)...

So, either
a) I flash the BIOS with a 2000 release new BIOS ... but it is a risky solution with this CPU onboard and nothing prove I can boot from a floppy as my CD-ROM is not recognized either.
b) I use a well recognized CPU on that mobo. That's a higher price but safer solution.

The reason why I bought this K6-2+ is I never think my repair should work ... So, I chose this really cheap CPU (more S&H than CPU itself) in case nothing works... and think it could POST anyway ... It did but hang a little...

I'm now certainly sure there is no other hardware failure on the mobo. Well repaired !
Will see...

PS: Oh also ... I should try my old AT PSU (instead of new ATX PSU) again: the one which cause the crash and after visual inspection seems clean inside... I could check voltages again and in case things goes wrong had to recap again the motherboard... It's not a problem either ...

[stj]

Re: DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

do you have the latest bios file, or a download link?

[canal]

Re: DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

Yes, I have found 2 for DFI P5BV3+ Rev C+ :

https://fr.driverscollection.com/?file_id=14923 from 1999 said to have Ultra DMA/66 instead of Ultra DMA/33 ... Is that possible !? And better K6-2 450MHz support.
https://www.wimsbios.com/biosupdates...support/dfi/69 from 2000 with 128GB HD limit (instead of buggy 32GB HD limit)
With picture for 2000 BIOS and K6-III : http://s240.photobucket.com/user/Geo...fc778.jpg.html

But nothing said that K6-2+ will really work unless perhaps this link :
http://web.inter.nl.net/hcc/J.Steunebrink/k6plus.htm

Perhaps you suggest me to flash a brand new and empty 29C010 (128KB x 8bits) with another hardware but I haven't all that at hand for now...

Other useful link for my mobo and BIOS infos: http://www.udo-richter.de/DFI/index.en.html

[stj]

Re: DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

interesting, so what revision board is yours?

try forcing the clockspeed down to match a supported cpu and see if it boots

[canal]

Re: DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

It's Rev C+ and it's already underclocked to 333MHz (like my old K6-2) but "recognized" as "Unknown-S CPU" ... bad thing.

So, finally I do what Majestyk suggest days ago : a BIOS update with a new CPU ! Was a) for me.

I was able to boot on a floppy (!!!!) bypassing the hanging BIOS by hitting F4 then flashing the BIOS under DOS : was a hard and scared job !!! Really.

With 2000's BIOS like the picture I speak about ... My new CPU is recognized now as "K6-2+" and BIOS don't hang anymore ... See an old and died IDE DVD-ROM ... seems good for the moment.

I think nothing else (I mean hardware) has died as POST would complain about that if it was the case.

So, summary :
5x caps + 1x 75N08 (CEB6030L replacement): 10 EUR
Brand New K6-2+ 450 ACZ : 8 EUR
Shipping and Handling for New CPU : <18 EUR (more than CPU itself!)
New CPU Fan as it died during Test : 4 EUR
Bios Update (flashed) for Free : 0 EUR

My repair cost me a total of : 40 EUR (= $50 USD) without the new PSU I use (only 15 EUR)...

About 1: CPU fan still asleep when plug into CPU fan connector even with new flashed BIOS and CPU temperature reaching 51°C (a little hot) ... so plugged in AGP fan instead and still running now. I think this has never worked !

[canal]

Re: DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

Hi again :-D

I've gone further about the fan problem (about 1) ... there is 3 pins on that connector.
1. Ground goes to ground as it is OK.
2. +12v doesn't seems to go anywhere ? No SMD around but 12v of that connector seems to be connected with 12v of AGP fan connector (multimeter test conductivity: yes) which souldn't be and isn't the case in real ...
3. Sense : don't know anymore about this fan RPM return signal ... where is it going ??

I've look closely to search for a cutted wired for example and see nothing... Perhaps it's a hardware failure on a chip (but AGP fan works) or a software failure (it's latest BIOS now) or a bad solder (but doesn't seem) ...

Anyway it works much better with AGP fan connector I don't use/have normally as it works anytime even if CPU temperature checker fail !

[canal]

Re: DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

So it will be my last question as I've just boot an old Linux distrib on CD-ROM and everything work like before and even better than before. Thanks to this new CPU+Fan and new caps ! This old Linux recognize this K6-2+ as a K6-III but it's okay

So... For all these tests I've used a brand new ATX PSU thinking the old AT one was defective and make all that garbage but after looking inside it seems perhaps this PSU is still good as some of you suggest ...

Do you think it's worth reusing the old AT 230watt PSU (perhaps good or not ) or using the new ATX 480watt PSU (sure it's okay) ? Of course, there is a risk I suppose to use the other one and firing the mobo again !?
Also knows that one of my hard disk died during the crash (clicking sound inside and no more recognized by BIOS now) ...

What do you think of that ?

Alex.

Again many thanks to all of you ... stj, Dan81, Iti, Majestyk...

[stj]

Re: DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

foto's of the psu inside?

[canal]

Re: DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

Sorry, no handy digital camera for now as I only shoot film...

But, the outside of this "DAINTY" LC-230C PSU is much like this one :
http://www.amazon.com/FSP-SPI-250G-S.../dp/B001GLFKKC

Inside: except for dusts nothing wrong. No bump caps for example. Nothing burnt or smell burnt also ... Some caps seems not well sitting on the PCB a little space up exist between the cap and the board but seems normal.

As I've no picture of the PSU inside perhaps the manufacturer of the caps could help you ?
It seems to be written "VIVA" ??? or VENT ?? on each one. All are said to be -40+105°C written on it also.
Then, "L&C TECHNOLOGYING" is written on the PCB ...

Also, I would like to say that I use (or was using it until 3 months ago) this PSU everyday since 1998-1999 so it is a 16 years old. Perhaps rather old for that but you seems to say no as 386 (Novell?) is even older than this Win95/98...

[canal]

Re: DFI P5VB3+ dead with bad caps and more...

Okkayy !

Thanks everybody for your help (and especially about stj...). Everything works fine now. It's stable and running an new-old Linux distrib on a brand new IDE hard drive (>32GB) ...

You're right about unlist / undocumented jumpers I've looked for that...

About PSU caps, I have ones like these inside :
http://www.wasp.kz/raz/cap_02/viva_330mf-200v.jpg

I will keep the new 480w ATX PSU for this recapped mobo and keep the old AT PSU 230w for testing purpose as I'm sure that PSU is still good but too shy to try it on this now new working stuff...

About 3/ It was a mistake as hdd led activity is still lighten at boot time even if no disk access are performed. Strange but like that.

About Ultra/DMA66 it seems that this new BIOS boost DMA from 33 to 66 even if VT82C586B is only said to be DMA33. I got 44MB/sec and even 55MB/sec (hdparm) when overclocking K6-2+ a little ... Really a bargain !

Alex.