Intel D915GAG Dead/ D865perl thermal issue.

[MachTen]

Hello,
I have a customer that has had this system for 2+ years. Worked perfectly for years. Left on most of the time. Well, he moved offices and kept the system off for 2 days. When placed back into service the system would not do anything. Just dead. No posts, nothing. I suspect bad caps. I have the MB in hand but I cannot see any buldging caps nor any that are leaking etc. They all look perfectly OK.

Also tried new known good PS etc.

What's the next step?

I also have my sons Intel D865Perl that had a surge and some smoke off the 12volt rail a few months back and now it's giving him a thermal shutdown error and won't boot. I see one buldging 820mf cap next to the CPU.

Will I be ok just replacing the defective looking cap?


Thanks!

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Intel D915GAG Dead/ D865perl thermal issue.

Any KZG on it?

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Intel D915GAG Dead/ D865perl thermal issue.

On the Perl also look for HN or HM series caps.
(Known problem but could have been fixed under warranty before now.)

[MachTen]

Re: Intel D915GAG Dead/ D865perl thermal issue.

Intel would not budge on warranty. It's been out of warranty for about 6 months now. The 865 perl that is.


On the PERL:

Blu/wht Nichion
Brwn/White Unknown
Blu/Gold Unkown (This is the visible bad one)
and Yel/Blu Unknown but has an M on it These are lined up next to the CPU 560uf 4volt. The lone 820mf that is bad is in the same row.

On the 915. With getting no post, is it worth a recap considering it was wokring fine before a power down cycle?

[MachTen]

Re: Intel D915GAG Dead/ D865perl thermal issue.

Oh the bad cap has an HN(M) on it.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Intel D915GAG Dead/ D865perl thermal issue.

The (M) at the end is just if it's lead free or something like that.
It is an HN series cap.

HN and HM series caps made from 2002 to 2004 (don't know exact dates) had a manufacturing defect. It's a well known problem on that board and some others.
Same problem with caps affected MAC G5's, Dell SX270-GX270-GX280, bunch of other Intel boards, bunch of other non-Intel boards.

http://www.intel.com/cd/channel/rese...tes/193414.htm

- Just replacing the HN's (and HM's if any) on that one should fix it as long as they didn't take out a regulator chip.

....

The 915,, I've had boards with KZG series caps produce those exact same symptoms.
Works fine - shut down - dead board.
KZG's are common on 915 boards. (That's why I asked.)
KZG's don't 'go' that often but when they go they'll often go that way.

.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Intel D915GAG Dead/ D865perl thermal issue.

KZG are kind of a ickie mud brown color with white lettering and stripe.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Intel D915GAG Dead/ D865perl thermal issue.

Proooooobably a good idea to stop using the Perl until you get new caps on it or you may be replacing a CPU too. (Among other things.)

[MachTen]

Re: Intel D915GAG Dead/ D865perl thermal issue.

Thanks for your help.

I actually was looking closer at the PERL system and noticed that the Antec power supply (nothing but trouble this this brand) fans were not spinning too so I think I may have an actual power issue with this system as well. I just put a replacement into the board and will test it while I wait for replacment CAPs. So far it's booted twice without the thermal error.

On the 915GAG. It's very dead. LOL. How many of those CAPS should I replace? I took a close look and most of the smaller blue caps have X stamped on the top of the caps. most appear to have ever so slight rounded appearance between those stamped lines but its not like the typical buldge in the top.

[MachTen]

Re: Intel D915GAG Dead/ D865perl thermal issue.

Proooooobably a good idea to stop using the Perl until you get new caps on it or you may be replacing a CPU too. (Among other things.)

Opps didn't see this post.

So, I should be good to go with just replacing the one 820mf?

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Intel D915GAG Dead/ D865perl thermal issue.

Replace all the HN caps.
They would likely be all out of the same bad batch and if you don't do them now you'll get to do this again later on.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Intel D915GAG Dead/ D865perl thermal issue.

I didn't catch that the 915GAG is an actual Intel brand board.
It's rare for Intel boards to have bad caps.
Intel is picky about caps and uses good ones.
The HM / HN problem was a fluke. (Quality brand but a goof in manufacturing.)
KZG is also a fluke, relatively new, random, and not well known.
If it's dead and doesn't have KZG/HN/or HM it's probably due to a bad PSU, a power surge, or a cooling issue.
-
Colors and vent patterns don't help me ID the caps.
Too many companies use the same ones.
I need the make and series.
Usually can figure out the make if I know the series.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Intel D915GAG Dead/ D865perl thermal issue.

Okay:
I found some remarks in another post that indicate the D915GAG had the HM problem.

[bgavin]

Re: Intel D915GAG Dead/ D865perl thermal issue.

I have had little luck (so far) with recapping Intel boards. The ones I have done are Dell boards (and now a Gateway). All have the bad Nichicon caps in place.

It is disheartening to recap them all, and still have a dead board.

[bgavin]

Re: Intel D915GAG Dead/ D865perl thermal issue.

I have dead D915 and both dead and new D945 boards, all with HM series caps installed. I think I will recap the new board before it goes into service.

Odd, how Intel mixed Rubycon and Nichicon HM series on the same board.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Intel D915GAG Dead/ D865perl thermal issue.

Don't have to worry about HM or HN if the date code is 2005 or later.
Only need to worry about those from 2002 through 2004 production.
They fixed the problem early in 2004 but I don't know the exact date so 2004 caps are ???? .