Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

**c_hegge** · 10-13-2009, 09:08 PM

Re: Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

2.5v polys should be fine. I would just fill the 10 spots with polys. Electrolytics will just overheat and pop again in a dell SX280 "oven" case, even Ruby MBZ/MCZ.

**etnietering** · 10-13-2009, 09:58 PM

Re: Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

Alright, the ones I have are 820uF @ 2.5v Fujitsus (The yellow ones with the K vent) Will those work ok? They'd be replacing 1800uF @ 6.3v caps. If there's something that would be more appropriate I can order what I need from digikey

Thanks!

**PCBONEZ** · 10-13-2009, 10:45 PM

Re: Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

Those are fine.
Where did you get them?

**etnietering** · 10-13-2009, 10:56 PM

Re: Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

I have 10 of those caps, but from the pictures I've found the board has 14 spots for the Vcore caps, and only 10 are populated. Would it be worth ordering more to fill in all 14? Or since it came with only 10 is it fine to only have 10? Thanks

**PCBONEZ** · 10-14-2009, 12:46 AM

Re: Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

10 should be fine if there are 10 as original.
The ESR will be so much lower the lost uF won't matter.
-
If you do add the other 4 then make sure [with a meter] that the vacant pads are actually in Vcore. Physical location isn't always where things are 'wired' to and you don't want to pop-in a 2.5v on 3.3v, 5v or 12v power.

**PCBONEZ** · 10-14-2009, 12:48 AM

Re: Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

I just sent capking a fixed SX270 Cap-map.
The one he had was hosed,, missing some caps.
.

**kc8adu** · 10-14-2009, 05:25 AM

Re: Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

use an ohmmeter to verify the empty spots are indeed vcore.then fill them too.
i have an inexhaustable supply of the yellow fujitsu 820@2.5 and use them in lots of boards.
no failures at all.
they are standard in all dell gx and sx recaps i do.
i have several hundred boards out there with this poly mod and the 2 that came back so far were lightning hits to the nic.caps were fine.

**Topcat** · 10-14-2009, 05:35 AM

Re: Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

I've polymer'd a lot of these myself, never had any issues. A note on the SX280, I've never seen the caps on the northern side of the board (vcore filters) fail, even nichicon HN's. There's plenty of ventilation and they stay very cool. everything from below the CPU to the bottom of the case is what the heat will roast. Only saw 1 SX280 with the vcore caps popped, and that was one that was so clogged with dust that the fans weren't able to pass air through. Was a gross looking system.

**etnietering** · 10-14-2009, 07:49 AM

Re: Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

Thanks for the advice everybody! I have 3 exams this week, so I don't think I'll have a chance to work on it until the weekend. I'll keep everybody posted with my progress. Thanks again!

**etnietering** · 10-16-2009, 10:07 PM

Re: Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

Well I just got it. Doesn't look too bad on the inside, only one cap oozing goop. It's one of the 6.3v 2200uF ones by the southbridge, Nichicon HM I believe.
Do you guys think I should replace everything (8mm and up)? I'm definitely going to replace the one leaker and all the others like it. And the Vcore, because I already ordered a bunch more of those Fujitsus for it. What do you guys recommend I do? I have the parts to redo the whole thing, so that's not a problem. Thanks!

**PCTechNY23** · 10-16-2009, 10:46 PM

Re: Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

I have done tons of these and I usually only replace the 3X 6.3v 820uF, 5X 6.3v 2200uF and 3X 16v 1500uF under the hard drive if the rest are Rubys and look ok I don't do them. If I had the time I would replace them all but we are doing this on overtime pay and trying to stay within budget. The 6.3v 1800uFs go bad on 1/10 or so. Here is a pic of bad 6.3v 1800uFs: http://www.flickr.com/photos/3082593...59711/sizes/l/ . I haven't seen many SX-280s that are not full of dust. I have a toner vac that works great and we got some metro data vacs for in the field preemptive cleanings. The suction is fairly weak and it is loud but it works ok to hit a bunch of these quickly.

**etnietering** · 10-16-2009, 11:34 PM

Re: Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

@PCTech - Yeah TC said that very rarely do the Vcore ones by the CPU go bad. This unit apparently has a Pentium D though, according to the badge on the front, and I know those run hot, and power hungry, so I was thinking of replacing them anyway. Current it has 10 Rubycon MCZ, all look fine. Do you (or anybody else) think it's worth it to replace these? There seem to be 4 empty spots for more, should I just fill those with the Polys and leave the Rubys?

When I try to power it on, the fans spin and I get the blinking yellow, which is probably due to the blown Nichicon. I took some pictures:

Overall:

Blown Nichicon and it's buddies:

VRM for the CPU:

I'm definitely going to replace all the nichicons. I can use either Rubycon MCZ or Nichicon HZ to replace them. Which would be better? I think the HZs are rated better. Should I replace the rest of the Rubys too? My plan for this computer is to fix it and then sell it, and I don't want whoever I sell it to to have it break again after a little while. But, I also don't want to waste a bunch of caps in places I don't need to use them. Any thoughts/suggestions? Thanks!

Attached Files

**PCBONEZ** · 10-17-2009, 02:21 PM

Re: Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

Those are great pics etnietering!

**PCBONEZ** · 10-17-2009, 02:43 PM

Re: Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

I can see most of a date code on one of the Nichicons.
It's H0425 or H0426.
That would be Year 2004, week 25 or 26 and it's during the run of defective HM/HN caps.
-
I would:
Replace all the HM/HN with the likes of MBZ or MCZ.
- [Panasonic FM for small 4&5 mm ones.]
If those 16v under the heatsink are KZG those should go too.
Upgrade any 85c caps that aren't Rubycon or Sanyo to 105c caps.
- And it should be good to go for a few more years. [If new owner keeps it clean!]
.

**etnietering** · 10-17-2009, 04:59 PM

Re: Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

Yeah, all the nichicons are from 04, and as soon as I saw that I said they're going.
I've done the following replacements so far:

8x Nichicon HM 2200uF @ 6.3v -> 8x Rubycon MCZ 3300uF @ 6.3v

3x Nichicon HN 1500uF @ 16v -> 3x Nichicon HZ 1800uF @ 16v

3x UCC KMG 1000uF @ 16v -> 4x Nichicon HZ 1000uF @ 16v

4x empty spots -> 4x Fujitsu FPCap 820uF @ 2.5v

Oh and the CPU is in fact a Pentium 4 (The Pentium 4 520 if I remember right), so a previous owner must have just had an extra Pentium D badge and replaced the P4 one

And now, for the pictures!

After the first set - the nichicon HNs -> Rubycon MCZs

Here's the set of 3 10mm HZs that replaced the HNs

Here's the 4 HZs on the input side of the CPU VRM - These were a major pain! They're partially under the heatsink, so you have to put them in crooked...I got them in eventually though

And here's the Vcore caps, after the addition of 4 fujitsu polymers. I figure these will take over quite a chunk of the ripple, and should let the MCZs that were already in there be fine

@Bonez: So the rest of the rubies should be fine? There are 5 820uF @ 6.3v MBZs, a bunch of 220uF @ 16v YKs, and a 1 150uF @ 6.3v ZL. The other little ones are a couple nichicon 22uF @ 25v unknown series, and a single 100uF @ 16v, which is by a company whose logo is an R in a box. I don't have the parts currently to replace these. The 100uF @ 16v is rated for 85C, so I should replace that one. Do the nichicons need to be replaced too? They're rated for 105C. I'd like to only have to order once....

In the meantime though, I'll put it back in the case and put everything back together, and see if it works.....and if so, run prime95 on it until I either get more caps to put in, or somebody wants to buy it.

Thanks!

Attached Files

**370forlife** · 10-17-2009, 05:25 PM

Re: Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

The R in a box logo is rubycon also.

Looks good so far. I would just replace all the 85c caps with 105c caps with how hot these ovens get.

**etnietering** · 10-17-2009, 09:42 PM

Re: Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

Well i threw everything together and got it running again. Took it a couple tried to get windows to load up properly, and i couldn't get any of my linux CDs to boot....they all had problems with the dells at my high school too, so I'm not worried too much. Ran memtest for about an hour (5 passes) with no errors. Now I've got prime95 going, it's been going for about 15 minutes with no problems, but I'm going to let it go a couple days, just to make sure.

Also - does anyone have the dimensions of the little nichicons that I need to replace? I could open it up and look, but it's running and I don't want to interfere with the torture test. If somebody's replaced them before and knows the measurements and could tell me, so I know what to order, I'd greatly appreciate it

Thanks everybody for your help! This is my first motherboard, so I've been asking a lot of questions because I don't want to screw something stupid up. Thanks again!

**PCBONEZ** · 10-17-2009, 10:34 PM

Re: Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

Which little Nichicons?
-
The 220uF 16v I see are 6 or 6.3 mm but they are Rubycon. Wouldn't worry about them.

**etnietering** · 10-17-2009, 10:35 PM

Re: Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

Yeah I wasn't too worried about the MBZs (220uF @ 16v). All the little tiny 22uF @ 25v ones are nichicon though. Do those need to be replaced?

Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

Dell SX280 Question and eventually results

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