GA-8IEXP and GV-AP64D

[BeefStu]

I RMAd both of these items back in May 2004 (fortunately, they were still under warranty), but I figured I'd post the details here.

I started getting BSODs every time I plugged in my external USB DVD recorder. I had encountered bad caps in an IBM Netvista X40 earlier that year but still spent weeks troubleshooting my Gigabyte gear because this was a $200 motherboard and I never though it would have a problem.

When I thought to take a close look at the motherboard, I found what you see in the attached file GA-8IEXP.jpg

To make things worse, as I was taking the motherboard out I removed the Gigabyte video card and found what you see in attached file GV-AP64D.

It took about 5-6 weeks (and much to my frustration, a $12 fee paid in advance for them to ship everything back to me) but Gigabyte finally returned my repaired boards. The video card now has 2 Sanyo 1200uF 6.3V caps where the failed ones were. The motherboard has an IMI 3300uF 6.3V cap where the single failed GSC was. Unfortunately, I never even reassembled the PC they were in (it's one of 5 in the house and wasn't particularly missed).

As I was hunting around to get the cap details to make this post, I got a final insult from Gigabyte. Upon closer inspection, I see that Gigabyte's RMA department never proactively replaced all of the GSC caps on my motherboard, so I now have 2 more GSC leakers and my warranty is up. The thing has never even been powered up! Grrr......

[cods69]

Re: GA-8IEXP and GV-AP64D

Let Gigabyte know. I did and my board is being RA'd (RMA) at the moment.
It is out of Warranty too. (8IHXP)
On the first email they did not want to know about it, but the second (and what I thought would be final) email got results I did not expect, as they offered to RA the board.
Must have been the stern tone of my complaint of substandard components.

Mind you, I have not got it back in working order as yet.

[AK0R]

Re: GA-8IEXP and GV-AP64D

I RMAd both of these items back in May 2004 (fortunately, they were still under warranty), but I figured I'd post the details here.

I started getting BSODs every time I plugged in my external USB DVD recorder. I had encountered bad caps in an IBM Netvista X40 earlier that year but still spent weeks troubleshooting my Gigabyte gear because this was a $200 motherboard and I never though it would have a problem.

When I thought to take a close look at the motherboard, I found what you see in the attached file GA-8IEXP.jpg

To make things worse, as I was taking the motherboard out I removed the Gigabyte video card and found what you see in attached file GV-AP64D.

It took about 5-6 weeks (and much to my frustration, a $12 fee paid in advance for them to ship everything back to me) but Gigabyte finally returned my repaired boards. The video card now has 2 Sanyo 1200uF 6.3V caps where the failed ones were. The motherboard has an IMI 3300uF 6.3V cap where the single failed GSC was. Unfortunately, I never even reassembled the PC they were in (it's one of 5 in the house and wasn't particularly missed).

As I was hunting around to get the cap details to make this post, I got a final insult from Gigabyte. Upon closer inspection, I see that Gigabyte's RMA department never proactively replaced all of the GSC caps on my motherboard, so I now have 2 more GSC leakers and my warranty is up. The thing has never even been powered up! Grrr......

It would have been cheaper and faster to buy a soldering iron and caps, and re-cap it yourself. There is plenty of information on this forum about soldering, as well as sources and requirements for replacement capacitors.

[BeefStu]

Re: GA-8IEXP and GV-AP64D

It would have been cheaper and faster to buy a soldering iron and caps, and re-cap it yourself. There is plenty of information on this forum about soldering, as well as sources and requirements for replacement capacitors.

Yeah, I might try fixing it myself this time (I examined the board earlier this evening and even my remedial soldering skills should be able to desolder and resolder 2 joints on the mostly unused bottom of the motherboard) but as I mentioned, the original problem and RMA was almost 1.5 years ago. I didn't know about these forums then...