Arcon caps in Dell PSU....

[stevo1210]

Hello Everyone,

I have a Dell HP-P2507FW (Hipro made I guess) PSU sitting on my work bench and it belongs to my brother.

He complained that his PC wouldn't turn on and it that would take him many attempts to get his PC to turn on.... So I immediately suspected the PSU.

I opened the PSU up and found two bulging Arcon caps yesterday night. One 3300uf 10V 12.5mm, the other a 4700uf 10V 12.5mm, the 3300uf was leaking and the 4700uf was bulging.
This morning I had an even closer look and theres a 2200uf 10V 10mm, it was very slightly bulging on the top.
I unsoldered the caps and I've made a mess of the solder where the caps are.... I removed the solder around the caps with a solder wick, but now I can't tell where the old solder lines link up to.
How do I know where each solder line links up to?? I can see that the solder lines are on an area of copper and that the positive and negative poles of the caps are seperated by the brown PCB between the copper areas.

For the 10V caps, can I just use 6.3V caps??.... I believe that the 10V caps power the 5V and 3.3V lines. there are two 3300uf 16V Arcon caps powering the 12V line, but haven't bulged yet.... but I'll replace them too just to be sure.... I can get Panasonic FC 12.5mm 3300uf 16V caps locally.

I have Sanyo WG 3300uf 6.3V 10mm caps and I can get Rubycon ZL 4700uf 6.3V 12.5mm from a local store.
For the 2200uf 10V cap, I am not sure if I should use the 10mm 2200uf 10V Hitano EXR series caps I have here.... they are low ESR, but they aren't ultra Low ESR....

Thanks.

[gonzo0815]

Re: Arcon caps in Dell PSU....

You don´t need ultra low esr in most PSu´s. So your Hitanos are fine.
Regarding 6.3v i think you already answered this question by your selfe.

if your in trouble due to a mess of solder, just take some additional flux disloved in ethanol or acetone.
I recommend a brush to apply it to the whole area. Then heat it with the iron and let it set.

[severach]

Re: Arcon caps in Dell PSU....

The only cap in that supply I've never seen a failure on is the 3300uf 16v on the edge but I replace it anyways. The exact same cap right next to it fails all the time so I know it's poorly made even if it is in a lucky position where it doesn't need to produce any serious power. All the remaining Arcon >=1000uf and the 1000uf cap between the heatsinks fail constantly. The ones that look good often test double the printed capacitance.

[linuxguru]

Re: Arcon caps in Dell PSU....

The one that doesn't fail must be on the output side of the the C-L-C pi-filter on the +12v rail. I replace all large Arcons and Asiacons on Hi-Pro PSUs as a matter of routine. Also the 47uF, 50v on the primary side near the auxiliary transformer - 100uF, 35v NCC LXA works fine there.

[severach]

Re: Arcon caps in Dell PSU....

Funny, I opened up one of my rebuilds and there is already a Arcon 100uf 50v cap there.

Do you replace that cap because it fails or because Arcon is too terrible to leave in? If it's the brand name then there are 2 other medium Arcons near the output toroid and one more over in the PWM section that would get the scorched earth treatment.

[gonzo0815]

Re: Arcon caps in Dell PSU....

This cap is essential for proper operation. If this cap fails, a catastrophic type of meltdown could happen.
Thus if is wise to replace this particular cap with something good, making it the last dieing cap in the psu.

[linuxguru]

Re: Arcon caps in Dell PSU....

Severach: As Gonzo says, it is too risky to leave an Arcon at that location - it isn't expensive in time/material to replace that cap with a 5000-7000 hr non-aqueous cap, like an NCC LX*. I've also seen one slightly bulged Arcon there. Also check out the cap on the power rail for the PWM IC. The other small Arcons aren't that critical, so I let them stay. I also sometimes don't bother about the caps on -5v and -12v if they look ok - these rails usually have very light to zero load on most modern systems.

[severach]

Re: Arcon caps in Dell PSU....

I don't buy any caps I don't need to. Dell P3 power supplies are dropping like mayflies from something other than flawless caps. Each one yields 2 100uf 25v caps. Brands include TAICON, Rubycon, and UCC.

[stevo1210]

Re: Arcon caps in Dell PSU....

For the replacement cap in the position where there is an Arcon 4700uf 10V.
Can I use an OST RLS cap there??....I'm wondering about thier quality in the long run because it could be a really high stress area.... and it's reight next to a heatsink too.

I'm going to use a 4700uf 6.3V cap in that position because they are the correct size of 12.5mm.

[gonzo0815]

Re: Arcon caps in Dell PSU....

On the long run Ost will fail in hot ambient and probably fail under normal stress too.
The question is, how long should it work? if for ever, don`t wast your time with it.
If a few years may be all you need, your chances are good that Ost RLX suit your needs.

[linuxguru]

Re: Arcon caps in Dell PSU....

I've used Nichicon PW 3300/10 in place of the 4700/10. If it's an outboard location without too much heat stress, the Nichicon HD 3900/6.3 or larger is usable.

[stevo1210]

Re: Arcon caps in Dell PSU....

I've used Nichicon PW 3300/10 in place of the 4700/10. If it's an outboard location without too much heat stress, the Nichicon HD 3900/6.3 or larger is usable.

I've just checked my Hipro PSU again, and the 4700uf cap is on an outboard location. It's not near a heatsink, but next to a large coil.

I replaced the 4700uf Arcon cap with a 3300uf 10V Hitano EXR series cap.... I hope it will work with no major issues.
I am wondering that if I decrease the capacitance from 4700uf to 3300uf, will that be a big impact on the voltage rails??

The cap beside it was originally a 3300uf 10V Arcon and was bulging so I've also replaced it with a 3300uf 10V Hitano EXR series cap.

There are another 3 Arcon 2200uf 10V caps which need to be replaced.... one bulging, the other two are fine.... but I wanted to be sure.
So I ordered some more caps today. I ordered the Panasonic FJ series 2200uf 6.3V caps.... all I have to do now is wait for them to arrive.

Thanks.

[LLLlllou]

Re: Arcon caps in Dell PSU....

Curious, I have an hp-p2507fw with all Teapos. Rev. A02 Musta been a manufacturing error. ;-)