Board level repair

[SFSecurity]

I have two ECS GeForce7050M-M V2.0 motherboards with AMD 4 core Phenom processors that I've had for about 5 years. Both started becoming flaky so I went looking for replacement MBs and since the CPU socket is AMD-2 they are almost impossible to find from a decent source at a reasonable price. Mostly the MBs have been discontinued.

So now I am looking at doing a board level replacement of the 6 capacitors that have bulging tops - most common sign of failure - and am not sure of the best way to go about this.

Do I need a solder sucking iron? How can I tell if they are plated through holes? What is the best way to install replacements without damaging the board?

I hate to just throw away the boards and electronics as they were quite fast, even compared to a new AMD 8 core FX 8150. The DNETC benchmark was 7+ million keys per second on the Phenoms and the FX 8150 is only 11+ million keys per second.

Suggestions most welcome.

Allen

[KoBE]

Ah, I wish I had more knowledge in this area. An old member we had here I think knew quite a bit about the electronic side of things.

I may have a slow day at work tomm so I'll see what I can dig up.

[AceInfinity]

Quote:So now I am looking at doing a board level replacement of the 6 capacitors that have bulging tops - most common sign of failure - and am not sure of the best way to go about this.

I don't think there is a good way to go about that unless you have a technical background. Have you soldered before? Or done anything like this?

On the other hand, remember the risks involved. You could potentially damage good components on this motherboard by a number of factors including static shock.

Quote:Do I need a solder sucking iron? How can I tell if they are plated through holes? What is the best way to install replacements without damaging the board?

Lots of questions, a solder sucking iron is not necessary though in my opinion, you can get special tips for a soldering iron, although depending on where you're soldering will determine my thoughts on that. You don't want to create a bridge over components that are not supposed to be connected, so if it's in a tight space, then that's a bit more specialized soldering. Remember, being quick is key here too because you don't want to fry anything that you're putting on the board, or anything around where you're working.

This kind of skill in my opinion has become more obsolete, and more automated through machines. Chips, motherboards, etc... Any electronics basically in the world today, seems to keep getting smaller, almost to now, it's at the point where you need a microscope on some things to do any work with the actual components that make things function.

I have a few stereo amps in my house right now that are living proof of this. I think the one upstairs is 1500W, and the one's I've got downstairs for the bigger speakers are even more powerful.

In the end, my verdict would be that it's up to your discretion. There's certain skill factors that play in here, experience, and all that good stuff, that don't allow me to provide you with a good answer. And without seeing what it is you're working on that makes matters worse :)

Sorry... I'm headed off to sleep right now though because i've got work tomorrow, and i'm pretty tired, so before I write any more convoluted posts, I'd better stop and logout of the forum haha.

[SFSecurity]

I have years of experience with soldering everything from Nagra tape recorder synchronizer/resolvers - in the field repair no less - to building patch bays for digital audio workstations, cables up the wazzu, including Neutrik teeny-weenie 4 pin wireless mic connectors, I've just never done board level repairs of caps.

Lots of space around each pin so that is not an issue but getting all the solder out might be that's why I asked about using a solder sucking iron instead of just a solder sucker or wicking braid. Also I have found that a solder sucker requires more contact time with the potential for more damage. I've never had real good luck with wicking braid. May be just my technique sucks. (Sorry about the bad pun.)

Best,

Allen

[AceInfinity]

(07-10-2012 01:51 AM)SFSecurity Wrote:  I have years of experience with soldering everything from Nagra tape recorder synchronizer/resolvers - in the field repair no less - to building patch bays for digital audio workstations, cables up the wazzu, including Neutrik teeny-weenie 4 pin wireless mic connectors, I've just never done board level repairs of caps.

Lots of space around each pin so that is not an issue but getting all the solder out might be that's why I asked about using a solder sucking iron instead of just a solder sucker or wicking braid. Also I have found that a solder sucker requires more contact time with the potential for more damage. I've never had real good luck with wicking braid. May be just my technique sucks. (Sorry about the bad pun.)

Best,

Allen

Haha, I understand. With a wicking braid, I find a bit of flux definitely helps suck up the solder much better. On the actual braid, then heating up the braid to heat the solder; as soon as it turns 'liquid' it seems to act like a straw in a fraction of a second for the solder on the area. Don't underestimate the flux :)

Sounds interesting though, my own dad actually did quite a few of those things that you've been mentioning in this post... I'm curious, where have you worked? As a career?

EDIT: Doesn't seem like you're from Canada, so I don't think you're anybody I would personally have connections with. Interesting though that you've brought up all this stuff :)

[SFSecurity]

Nope, Amerikan as can be. That is why my nom de guerre is SFSecurity as in San Francisco.

Worked in the film industry and was second unit mixer on that awful Michael Crichton film that was so bad I can't think of it's name. You know, the one with the aliens in an underwater craft. I did the original recording for that part. The dailies projectionist went out of his way to tell me that it was the best he'd ever heard from a tank filled with water.

I am a bit of a perfectionist and so poking holes in security is a perfect fit. ;->

Best,

Allen

[Shintaro]

I say, have a go! Those components are put on with a wave solder. I went an seen one in action at Motorola. Very cool.
15 years ago I worked at repairing VCR's and CRT TV's and there was surface mount gear then. A total pain in the a$$, but they can be removed and replaced. It helps to have the right gear though.
It totally gives me the Sh^%$ that they put below spec caps on boards and power supply boards. I had a monitor just out of warranty and the board jockeys in the repair shop wanted to charge me $100 to replace the power supply board, when it was $10 in caps.

[AceInfinity]

The only thing is, sometimes the components are hard to re-solder because they are pushed right up against the actual board, there's not much of the actual exposed wires to work with. I've had lots of soldering experience though in my life, just not professionally. I have helped with professional work though, but it was not really my work to do in the first place, I was just helping out.

I have seen lots of inexperienced people try though, thinking they know what they are doing, and everything from frying the chips, to frying the connectors out of the board, to breaking pins off, I have seen lol.

I used to work with amps quite a bit, although most of the work I do now is not this technical, it's basically just hooking up RS-232 cables, and at that, not all of the pins are even used, we only use pins 2, 3, and 5 for the serial port communication for system control.

[Florin]

Which capacitors?

[SFSecurity]

(07-14-2012 05:12 PM)florin Wrote:  Which capacitors?

The three above the socket that are near the labels LPT & COM 1, 16v, 1500 mfd and two in the next row down with the six in pairs of two that are 6.3v, 1800 mfd.

Thanks,

Allen