CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

[VideoGrabber]

I had noted:
> Units like the Atlas go through a controlled-discharge cycle, if they detect it's needed (up to at least 50V). <

They actually measure the voltage present, as the first stage of their test cycle, and if it's too high for them to self-discharge safely through their internal load, they say so on the alphanumeric readout, and tell you to do it manually.

The key point being, they don't go poof.

[wallace123456]

So, the wife and I where in the kitchen last night. It was some-what quite in the house. We hear this metal "twang" noise coming the the computer room. Hhhhmmm. Thought it was one of the cats knocking something over. So I go in and check. Neither of the cats are in the room. Oh well...

About 2 hours later, my wife goes to get on the computer (she leaves it on almost 24/7). I just happen to be in the hallway. She says, "Hey, something is wrong with the computer. It just shut off, and now it is coming back on. I didn't touch anything yet."

About 10 seconds later, I hear the BIOS beeping sound. As I have been through the beeping routine many times before, I cound the beeps. The pc re-boots again on it own. And again. So I count the beeps again.

1-long, 8-short. Not sure what it means, but all I can say is, CRAP!

Video card is what I found most common in searches.

I pop open the case, pull the video card and hhmmmm...

Wonder if this was/is the problem? I've had caps on board go bad before, but I never "heard" them go bad.







Found this: http://www.badcaps.net/forum/printthread.php?t=4902

My card the 7300GT.


Example of a crummy cap?

Just found my original purchase date for this: 11/6/2007. Go figure. The warranty period is 2 years..


wallace

[Nashou66]

I agree with the guys on bad caps, use the Panasonic FM series replacement, maybe even go up in value if they fit.

Athanasios

[VideoGrabber]

Wallace wrote:
> Example of a crummy cap? <

_A_ crummy cap? I count 5 FZ's in a row there. 3 have already exploded, and 1 is bulging.

I've never had to replace a cap on a video card before, so I can't offer any domain-specific insights. But to see so many gone at the same time seems odd. Either there was a cascade effect, where after the 1st one blew it put extra load on the remaining caps. Or the whole chain got severely strained and they all went. I'd check voltages on that string to see if a regulator ahead of them has malfunctioned, before doing replacements.

Also, IF the FZs are as bad as suggested in the thread you referenced, I see a total of 8 of them, and I'd replace them all to avoid more grief in the future.

[macgyver655]

Counterfeit and poor quality caps are more wide spread then you can imagine. They have infiltrated almost any electronic device and have a very high failure rate. They are the most common failure part and are replaced at a rate of hundreds of times as to all other components combined. I can say without question, that just in the US that capacitors are replaced by the thousands on a daily basis.

[jask]

I keep thinking the most remarkable thing in that picture is how clean the fan blades are. With a cat,carpets,forced air heating and a wood stove in the house I clean out my desktops a couple times a year and the fans always look worse than that...
Those caps should say jiffy pop on the side.

[wallace123456]

Actually, there are 4 1500uf caps blown out of 6 total caps for that value. The others, 470uf are getting replaced as well (total of 4 of those).

I spent some time last night searching for these caps and the cards. There is a HUGE problem out there with them. The company (or, companies) that made these specific types have been thru 4 names. GSC, Evercon, SACON and Capsun.

Other folks who replaced the caps said theirs video card work fine.

As for the fan being clean I had to vacuum the card and fan before I took the pics. It was pretty dusty. I do clean the insides of our pcs a couple times each year just for the dust and cat hair reasons.

Ordered new caps. Total price including shipping was a HUGE $9.00..............

wallace

[Nashou66]

[wallace123456]