Unconventional motherboard repair methods

[fatmike23]

As a general discussion thread, I'd like to hear your opinion on how to repair motherboards unconventionally. I am not some douche-bag loser that doesn't know anything - it's my job/hobby doing hardware repairs. I know how to use google. I took electrical in college as well so I do have a digital fundamentals background as well. I have hardware books from college. Moving along!

My buddies good old Asus P4P800 mobo seems to work for 2 days if we tighten the capacitors, and throw the mobo in an oven. Yes, an oven. It must mold some parts together on the mobo and this leads to the system working fine. Unfortunately, I don't have time to keep heating this mobo, reassembling this guys PC. So, aside from using Digital Multi-meter or swapping out components (vid, processor, ram, psu...), i've done all that. Spare me the "why don't you swap out the processor" or "check the BIOS". All of that simplistic stuff HAS been done.

Ideas are appreciated! Thank you and have a great day!

 

[IINexusII]

dont throw it in a oven, sooner or later more things would melt together

 

[ste2425]

well if putting it in a oven makes it work have you check very carefully for loose componants that the ovan might be 'melting' back in place?

 

[CyberDruid]

My guess is the capacitors are going bad and replacing them is not an impossible task. Some guys make it a signature mod to upgrade caps throughout on a mobo.

 

[lemonadesoda]

Has the PC been "squeeling" some weeks before failing? The caps AND voltage regulators could be gone. Trying to fix a mainboard can be hit or miss and expensive; good capacitors arent cheap, it takes time, and if you swap them out... the damage TO OTHER COMPONENTS may already be done. That is why people like to upgrade their caps BEFORE failure.

If you are "baking" the mainboard for a limited return to life, then fundamentally the mainboard is a gonner, and you should get another. P4P800's are cheap on ebay.

PS. I have a P4P800-VM which was rock solid stable. But I put in a 3.2EE and after a few months it started squeeling and BSODing. Basically, the voltage/power circuitry was insufficient for the 3.2EE... so the half life of the board was significantly shorted using it.

Your case may be similar.

 

[Dippyskoodlez]

Has the PC been "squeeling" some weeks before failing? The caps AND voltage regulators could be gone. Trying to fix a mainboard can be hit or miss and expensive; good capacitors arent cheap, it takes time, and if you swap them out... the damage TO OTHER COMPONENTS may already be done. That is why people like to upgrade their caps BEFORE failure.

If you are "baking" the mainboard for a limited return to life, then fundamentally the mainboard is a gonner, and you should get another. P4P800's are cheap on ebay.

PS. I have a P4P800-VM which was rock solid stable. But I put in a 3.2EE and after a few months it started squeeling and BSODing. Basically, the voltage/power circuitry was insufficient for the 3.2EE... so the half life of the board was significantly shorted using it.

Your case may be similar.

Definitely... The caps prolly don't like the heat either

unconventional repairs for motherboards most likely goes as far as voltage regulator swaps, and cap repair/upgrade... Most everything else is going to either be too small to hand solder (unless you're just that damn leet), or BGA (which is impossible).