Slashdot Mirror
Taiwanese Capacitors Leaking, Exploding
ackthpt writes "A few astute slashdot readers were on to something back when this article was published. After a tip (at e-insight.net) on failing caps over at amdmb I did a little looking around and found this article by Dennis Zogbi on TTI Inc.'s site, which goes into more detail. In a nutshell, many motherboards are now failing due to electolytic capacitors made with an inferior water-based electolyte. Within days or a few months these capacitors build up hydrogen gas and blow the rubber bung out the end of the capacitor, leaking electolyte and causing havoc. The problem may be widespread, as many consumer electronics made with these capacitors may also fail prematurely. Gary Headlee specializes in Abit motherboards, but as his FAQ states, he will work on other makes and the FAQ has more info on capacitor problems."
there's magic water in capacitors as well as magic smoke ?
No Norm, those are your safety glasses; I'll wear my own thanks...
does that mean that they have a bung-hole now?
huh-huh....he said bunghole..huh-huh
Imagine having a Beowulf cluster that used these things. That'd be a big repair bill...
"People that quote themselves in their signatures bother me" - athakur999
That takes a load off of my mind... So THAT'S why my computer blew up!
many motherboards are now failing due to electolytic capacitors made with an inferior water-based electolyte.
Early indications of capacitor/motherboard demise include failure of spell checking software.
If you're trying to boot up, and your rubber bung breaks and leaks electrolyte, then I'd recommend getting tested as soon as possible, especially if you were trying to boot from a strange floppy.
Karma: Good (despite my invention of the Karma: sig)
they're always threatening to "pop a cap," and now this starts happening! coincidence? i think not!
track7.org has all kinds of interesting stuff!
Good god...how many of these things could be lurking about in automotive airbags...
Well I would hope none. The only thing in your air bag should be the sodium azide and an igniter. The last thing you need in an accident is a bunch of loose capacitors and crap being blown into your face.
It is always important to buy quality components. I for example bought a *shuffle shuffle* Abit... BH6. Dang. Excuse me I have to go check something.
Slashdotter are stupid and biased.
I suppose they're letting the magic smoke out prematurely.
(Lifted from the Jargon File)
Magic Smoke - n. A substance trapped inside IC packages that enables them to function (also called `blue smoke'; this is similar to the archaic `phlogiston' hypothesis about combustion). Its existence is demonstrated by what happens when a chip burns up -- the magic smoke gets let out, so it doesn't work any more. See smoke test, let the smoke out.
Usenetter Jay Maynard tells the following story: "Once, while hacking on a dedicated Z80 system, I was testing code by blowing EPROMs and plugging them in the system, then seeing what happened. One time, I plugged one in backwards. I only discovered that *after* I realized that Intel didn't put power-on lights under the quartz windows on the tops of their EPROMs -- the die was glowing white-hot. Amazingly, the EPROM worked fine after I erased it, filled it full of zeros, then erased it again. For all I know, it's still in service. Of course, this is because the magic smoke didn't get let out." Compare the original phrasing of Murphy's Law.
Michael C. Hollinger
Yeah, remember how reliable American cars were before the Japanese imports came along? Heck, it wasn't unusual to hear of a car that lasted three or even four years before needing replacement!
...wearing a skin-tight topless leather jumpsuit, with cutaway buttocks and transparent crotch panel.
Anyhow, I ended up deciding it must have been a buildup of gas leaking from the batteries. However, now I'd bet my money on a capacitor exploding, since it still kind of worked after that, but mouse control would be spastic, possibly indicating failure in voltage regulating circuits.
-_-_-
There are 0x40000000 types of people: those who understand 32-bit IEEE 754 floating point, and those who don't.
[A plain starfield. Narrative text draws across the screen:]
"Lone escape pod from SS Hermes - Survivors one.
Ship destroyed by Chameleonic Microbe."
[A pause, then the words 'by Chameleonic Microbe.' are deleted, and replaced with:]
"by Chamelionic Mycrobe."
[A second pause, then 'by Chamelionic Mycrobe.' is deleted, and replaced with the much simpler:]
"by shape changing weird space thing.
Non essential electrics all down, including spell checker.
Massage ends."
Help fight continental drift.
Come on /. editors, you just pitched a softball to the Trolls.
Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.
ha ha.
Brings a whole new meaning to the money-shot...
as in...
"That will be $100 for the new motherboard..."
Just as we have "server grade" components in the tech industry, other standards exist in different industries.
Hmm - I take it the server grade components only blow up after the server is linked on slashdot?
It wasn't what I'd call a shortage exactly.... the suppliers definitely *had* the Tantalum, they'd just wave it in front of my nose & refuse to sell it.
Am I the only one who heard Roxette to sing "I'm gonna get blitzed for some sex"?
So you can afford to buy an Audi, but you're too tight to replace some cheap speakers that might CATCH ON FIRE AND DESTROY YOUR CAR?
I agree, Audi should ultimately pay for the replacement, but in the interim...
I'm sure your family appreciates such thrift.. what, did you get them each a personal fire extinguisher for Christmas?
Hmm - I take it the server grade components only blow up after the server is linked on slashdot?
No, after the first slashdotting, the server merely melts.
If, by some miracle the server still accepts requests afterwards, it is not until the second slashdotting that it actually explodes...
You guys are all full of crap.
On Star Trek they use flux capacitors which I presume are far more reliable than your Fancy Pants, Big City tantalum or electrolyte capacitors.
Trolling is a art,