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Illicit Leaky Capacitors Killing Motherboards

mcd7756 writes "The IEEE Spectrum magazine has an article about how capacitors made with a stolen formula for the electrolyte are leaking and causing motherboards to fail. Some computer manufacturers are admitting to the problem; others are hiding it."

13 of 364 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Deja vu? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    but this article is on a ieee.org host, giving the situation more weight.

  2. Haha, that'll teach 'em. by DarklordJonnyDigital · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Indeed, those who have repaired the damaged boards say that they have encountered crippled motherboards from Micro-Star International, ASUSTek Computer, Gigabyte Technology, and others."

    Well shit, and I thought the woolly jumper I wore when I built my box killed it. Now I don't have to feel so bad about sending our broken mobos back and claiming it arrived that way! (I'm joking, I'm joking! Nobody tell Dell or the Cowboy gets it. ;)

    1. Re:Haha, that'll teach 'em. by The-Perl-CD-Bookshel · · Score: 2, Funny

      I would tell Dell, but they wouldn't care anyway :)

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  3. HarHAr! by miffo.swe · · Score: 4, Funny

    Good thing my computer is from 97.

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  4. Tech Support by KoolDude · · Score: 4, Funny


    Tech Support : Is there a capacitor leaking on your motherboard ?

    Customer : What ???? How dare you talk about my moma like that, tell me right now, who's that #@&*%$ capacitor ?

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  5. Misread... by HiQ · · Score: 2, Funny

    ESR capacitors

    I read this as: 'ESR capacitated and leaking all over my motherboard'. Trying to get that picture out of my head. Failed..Going home, to take a nap.

  6. Article Title? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    Leaking Capacitors Muck up Motherboards

    Didn't they mean to say that "Leaking Capacitors Muck up Fotherboards"?
  7. Re:Unreliable anyway by FrostedWheat · · Score: 3, Funny

    4000 hours for the good capacitors? That's like 6 months of continuous usage.

    They got maths lessions from the RIAA?

    "These motherboards are obviously being sold for use in music piracy. Why else would they put onboard audio on it? These 'secured' capacators are designed to protect our prof^H^H^H^H.. artists from these thiefs."

  8. First bugs... by SensitiveMale · · Score: 2, Funny

    now the drip?

    What the hell is the next STD for motherboards?

    digital clymidia?

  9. Re:Well no, actually by mikeee · · Score: 3, Funny

    Under capitialism, man exploits man; under communism, it's the other way around.

  10. Re:Ripple = heat by theendlessnow · · Score: 2, Funny
    The issue with electrolytic capacitors is this:

    All capacitors have what is called an equivelent series resistance, or ESR (great: now we have 2 TLAs that are overloaded in context: RMS and ESR... )

    My experience is that anytime you get ESR and RMS in the same room, there's going to be an explosion eventually.

  11. Re:Corporate espionage? by fgb · · Score: 2, Funny

    There was an old story, an urban legend perhaps, about DEC engineers inscribing a message in Russian right on the CPU chips' silicon for the Russians to read.
    Allegedly, it read: VAX, when you care enough to steal the very best.

  12. The sleaziest thing Microsoft has done! by DickBreath · · Score: 2, Funny

    This is the lowest thing Microsoft has ever done in order to sell additional licenses.

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