# mobo's capacitor fell off, please help!!!



## CH@NO (Mar 15, 2009)

Hi.

Yesterday, when I install my new V8 cooler accidentally I hit a small capacitor from the mobo ripping it off.

I tried to re attach it (with a tiny drop of glue in the edges) with an apparently succes, the mobo and the system boot up normal, but now the left speaker of my 5.1 setup didn't work, and I tried the speakers on another PC and It works ok, so the mobo's green jack didn't work properly.

To say the truth I'm lost if I re-attach the capacitor correctly and I dunno too if the sound issue could be related to it, just wanna know what the heck do the capacitor I broke???


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## PaulieG (Mar 15, 2009)

Well, normally you need to solder that capacitor back on. Watch (and smell) for leakage.


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## a111087 (Mar 15, 2009)

it is near onboard sound chip, so, I guess thats why your speaker doesn't work now and are you sure that it has a good contact?


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## CH@NO (Mar 15, 2009)

Paulieg said:


> Well, normally you need to solder that capacitor back on. Watch (and smell) for leakage.



I think there's no need to solder it, the capacitor still hve the two pins attached to it, so I think just makin a little preassure will re attach it correctly, no leakage till now.


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## CH@NO (Mar 15, 2009)

a111087 said:


> it is near onboard sound chip, so, I guess thats why your speaker doesn't work now and are you sure that it has a good contact?



I think it is, but maybe I'm wrong and that's causing the sound issue....darn it, maybe the sound card was damaged


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## CH@NO (Mar 15, 2009)

also, other that that, the board can die if the capacitor is not placed correctly????


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## a111087 (Mar 15, 2009)

CH@NO said:


> also, other that that, the board can die if the capacitor is not placed correctly????



pure guess, but i think only sound chip might get damaged (possibly forever)


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## h3llb3nd4 (Mar 15, 2009)

if something like that happens... I'll first shit myself then find a way to glue it back on 
anyway I think you should get a auzentech sound card to replace the onboard sound...


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## thebeephaha (Mar 15, 2009)

You HAVE to solder it. Don't risk it falling off or making intermittant contact.

You also have to get the + and - pins the right way or you will break something.


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## 95Viper (Mar 15, 2009)

thebeephaha said:


> You HAVE to solder it. Don't risk it falling off or making intermittant contact.
> 
> You also have to get the + and - pins the right way or you will break something.



Really!  He is right, you can't glue a cap back to the board.  If the cover came off maybe, but if you contaminate the sucker inside, the capacitance will be altered.

You need to replace it, if it broke off. Re-solder it, if it cam loose. Get the polarity correct.
Use a low heat iron so you don't delaminate the board or destroy surrounding traces or components. Good smooth clean solder joint.


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## niko084 (Mar 15, 2009)

95Viper said:


> Use a low heat iron so you don't delaminate the board or destroy surrounding traces or components. Good smooth clean solder joint.



Actually its quite opposite, you want a high heat iron so you can heat the solder quickly and get the iron off the board! Low heat will heat up a lot of surrounding area's while it heats up enough to melt the solder. This is why a lot of people who re-cap circuit boards use irons at or over 40watts, at or around 450c. You can get away with less but you have to be careful!

Also use a chisel tip, it holds more heat, but it is a bit harder to use.

This is the Iron I use on all my board work-
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=372-204


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## CH@NO (Mar 15, 2009)

thebeephaha said:


> You HAVE to solder it. Don't risk it falling off or making intermittant contact.
> 
> You also have to get the + and - pins the right way or you will break something.



the +/- contact is right, the capacitor have a purple print in one side to ensure the right placement.


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## 95Viper (Mar 15, 2009)

niko084 said:


> Actually its quite opposite, you want a high heat iron so you can heat the solder quickly and get the iron off the board! Low heat will heat up a lot of surrounding area's while it heats up enough to melt the solder. This is why a lot of people who re-cap circuit boards use irons at or over 40watts, at or around 450c. You can get away with less but you have to be careful!
> 
> Also use a chisel tip, it holds more heat, but it is a bit harder to use.
> 
> ...



If the person is experienced, I would agree with a 60 watt, but I have seen to many boards toasted, by unpracticed people.  I was taught with 25 and 40, so I am accustom to those.

This is what I use:http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00954054000P?mv=rr

Either way, if you can do it right, then do it, if not, get help.


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## CH@NO (Mar 15, 2009)

ah darn it.......I'm a completely NOOB when talkin about soldering, I really don't wanna mess with any other component, if the pay of having one less cap is no sound on my left speaker then good, I preffer to expend on a new sound card than buying the whole mobo again.

I'm after a Sound Blaster audigy 7.1ch SE to replace my current onboard....not today, maybe in a couple of weeks, but I think It'll be more than enough to trade blows with my actual onboard Realtek HDA.


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## KH0UJ (Mar 15, 2009)

*Surface mount electrolytic capacitor*



CH@NO said:


> Hi.
> 
> Yesterday, when I install my new V8 cooler accidentally I hit a small capacitor from the mobo ripping it off.
> 
> ...



just solder it back, make sure to put a glue to hold it before soldering, just position it the same with the other 5 capacitors near it, red stripe on top of it is a negative pin, dont put glue on the two pins of the capacitor, you cant solder it properly if you put glue on the pins of the capacitors, you need to have a small point soldering tip to solder that properly, i think the soundcard is still working, it only losses the output that`s why its not making sound cause the caps on that area is for the 6 output channel connecting on the connectors at the back of the motherboard, just make sure to gorund yourself before soldering to avoid static damage


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## niko084 (Mar 16, 2009)

95Viper said:


> If the person is experienced, I would agree with a 60 watt, but I have seen to many boards toasted, by unpracticed people.  I was taught with 25 and 40, so I am accustom to those.
> 
> This is what I use:http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00954054000P?mv=rr
> 
> Either way, if you can do it right, then do it, if not, get help.



Ya, that is the downside considering what you are dealing with a iron that hot can be a little more dangerous, I did my first few with a 30 watt iron and they turned out good.

But yes, if you do not have a steady hand and are not at least decent with an iron, you may not want this project to be your first, considering the cost if it goes bad.

*Pick up a cheap or free blown psu and practice removing and reinstalling caps, great practice if you want to learn*

PS- Lot's of Psu's go out from a bad cap or two, even a good way to get some decent psu's! I actually have a Antec S.P.2 450 I think that has a few bad caps, only issue with it.


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## mc-dexter (Mar 16, 2009)

... It just ... fell... off? did it, haha.


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## 95Viper (Mar 16, 2009)

niko084 said:


> Ya, that is the downside considering what you are dealing with a iron that hot can be a little more dangerous, I did my first few with a 30 watt iron and they turned out good.
> 
> But yes, if you do not have a steady hand and are not at least decent with an iron, you may not want this project to be your first, considering the cost if it goes bad.
> 
> ...



Agreed



mc-dexter said:


> ... It just ... fell... off? did it, haha.



That's just cruel...kick him when he is down-shame


@CH@NO> You can do it, just do some practicing until you get the replacement cap.

Until then 4.1...


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## Deleted member 3 (Mar 16, 2009)

CH@NO said:


> also, other that that, the board can die if the capacitor is not placed correctly????



Nah. We used to connect capacitors the wrong way to batteries at school. Great fun. Either way, polarity is quite easy to figure out. Either it's written on the board or there are square soldering pads.


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## Ketxxx (Mar 16, 2009)

That solid state cap should be for your onboard sound, likely why one of your speakers doesn't work. Best solution? Buy a replacement solid state capacitor, get a soldering iron and solder sucker, clean the holes where its snapped, and solder the new capacitor on. Very easy to do but if your iron skills aren't too good, ask somebody who has got good iron skills. Just make sure to put the cap on at the right polarity  the longest leg on the cap is positive.


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## h3llb3nd4 (Mar 16, 2009)

what happened??^


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## Ketxxx (Mar 16, 2009)

Nothing, I'm good at repairing stuff  Yesterday was interesting though, opened my PSU up to find during the manufacturing process one of the capacitors had been squished to the point of being considered unusable and had been leaking!  needless to say I swiped a replacement capacitor from a dead PSU and replaced the mega fubard cap. I'll see if I still have the cap and take a pic of it.


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## h3llb3nd4 (Mar 16, 2009)

DanTheBanjoman said:


> Nah. We used to connect capacitors the wrong way to batteries at school. Great fun. Either way, polarity is quite easy to figure out. Either it's written on the board or there are square soldering pads.



did you kill the capacitors?? or the battery??


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## Ketxxx (Mar 16, 2009)

I didn't kill anything, just replaced that really dodgy capacitor in my PSU. Amazing how the PSU got past quality control with a cap squashed like it was.


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## OnBoard (Mar 16, 2009)

Get a sound card.

I have the same mobo and that capacitor is soooo small that soldering will only lead to short, as soldering iron head is already same size.. 



Ketxxx said:


> Best solution? Buy a replacement solid state capacitor, get a soldering iron and solder sucker, clean the holes where its snapped, and solder the new capacitor on. Very easy to do but if your iron skills aren't too good, ask somebody who has got good iron skills. Just make sure to put the cap on at the right polarity  the longest leg on the cap is positive.



Doesn't work, it's surface mount and even with normal size cap they are a real paint to solder.


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## mc-dexter (Mar 16, 2009)

OnBoard... what a name when talking about someone's onboard capacitor falling off, lol.


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## Ketxxx (Mar 16, 2009)

OnBoard said:


> Get a sound card.
> 
> I have the same mobo and that capacitor is soooo small that soldering will only lead to short, as soldering iron head is already same size..
> 
> ...



Nah I've replaced caps that size loads of times, not tough to do at all (assuming your good at soldering)


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## mc-dexter (Mar 16, 2009)

... And a steady hand


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## Ketxxx (Mar 16, 2009)

That helps too


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## CH@NO (Mar 16, 2009)

well, thanx for all your help, I'll try to find the broken cap, if I don't find it then I'll buy a new sound card (Sound Blaster Audigy SE, not the best, but cheap and will perform better than my current onboard), but in the mean time I'll keep enjoying my "new" 4.1Ch sound.

thanx again.


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## mc-dexter (Mar 16, 2009)

Personally i don't see anything wrong with 4.1 sound, I have my own 3.1 set up n it sounds better than my brothers 5.1


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## OnBoard (Mar 16, 2009)

Ketxxx said:


> Nah I've replaced caps that size loads of times, not tough to do at all (assuming your good at soldering)





mc-dexter said:


> ... And a steady hand



and microscopic soldering iron head, look at the space in there..

http://www.links.co.jp/html/press2/ep45ds313.jpg


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## Ketxxx (Mar 17, 2009)

As I said, good soldering skills required


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## Meizuman (Mar 17, 2009)

So those are SMD's... a bit harder to solder if not good with soldering. I definately would just get some sound card to get the job done.

Audigy SE (bulk) for extreme budget, I am happy with mine (with the modded x-fi drivers that make it an other card in terms of sound quality). I will never use onboard. Exception is my good old Epox 8RDA3+, which is the only one that didn't make any annoying unwanted noise.


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## Stewartm (Apr 1, 2009)

h3llb3nd4 said:


> did you kill the capacitors?? or the battery??



I found 240v ac more fun. Soldered inside something (after the power switch) nice bang on turn on.


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