PSA: Corrosion Happening on ASUS ROG Z690 Formula VRM Block, Company Remains Silent

[SOAREVERSOR]

The issue is that this is all for bling now!

Back in my day (get off my lawn, up hill in the snow with news papers wrapped around my feet for boots you young assholes, shakes fist and yells at cloud) crap like this did not happen. There was no mixing metals, hard line tubing, colored fluids, rgb, or any of this shit. You used cooper, used industrial tubing that you had to use a screw driver or wing wench to secure, and biocide.

 

[Mussels]

I thought you were comparing custom water to air-cooling?
Water cooling is just more hassle and carries higher risk, including not just the complexities of manufacturers screwing things like metal mixes up, but also our own foibles

I run a full custom loop on my main PC, and it all went to shit from EK's faulty mystic fog coolant, outright damaging every last part of the loop
But hey they sent me new coolant, totally fixed that damage.

(Narrators voice: It did not fix the damage)

 

[Chrispy_]

I run a full custom loop on my main PC, and it all went to shit from EK's faulty mystic fog coolant, outright damaging every last part of the loop
But hey they sent me new coolant, totally fixed that damage.

(Narrators voice: It did not fix the damage)

Ah yeah, I vaguely remember you posting about that absolute shitshow.
I take it you no longer buy anything with an EK logo on it?

 

[Mussels]

Ah yeah, I vaguely remember you posting about that absolute shitshow.
I take it you no longer buy anything with an EK logo on it?

I haven't since then, Alphacool sent me a care package after their forum rep here saw some of the posts and let me keep the system up and running

It's amazing how coolant can last longer than a week before going to clag, vs the EK stuff that despite being different colours and types kept dying so insanely fast for no obvious reason

 

[Chrispy_]

I haven't since then, Alphacool sent me a care package after their forum rep here saw some of the posts and let me keep the system up and running

It's amazing how coolant can last longer than a week before going to clag, vs the EK stuff that despite being different colours and types kept dying so insanely fast for no obvious reason

Aye, I've been happy with my Alphacool stuff. It's not glamorous, but it's a workhorse that hasn't given me a peep of trouble.
Their website is pretty rubbish but the official AC reps on their forums were helpful, which is honestly far more important than a glossy website.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Color or fancy coolants have fall out pretty much why if you want color just add die drops or better get color tubing and use clear fluids

 

[Mister300]

That's flat out incompetence. Mixing metals is wcing 101. Yet these knuckleheads do it with their own blocks. Unfreakingbelievable.

Second that, I am a professional chemist and dissimilar metals are a no no.

 

[OneMoar]

why do companies still have trouble with the following concept
DON'T
EFFING
MIX
(dissimilar)
METALS
Seriously its not a hard concept its metalurgy 101 ... no scratch that its metalurgy 99....

 

[tlips]

Can you just run a small ground wire from the vrm block to ground to disperse the free electrons in the water loop...just a thought

Any water loop should have a zinc sink in it somewhere to soak up the free electrons

 

[A Computer Guy]

Can you just run a small ground wire from the vrm block to ground to disperse the free electrons in the water loop...just a thought

Any water loop should have a zinc sink in it somewhere to soak up the free electrons

If the rad is screwed to the case then isn't it grounded already because the PSU is also screwed to the case, but also through the motherboard via by the standoffs to the case?

 

[tlips]

This is why they ground plumbing in houses and run zinc sinks on boats

If the rad is screwed to the case then isn't it grounded already because the PSU is also screwed to the case, but also through the motherboard via by the standoffs to the case?

Should be a hard ground from your blocks to your case on clean non painted surfaces

This is why they ground plumbing in houses and run zinc sinks on boats


Should be a hard ground from your blocks to your case on clean non painted surfaces

A zinc probe in the loop that is grounded as well

This is why they ground plumbing in houses and run zinc sinks on boats


Should be a hard ground from your blocks to your case on clean non painted surfaces


A zinc probe in the loop that is grounded as well

The zinc would have to be replaced every few years like you replace the one in your hot water heater

 

[Mussels]

Can you just run a small ground wire from the vrm block to ground to disperse the free electrons in the water loop...just a thought

Any water loop should have a zinc sink in it somewhere to soak up the free electrons

Interesting tip. That side of the science is something i haven't researched yet, would be interesting if a ground is why it passed their testing (but failed users)

 

[Mister300]

Interesting tip. That side of the science is something i haven't researched yet, would be interesting if a ground is why it passed their testing (but failed users)

Corrosion mechanism is complex here is my paper on Copper oxide corrosion,

 

[Trev]

I wanted to add that Asus support has been completely useless and even seem to be intentionally dragging out providing any sort of resolution to my messed up board. I truly think they're hoping I'll get frustrated and give up. The email chains just keep going in circles with long delays before they provide any response, then they end up asking the same questions. Currently they've ghosted me again. I've always provided the information and photo evidence they requested. It's going nowhere. 6 months of trying.

All I wanted was a replacement VRM block which addresses the issues, and if that's not possible then swap the board for something equivalent that isn't all disfigured from their ridiculous engineering choices.

 

[Mussels]

I wanted to add that Asus support has been completely useless and even seem to be intentionally dragging out providing any sort of resolution to my messed up board. I truly think they're hoping I'll get frustrated and give up. The email chains just keep going in circles with long delays before they provide any response, then they end up asking the same questions. Currently they've ghosted me again. I've always provided the information and photo evidence they requested. It's going nowhere. 6 months of trying.

All I wanted was a replacement VRM block which addresses the issues, and if that's not possible then swap the board for something equivalent that isn't all disfigured from their ridiculous engineering choices.

View attachment 310814

Cause they move you to a new customer service rep who starts from the start. Somehow you need to skip to a higher up person in the chain.

 

[Trev]

Cause they move you to a new customer service rep who starts from the start. Somehow you need to skip to a higher up person in the chain.

I've been dealing with what I think is the same two guys. I requested escalation of the case a couple of times (which they claimed to do), but there's never any progress happening. I feel like they've won and I'm ready to give up, but I at least wanted my warning to exist for others looking to buy similar Asus products.

 

[Ferrum Master]

Cause they move you to a new customer service rep who starts from the start. Somehow you need to skip to a higher up person in the chain.

They are like that everywhere... Being an arse and asking totally unrelated things first, then make some totally unconnected claims and so on... In reality they don't have a clue about what they are doing. ASUS has become a joke lately... Pretty much had the same attitude here in EU.

and if that's not possible then swap the board for something equivalent that isn't all disfigured from their ridiculous engineering choices.

Do not do SWAP... it will be a refurbished unit... it usually means poorly refurbished... It has always been like that. Ask for money back, that's the true solution actually. Ask your local consumer rights and immediately tell them that you will sue them if the action is not taken withing your lawful rights. 6months already? You have the evidence, open the case. You have a broken product.

 

[maxfly]

Asus has been the worst of the worst for as long as tech support has existed unfortunately. 6m is far longer than most people would have lasted for sure. Take Ferrum Masters advice and hammer the cheap sobs.

 

[bobbybluz]

I've had two wars with Asus. The first was in 2005 with a new mobo I had to RMA because it literally died 31 days after I got it from Newegg. It took around one month to finally get the replacement and what they sent me was also defective plus looked like it'd been used as a weapon in a fight. Fortunately I'd taken pictures during the unboxing showing the board was physically damaged when the box was opened. After shipping it back at my own expense they initially declined to RMA it because a corner was broken off. I sent them .jpegs of the damage being there when I received it. Things only got worse from there.

The case was escalated after I threatened to sue them. They then sent a succession of damaged boards I refused to accept (my UPS driver let me open the packages and waited after I explained what was going on) and finally contacted the office of Consumer Protection in the state I live in and filed a claim. I also had an attorney friend write them a letter stating a lawsuit for fraud was going to be filed against them unless they fulfilled their legal warranty obligations. They finally caved and sent me a NIB board.

In 2011 I had to RMA another board and made sure to take plenty of closeup pictures before packaging it up. They denied the warranty claim again claiming the board arrived damaged. This time one of their pictures showed a serial number and it wasn't even the the same mobo I'd sent them. This was while I was at the radio station and the board was one of 50 we'd purchased. I let our legal department handle it and they got stonewalled too. Finally one of the company attorneys called the Asus USA headquarters and we were sent a new board with free overnight shipping. There was a letter enclosed apologizing profusely for "the misunderstanding". Yes, Asus products are great when they work but when they don't their RMA process is the worst in the business.

Asus has been the worst of the worst for as long as tech support has existed unfortunately. 6m is far longer than most people would have lasted for sure. Take Ferrum Masters advice and hammer the cheap sobs.

 

[maxfly]

I won't derail the thread with my mile long fiasco but we should create a "how to properly send hardware back to vendors" (specifically Asus) thread to protect those that haven't dealt with it yet. Ie; hd pics of socket, serial#, back of board, traces, etc...

Not that OP needs or needed anything like that. His was clearly jacked.

 

[Ferrum Master]

"how to properly send hardware back to vendors" (specifically Asus)

A great idea tbh...

Wo should do statistics under that thread. With historical remarks how the RMA service turned out. To gather data. GN yellow press material for sure... but for the sake of brighter future and open eyes to people, especially in their own HQ, that your brand Sucks and make people unhappy.

 

[bogami]

As far as I can see in the pictures, algae entered the cooling circuit, and they then multiplied and caused the degradation of the materials. This is not a manufacturer's fault, sory, If you didn't add the right additives to the water. It's nothing new for a beginner in building liquid cooling, and it's only happened to me for a long time on a GTX8800 aluminum block and copper thermaltek CPU cooler EQ6700 intel processor. Clean, assemble, check that there are no leaks and continue using. It will never work too poorly for cooling the VRM, just add the appropriate additives to the water or antifreeze! Good luck! Great base plate. I would have it myself, but I'm too poor.

 

[maxfly]

As far as I can see in the pictures, algae entered the cooling circuit, and they then multiplied and caused the degradation of the materials. This is not a manufacturer's fault, sory, If you didn't add the right additives to the water. It's nothing new for a beginner in building liquid cooling, and it's only happened to me for a long time on a GTX8800 aluminum block and copper thermaltek CPU cooler EQ6700 intel processor. Clean, assemble, check that there are no leaks and continue using. It will never work too poorly for cooling the VRM, just add the appropriate additives to the water or antifreeze! Good luck! Great base plate. I would have it myself, but I'm too poor.

You know nothing of which you speak. Algae doesn't corrode metal. Period. End of story.

 

[Mussels]

You know nothing of which you speak. Algae doesn't corrode metal. Period. End of story.

You seem highly confident of that

Algae is alive. It lives, dies, and it excretes waste. Plenty of ways it can interact with metals and it's well documented that it corrodes steel, at the very least.

 

[maxfly]

Yep, I've had everything under the sun grow in my loops over the years and have never seen algae eat my blocks. Not once. At worst it turned my water green. But then again I've never used steel blocks...only stainless in my pumps.