I e-mailed Jackson (the company that mfr'ed the capacitors used in my BP6) and they're shipping me a free baggie of replacement capacitors. Looks like a few hours of soldering for me and I'll have a functional BP6 again.
-drasnor
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LeonardoWake up and smell the glaciersEagle River, AlaskaIcrontian
The 10 big capacitors to the left of the cpu socket, 6 in a row by the socket itself and the 4 by the power circuitry, which are blown big time. I looked closer at the board, since I just pulled it out of the case and definitely 2 of the 3 power mosfets are cooked also, along with the caps. I also noticed that the ATX connector on the mobo is discolored around where the 5v lines feed in, so it must have been drawing a hell of a load on the 5v rail when these caps were crapping out.
So that's what was going on with mine! I had an 8kha+ that gnomewizzard bought off me to donate to the SMx project. I never noticed the caps, but Kwitko did when he got the board. Sounds like it'll be an easy RMA for him.
I did notice the discoleration on the ATX connector, but all my voltages were strong according to software, so I wasn't too worried. It ran great, OC'd 24/7, but then again it's only a matter of time until the caps blow if they're faulty.
I got the board back from rma yesterday and it's the very same board I sent to them, with all the caps and power mosfets changed out. They also changed out the ATX connector too. I'll be putting it back in service sometimes this weekend, replacing the Biostar board I borrowed. The Biostar board will be used as a basis for another rig that will be folding for me at my buddies shop; he want to make a demo machine with lighted fans and case for the walkin customers to see and drool over.
An update on my 8KHA+, the fugger is still FUBAR!!!!! :screwed:
Yesterday, since it was a nice rainy crappy day, I decided to install it back into it's case in place of the borrowed Biostar board. This also entailed taking my NF7-S rig down to recover the Alpha hsf I was using on the KHA+ and had to swap out on the Biostar due to no mounting holes on the Biostar. Plus, my SLK800 belongs on my best and fastest overclocking AMD rig(the NF7). After finishing with the NF7, I went ahead and dropped the KHA+ in it's case and did a quick test boot with no keyboard or monitor attached and watched the post diagnostic led, which stopped at a code telling me it was waiting for either an F1 or del key to be pressed. I brought it into my computer room and hooked it back to the kvm switch and went to boot up and the video card initialized, then went dead and the box didn't do anything else. After trying to boot numerous times with no response at all out of the machine, I took it back to the bedroom and layed it on it's side so that I could watch the diagnostic leds while attempting to boot. The damn thing mostly reads a "00" diag readout, but sometimes it will show an "FF" readout and just sits there doing nothing afterwards.
I then tried to go to epox's US website to try to open my RMA ticket back up and their whole US website is hosed, returning a HTTP 500 error message.
After that, I just got totally disgusted and went to Newegg and ordered me an Abit VA-10 matx mobo for $53. I will still try to get this POS Epox board fixed if it doesn't cost me any more money but my first try to get it fixed ended up costing me a $14 check for return shipping plus around $12 to ship it to them, which is half the cost of the Abit board new. :banghead:
I went ahead and dropped the Biostar back into that case, so that machine is still folding until my new mobo gets here at least.
You got that right, Omega, and it will snow in Hell before I touch another EPoX POS product. I finally got in touch with their techs for the RMA crap and told them what happened and this was their reply:
Since the board was already out of warranty (expired in 2002) we offered to repair the capacitors for you as a courtesy. However, if there are other board issues, as it appears is the case, this would not be covered. We can offer further diagnosis and bill at our non warranty service rate. However, it may be cheaper in the long run to replace the board instead.
If you are having trouble booting the system and getting a screen try the following multi-step procedure. Power off your system first before completing any of the following tips.
1) Check CMOS clear jumper JP1 (JBAT1 on some systems). Set for CLEAR for 5 seconds, then move back.
2) Check CPU host clock jumpers (if any) are properly set. Note: does not control memory bus.
3) Check your power supply. Should be 110/115v for North America.
4) Unplug all data cables for IDE and FDD from the motherboard.
5) Unplug all power supply cables attaching to your IDE and FDD drives.
6) Remove all cards and devices EXCEPT for video, RAM, CPU, CPU heatsink/FAN.
7) Move memory into a different bank, if available.
8) Unplug the CPU and reattach.
9) Ensure your CPU heatsink/FAN is attached properly to the CPU.
10) If you use a variable RPM fan ensure its set for full speed.
11) Retest.
12) If 1-11 do not help power off and test the motherboard outside the computer case to eliminate a case/motherboard power short.
13) Retest. If the board now works check for case problems. If the system still is not working continue...
14) You may have a possible hardware problem. Any device in the system may be a possible culprit. Use process of elimination to determine the cause. Swap out as many components as possible starting with RAM, CPU, POWER SUPPLY, VIDEO CARD (if present) and/or MOTHERBOARD.
That's the crap answer they gave me. The effing board was working just great up until the caps blew, but they won't repair the board that their bad caps damaged. :banghead:
I'm just so glad I ordered the Abit board to replace this POS this weekend when I couldn't get the POS working.
I believe I will have to have a board BBQ and maybe a drive by shooting incident with it.
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LeonardoWake up and smell the glaciersEagle River, AlaskaIcrontian
edited May 2004
Since the board was already out of warranty (expired in 2002)...
Don't be offended if I play Devil's Advocate here. If your warranty expired two years ago, why be upset with Epox for not fixing it?
Leo, first of all, the board was bought on 5/13/02, so the darn warrantee should have run out in 2003, not 2002. And Abit will repair a board out of warrantee for a flat $25 fee, but not Epox. Finally, Epox is the one who built(and is still building, from what I've read lately) boards with crappy caps and now they don't want to even try to fix my board after already they've already stiffed me for $14 plus the cost of shipping($12 USPS priority insured). That's 1/2 the cost of the Abit I just ordered to replace this POS.
I wouldn't have minded if they would have charged a flat fee for a fixed board, which is what I was under the impression they were doing.
OH well, live and learn. Epox = Gnome's AV.
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LeonardoWake up and smell the glaciersEagle River, AlaskaIcrontian
Comments
-drasnor
Those certainties in life: death, taxes, Omega-Epox.
So that's what was going on with mine! I had an 8kha+ that gnomewizzard bought off me to donate to the SMx project. I never noticed the caps, but Kwitko did when he got the board. Sounds like it'll be an easy RMA for him.
I did notice the discoleration on the ATX connector, but all my voltages were strong according to software, so I wasn't too worried. It ran great, OC'd 24/7, but then again it's only a matter of time until the caps blow if they're faulty.
Yesterday, since it was a nice rainy crappy day, I decided to install it back into it's case in place of the borrowed Biostar board. This also entailed taking my NF7-S rig down to recover the Alpha hsf I was using on the KHA+ and had to swap out on the Biostar due to no mounting holes on the Biostar. Plus, my SLK800 belongs on my best and fastest overclocking AMD rig(the NF7). After finishing with the NF7, I went ahead and dropped the KHA+ in it's case and did a quick test boot with no keyboard or monitor attached and watched the post diagnostic led, which stopped at a code telling me it was waiting for either an F1 or del key to be pressed. I brought it into my computer room and hooked it back to the kvm switch and went to boot up and the video card initialized, then went dead and the box didn't do anything else. After trying to boot numerous times with no response at all out of the machine, I took it back to the bedroom and layed it on it's side so that I could watch the diagnostic leds while attempting to boot. The damn thing mostly reads a "00" diag readout, but sometimes it will show an "FF" readout and just sits there doing nothing afterwards.
I then tried to go to epox's US website to try to open my RMA ticket back up and their whole US website is hosed, returning a HTTP 500 error message.
After that, I just got totally disgusted and went to Newegg and ordered me an Abit VA-10 matx mobo for $53. I will still try to get this POS Epox board fixed if it doesn't cost me any more money but my first try to get it fixed ended up costing me a $14 check for return shipping plus around $12 to ship it to them, which is half the cost of the Abit board new. :banghead:
I went ahead and dropped the Biostar back into that case, so that machine is still folding until my new mobo gets here at least.
You got that right, Omega, and it will snow in Hell before I touch another EPoX POS product. I finally got in touch with their techs for the RMA crap and told them what happened and this was their reply:
That's the crap answer they gave me. The effing board was working just great up until the caps blew, but they won't repair the board that their bad caps damaged.
I'm just so glad I ordered the Abit board to replace this POS this weekend when I couldn't get the POS working.
I believe I will have to have a board BBQ and maybe a drive by shooting incident with it.
I wouldn't have minded if they would have charged a flat fee for a fixed board, which is what I was under the impression they were doing.
OH well, live and learn. Epox = Gnome's AV.
As for Epox - I buy enough boards for both of us